Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Unbeaten, ranked Herd welcomes UMass
11/6/2020 5:14:00 PM | Football, Word on the Herd
Marshall is 5-0 overall and No. 16 in the AP Top 25 poll
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – There'll be a bit of mystery about Marshall's non-conference football opponent.
UMass, which was added to the Thundering Herd's 2020 schedule on Oct. 19, has only played one game this season. The sample size is small, but the 0-1 Minutemen are plenty familiar to Marshall offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey. The former New Hampshire quarterback and longsnapper has seen his share of UMass games as a player and coach. He coached fullbacks, running backs, tight ends and quarterbacks during his New Hampshire coaching career.
"There's some bad blood in the past in this relationship," Cramsey said. "I got a couple of random texts from the head coach at New Hampshire and a couple of other guys, as soon as they saw the FIU game was cancelled, I got a text that was like, 'Hey, it's officially UMass week.'"
Marshall is undefeated at 5-0 overall and 3-0 in Conference USA, and has not played since a 20-9 win against Florida Atlantic on Oct. 24. The Herd had its scheduled game against FIU last Friday postponed, with a makeup date set for Friday, Dec. 11 in Miami, Florida.
Marshall is nationally ranked in both major polls – No. 16 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 15 in the Coaches' poll – and will face a UMass team that is 0-13 all-time against FBS Top 25 teams. What Cramsey expects is a Minutemen team that will look like the northeastern teams he encountered as a player and coach.
"They base themselves on strength; they base themselves on physicality," Cramsey said. "Coming from up that way, that's the type of play you get in the northeast. A big, strong, physical guy. That's who they are and what they're built around."
All five starting offensive linemen are at least 300 pounds, ranging from 305 to 335 pounds. Collectively, the UMass starting offensive line averages 320.2 pounds.
That will present a large task for defensive coordinator Brad Lambert.
"They've got a real big offensive line," Lambert said. "They're big and they want to run the ball. They are trying to find their quarterback. They changed coordinators. It's all about tackling to stop the run and not give up big plays. That will once again be critical for us."
Marshall ranks No. 3 nationally in rush defense and has not allowed an opposing team to gain 100 rushing yards in any game this season. Overall, the Herd defense has not allowed an individual 100-yard rusher in six consecutive games, dating back to last season. UMass had 111 rushing yards in its season opening loss to Georgia Southern.
"Ultimately, like Wisconsin, they're trying to be that right now," Lambert said. "They'll be impressive looking coming in. They'll try to establish the line of scrimmage."
The defensive front that Cramsey and the offense will see averages 296 pounds among the four listed starts on the Minutemen two deep. The starting defensive tackles are 335 pounds and 310 pounds, respectively.
"Their personnel has changed a whole lot since last year," Cramsey said. "(Head coach Walt Bell) went out and got some new guys. Solid defensive line. Very experience at linebacker. They've got a Notre Dame transfer at one of the corners. It's a solid experience."
NOTES
Junior running back Brenden Knox enters with a four-game streak of 100-yard rushing performances. It is the second-longest active streak among FBS players. Knox rushed for 100-plus yards against Appalachian State (138), Western Kentucky (107), Louisiana Tech (125) and Florida Atlantic (101). The longest streak in FBS is held by Iowa State's Breece Hall, who has accomplished the feat in six consecutive games.
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Marshall is 19-3 all-time as a Top 25 team. Doc Holliday is 6-1.
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The Marshall offense has not fumbled this season. Junior running back Sheldon Evans fumbled on a kickoff return against Louisiana Tech, but that remains the only ball put on the ground by the Herd this season.
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The Marshall defense enters Saturday's game among the best in team categories. The scoring defense is No. 3, the rushing defense is No. 3, the passing defense is No. 22, the total defense is No. 5 and average sacks per game is No.12.
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Saturday's game will be produced by HerdVision, the digital network of Marshall Athletics. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, the network's subscription service. Mark Martin will handle play-by-play duties and Jake Griffith will be the analyst. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.
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).
