HUNTINGTON, W.Va.—The Herd’s offense has literally found it stride over the last two games. Marshall has run by, run over and run through the defenses of Southern Miss and UAB. Essray Taliaferro has registered three straight games with 100 yards rushing, Kevin Grooms had two consecutive 100+ yard performances and Taliaferro, Grooms and Steward Butler rushed for 100+ yards last week against UAB. Center Chris Jasperse says over the last two games, players have been finishing plays.
“Even if the ball is not coming you’re way, say the recevier’s on the left and we’re running the ball to the right he’s got to make sure to finish his block because that’s what springs the long ones,” said Jasperse. “Everybody’s been finishing every play that’s been the biggest difference for us.”
Offensive coordinator Bill Legg says the backs have actually slowed down and that has allowed the blocks to develop in front of them.
“Now they’ve gotten into the flow of it a lot better and the trust factor is there. They’re playing with great tempo until the hole shows itself and then they’re sticking their foot in the ground and going. There’s nothing we’ve done from that standpoint. God gave them that ability. Just understanding the concept is all they needed to learn.”
“It the last couple games we’ve got back to our old selves in moving the ball, getting first downs and scoring a lot of points. It feels good,” admits Jasperse.
This week Marshall wants to take that momentum on the road and face a Tulsa defense that is 10th in the conference, allowing 34 points a game and 189 yards rushing each week. Tulsa is 9th in the league in total defense with 405.6 yards allowed per game.
This is a very young Golden Hurricane defense.
Linebacker Shawn Jackson is the elder statesman of the group. Coming into the year, Jackson had 34 starts under his belt. The rest of the returning defense had a combined 22 starts. Ten players have made their first start on defense this year that includes a pair of true freshmen and a redshirt freshman.
“They’ve done a great job of putting a philosophy in place,” explains Legg. “They’re a very big, strong, physical front with big, strong, physical linebackers. The coverage concepts they play allow the safeties to get involved in run support. You could potentially see nine guys attacking the line of scrimmage on a run play.”
Legg acknowledges there’s no way to block nine guys coming up to play the run. That’s when players must trust the offensive concepts.
“We’re going to have to do a great job of blocking the ones we can block the ones we can block and managing the ones we can’t block,” said Legg. “My old ball coach used to say ‘you block a few, fool a few and you got to run over one.’ I don’t know if we have the backs that are going to run over one, but they’re going to have to handle one.”
Linebacker Shawn Jackson is the heart and soul of the defense. Jackson is 5th all-time with 356 career tackles. One more and he’ll pass Lovie Smith for 4th on the list. In nine games, Jackson has 14 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
“He’s a big guy. He runs around, he’s athletic and makes a lot of plays. He’s played a lot of football for them and he was one of their better plays on a good team a year ago and he’s back doing the same things,” said coach Doc Holliday.
Every week, Marshall players and coaches talk about getting out to a quick start. The Herd hasn’t had much trouble jumping out on teams at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. On the road it has been a much different story. Marshall has come out slow and sluggish way from home. Offensive lineman Clint Van Horn says it all goes back to mental preparation.
“It’s all a mental deal and goes back to preparation,” asserted Van Horn. “Tulsa’s seen the film of us struggling on the road but our only concern is us and that’s all we’re worried about.”