Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: O-line, backs combine for impressive numbers
10/16/2020 11:59:00 PM | Football, Word on the Herd
Marshall plays at Louisiana Tech on Saturday
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Statistically, Marshall's defense is one of the best in college football. The Thundering Herd, which plays at Louisiana Tech on Saturday at 6 p.m., ranks in the Top 10 in total defense and rush defense, and is tied for first in scoring defense.
The offense, however, has some eye-popping numbers, too. Not surprisingly, Marshall's quintet of senior offensive linemen is a big reason why.
"They're an experienced group that has played a lot of football together and they're playing really well right now," said Tim Cramsey, Marshall's offensive coordinator. "Right now, the first three games, they've been outstanding. I'm not a big stats guy, but we've taken three sacks and we have, basically, one negative play on the year in the run game. That's all attributed to them up front."
The Herd (3-0 overall, 1-0 Conference USA) is tied for No. 11 nationally in fewest sacks allowed with three. Marshall has 136 rushing attempts this season with two negative plays: a 6-yard loss by senior receiver Willie Johnson in the season opening win against Eastern Kentucky, and a 2-yard loss by sophomore running back Knowledge McDaniel in the twilight of Marshall's 38-14 win at Western Kentucky last weekend.
That means junior running back Brenden Knox has zero negative rushing plays on 61 carries. His primary backup, junior Sheldon Evans, has zero negative rushing plays on 32 attempts.
Additionally, the Herd offense has not fumbled this season.
Last week, the MU offensive line drew the task of slowing down reigning league Defensive Player of the Year, DeAngelo Malone. For his career, Malone has recorded 16.5 sacks against C-USA competition, including 3.5 vs. Old Dominion, 3.0 against Charlotte, 2.5 vs. Louisiana Tech and 2.0 against UAB.
In four meetings with Marshall, Malone has failed to record a sack.
"I thought our offensive line was challenged this week," Marshall head coach Doc Holliday said. "They had the Defensive Player of the Year lining up against them every snap … I thought that offensive line was challenged and I thought they responded well. The entire offensive line has played consistent the first three games."
Holliday and the coaching staff back up those comments with their selection of game captains. Four different offensive linemen – Alex Mollette, Will Ulmer, Cain Madden and Josh Ball – have rotated being a game captain this season. Ball, a 6-foot-8, 309-pound tackle, is a first-time captain for the game against Louisiana Tech.
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In addition to Ball, captains for the Louisiana Tech game are junior running back Sheldon Evans, senior linebacker Tavante Beckett and junior defensive end Koby Cumberlander. Evans and Beckett have been captains in all four Herd games this season. Cumberlander is a captain for the second time in 2020.
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During the 2018 season, the Marshall defense put together a spectacular streak of not allowing an individual 100-yard rusher, a run that actually included the back end of 2017 and the start of 2019 before ending in a road loss to nationally ranked Boise State.
The Herd defense has put together a modest streak of four consecutive games without allowing an individual 100-yard rusher, which includes last season's Gasparilla Bowl against UCF.
But the defense has taken it one step farther this season. So far, not only has an individual not produced a 100-yard game against Marshall, but a team has not eclipsed that mark, either.
The only other FBS programs to have not surrendered 100 rushing yards to an opponent (minimum three games) are Georgia, which ranks No. 1 nationally in rushing defense, and Kentucky.
"You've got to stop the run. That's where it starts," Holliday said. "We've done a good job of stopping the run and forcing people into being one-dimensional."
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and an eight-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).
