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Gameday excitement builds for Herd

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Senior right tackle Clint Van Horn has a one track mind these days.

“My teammates make fun of me because the only music I listen to is if I can envision myself playing football to it,” said Van Horn. “I fantasize about playing football and all I’m doing is fantasizing about playing Purdue. I’m obsessed with it. “

To say Van Horn is focused on Sunday’s opener with Purdue may be a bit of an understatement given the intensity Van Horn brought to the final scrimmage of preseason camp on Saturday. Van Horn looked as though he was ready to line up against the Boilermarkers a week early.

“You bring an intensity to practice or to film but there’s nothing like gameday and the energy you bring and your teammates bring out there on the field with you,” Van Horn explained.

Sunday’s opener, which marks the first visit by a Big Ten school to Joan C. Edwards Stadium, will be filled with emotion for various reasons for everyone involved in the program. For guys like Van Horn it will be the final opening day of his collegiate career. For others it will the final opening day ever. It’s something Van Horn has tried to avoid thinking about too often.

“It’s huge. I try not play into that but it’s hard not to think about. It’s in the back of your head and its going to be a special moment, it’s going to be a special time and it’s going to be a special season.”

Meanwhile, quarterback Michael Birdsong will be taking the field as a starting quarterback for the first time in nearly two years. The last time Birdsong played a game was Nov. 23, 2013 vs. Towson, while the starting quarterback for James Madison University.  After transferring to Marshall and sitting out the 2014 season, watching Marshall march to a 13-1 record and a Conference USA title, Birdsong is chomping at the bit to get on the field. He knows Sunday will be emotional but isn’t concerned about those emotions going unchecked.

“It might be a little tough,” Birdsong conceded. “I’ve gone into a season starting so I know how to handle it. The fact that it’s been two years, there’s some butterflies there.

“I don’t think it would matter if it’s been two years or I’d been playing last year, we still haven’t played an opponent in a few months now. You’re going to have some butterflies and if you don’t why are you playing the game?”

Earning their stripes

Even as game preparations commence, there are still several players running around with a bold red stripe down the middle of their helmets. The red stripe, which Doc Holliday instituted when he arrived six years ago, can only be removed once a newcomer as earned his kelly green stripe.

Usually, that was achieved during camp but Holliday says the standards are higher this year.

“We’re at the point in this program that expectations and standards are higher and they don’t want to take them off till they do something in the game. No longer is it what you do in practice it’s how you help us win a game.

“Standards have changed a little bit. They’re a lot higher and you’ve got some guys who are actually starting for us that still got that stripe on and it’s important they play well on Sunday and get that thing off. “





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