Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Cincinnati coach prepares team for 'incredible, electric atmosphere'
9/27/2019 12:53:00 AM | Football, Word on the Herd
Marshall hosts the Bearcats in the final non-conference game on the schedule
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Luke Fickell remembers. That much is clear from his 17-minute, 28-second press conference this week.
The third-year football coach at the University of Cincinnati who, like Marshall coach Doc Holliday, has ties to Urban Meyer, spent a chunk of his time behind the podium discussing the Thundering Herd. Fickell's mind drifted back to the 2017 meeting between his first Bearcats team and the Herd in UC's Nippert Stadium, and the sizeable margin of which his team was on the wrong side.
If his third Cincinnati team needs motivation entering Saturday night's trip here to face Marshall at 5 p.m. at Joan C. Edwards Stadium, the previous meeting should suffice.
"It's about respect," Fickell said. "If they don't know anything about Marshall, all they have to do is pop on the film from two years ago. If you need a storyline, take a look at that one. We didn't do very well and they put it to us.
"I want to make sure they understand what kind of atmosphere they're going to walk into and what kind of team they can expect," he added.
Marshall led 24-0 at halftime two years ago, and eventually won 38-21. The Herd nearly doubled UC's time of possession, and MU quarterback Chase Litton had a four-touchdown, zero-interception day in a road win that proved what Fickell already knew. In 2016, Marshall's final record was an aberration, and the 2017 team had regained its footing as the program college football folks expect to see from a Holliday-coached team.
"You know what kind of team you're going to face," Fickell said. "This is a team that's never going to be intimidated, especially at home. They're going to play their butts off. It's going to be an incredible, electric atmosphere."
There are, of course, differences between the two programs from when they met on Sept. 30, 2017. Back then, it was Fickell's inaugural season at Cincinnati, a campaign that ended in a 4-8 record. The Bearcats cracked the national rankings last season, finishing 11-2 and defeating Virginia Tech in a bowl game. Since the start of the 2018 season, UC is 13-3.
Fickell acknowledged the changes in the Marshall coaching staff since the previous meeting, most notably the departures of defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and offensive coordinator Bill Legg. But, he said, Holliday has sustained the program's identity as he prepares for his 120th game at Marshall, the most ever by a football coach in school history.
"They've got a new defensive coordinator; they've got a new offensive coordinator. But, it's still the same team," Fickell said. "The head coach has been there for 10 years, and that's why they've been successful. Just looking at what kind of effort you're going to get; what kind of emphasis you're going to get. You're going to see their starters on special teams. You're going to see them make an impact in those areas. It's more about what kind of effort to expect – what kind of culture to expect."
Cincinnati opened the 2019 season with a home win against UCLA, and also defeated Miami (Ohio) before sharing an open date with Marshall last weekend. In those wins, the Bearcats leaned on their run game – 175 rushing yards vs. UCLA; 234 against Miami – and barely permitted the opposition to gain 200 yards of total offense. Cincinnati ranked No. 15 nationally a year ago in rushing offense.
Marshall has mirrored Cincinnati's season. The Herd sandwiched wins against VMI and Ohio around a road loss to a nationally ranked opponent, as the Bearcats did with its victories and a loss at Ohio State. In Marshall's win, the offense rushed for 280 yards and 305 yards, respectively, and controlled the trenches.
"They are a very, very good football team," Fickell said of Marshall. "It starts with their ability to run the football and their ability to stop the run. They're built that way. Up front, defensively, pretty darn good. They're going to mix some things up with how they insert safeties and make it difficult on you. Offensively, they've got talent. The offensive line is a veteran group. Big, physical. They are going to find a way to run the football and keep you honest with the athletes they have outside."
The Marshall that Fickell and Cincinnati will see is a lot of what Fickell wants is program to be, and he was not shy about heaping praise on Holliday and the Herd ahead of Saturday's non-conference showdown.
"It's a lot of who we want to be," Fickell said of Marshall. "We want to start with the guys up front, the o-line and the d-line. That's where I look in the mirror and I say, this is kind of a good image of what it is we want to continue to build. That's why you look at what they've done and Doc being there for 10 years. When you look at guys who have a program – and I mean a program – but guys who build programs, who do it the right way."
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and a seven-time winner of the National Sports Media Association West Virginia Sportswriter of the Year award. In addition to HerdZone.com's Word on the Herd, McGill is the editor of Thundering Herd Illustrated, Marshall's official athletics publication. Follow him on Twitter (@chuckmcgill) and Instagram (wordontheherd).
