Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Marshall bids farewell to 17 seniors in regular season home finale
11/30/2019 1:40:00 AM | Football, Word on the Herd
Herd hosts FIU with C-USA East Division still up for grabs
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall's pursuit of a Conference USA championship is not over, although the Thundering Herd will need some help. But before the final games are played Saturday, 17 seniors will be honored at Joan C. Edwards Stadium before Marshall and FIU take the field.
This week, Marshall coach Doc Holliday was asked what he is thankful for in this holiday week.
"I'm thankful for the opportunity to coach this great game and surround myself like these 17 who are walking out of here," he said.
This senior group rallied from a disappointing 2016 season to post eight- and nine-win campaigns in each of the past two seasons, including bowl victories in New Mexico (2017) and Florida (2018). First-year defensive coordinator Brad Lambert was not here for those bowl wins, but the linebackers coach has nevertheless developed a strong bond with the defense, including seniors Omari Cobb and Tyler Brown.
Cobb and Brown both play linebacker. As many senior days as Lambert has witnessed in his lengthy coaching career, saying goodbye is never routine.
"This one is sad because guys like Tyler Brown and Omari Cobb, you wish you had more time with them," Lambert said. "You're just getting to really dig in and know them and coach them. They're two guys who are easy to coach. They are so easy to deal with.
"So, seniors, when you come in and January and you've only been around a year with them, it's hard because you want to spend more time with a guy. I've been fortunate to be here and coach guys like Omari and TB and how hard they work. Omari had to change positions. TB walked-on here and played really good for us. It's been a lot of fun to watch and coach those two guys.
"Senior Day is always hard. It's always hard to see guys in their last home game."
A rundown of who will be honored Saturday:
Matt Beardall – This will be 47th consecutive start for the native of Merritt Island, Florida. The long-snapper made his collegiate debut at Pitt in 2016 and has not left the field since. He was an all-freshman selection that season, and honorable mention pick as a sophomore and a first team honoree last season.
Levi Brown – The center from Franklin, Georgia, will finish in the Top 10 in program history in career starts. He enters Saturday's game with 48 career starts, and only nine players have finished with 50 or more. Brown, like Beardall, was an all-freshman selection in 2016 and then gradually garnered more impressive honors: second team as a sophomore and first team as a junior.
Tyler Brown – A former walk-on from Spring Valley High School, Brown has transitioned from high school quarterback to key defensive player in his final collegiate season. The linebacker is seventh on the team in tackles (39), with 5.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks. Brown is tied for second, along with fellow senior Marquis Couch, for sacks this season.
Omari Cobb – The dynamic linebacker is an unquestioned leader on defense, having been named a game captain nine times in his career. The native of Port St. Lucie, Florida, is second on the team in tackles this season with 97, and has 7.5 tackles for a loss, 2.0 sacks, one interception and one forced fumble. He is tied for the team lead in tackles for a loss, and enters Senior Day with 231 career tackles, the most of any active Marshall player.
Marquis Couch – A leader along the defensive front, the Miami Central product leads all Marshall defensive linemen in tackles (48), and has 5.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks. He is also tied for the team lead in forced fumbles. For his career, Couch has 21.5 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks.
Joey Fields – A graduate transfer before the season, Fields has played in three games. He has two receptions for 10 yards and one carry for 9 yards. Both catches came in a win against Western Kentucky on Homecoming.
Channing Hames – No one on the team has more than Hames' 15.5 career sacks, and no one has come up bigger in big games than Hames. At the end of the 2017 season, Hames enjoyed a breakout in the New Mexico Bowl, tying for the team lead with eight tackles while adding 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for a loss. He was named the Defensive MVP for that bowl game. Last season, he had two more sacks in the Gasparilla Bowl.
Chris Jackson – The native of Tallahassee, Florida, enters Saturday's game with 46 career starts. In 47 career games, Jackson has amassed 186 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, 2.0 sacks and seven interceptions. No other player on Marshall's current roster has more than three career interceptions.
Milan Lanier – A Cincinnati native, Lanier enters his final regular season home game with 30 games under his belt. He has 20 career tackles and has teamed with Hames to form a tough duo on the interior defensive line for the Herd. So far, Lanier and Hames have started all 11 games this season on the defensive line.
Armani Levias – Once a junior college transfer, Levias has turned into a play-making tight end who has made an appearance on SportsCenter's Top Plays. Levias leads the team in receptions (42) and receiving yards (462) this season, along with a team-best three touchdowns (tied with Willie Johnson). Levias has 67 receptions for 789 yards and six touchdowns in 24 career games.
Joey Maddox – The native of Hilton Head, South Carolina, has only played one game his final season because of an injury, but enjoyed a solid career at Marshall. In three seasons, Maddox made 11 appearances and finished with four tackles.
Kereon Merrell – Like Levias, a junior college transfer who became an important part of the team. Merrell played in 33 games in three seasons, with 86 tackles, 12 pass deflections and one interception. Merrell also had his first career sack in 2019.
Justin Rohrwasser – He'll be remembered for his game-winning field goal against Western Kentucky, a 53-yard field goal to win it as time expired. But the Rhode Island transfer is one of the best kickers in college football, hitting 16 of 18 field goals this season and 31 of 39 for his career. He also handled kickoffs and has two career fumble recoveries.
Fermin Silva – A graduate transfer from FIU, Saturday's opponent, Silva has made 18 tackles in nine games at Marshall. He also has two career sacks, both coming on Friday nights – at Boise State and in a 31-10 win against Louisiana Tech. He also had a forced fumble this season.
Alex Thomson – The graduate transfer quarterback saw most of his action in 2018, starting four games. He enters his final collegiate regular season game 59-for-107 in his career with 608 passing yards and six touchdowns. He also has 39 carries for 66 rushing yards and another touchdown.
Jackson White – Primarily a special teams player, White is the only junior on the list. He has seen action in 36 career games, and is 2-for-2 passing for 11 yards this season. White has been a pivotal player in games and practices, holding for all extra points and field goals and providing quarterback depth during practice.
Trent Wilderbrathwaite – The 20-year-old from Potomac High School in Virginia has carved out a role on special teams with the Herd. Across two seasons, the defensive back has recorded two tackles.
