HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – After watching the rest of the college football world kickoff the 2016 season, Marshall finally gets its turn this Saturday when it welcomes Morgan State to Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Herd players and Herd fans are eager to actually see Marshall take the field against someone other than itself.
Herd fans will get a good look at the 2016 Herd and by the end of September should have a good idea what this team is capable of. Marshall opens the year with three consecutive home games, with quality of opposition increasing each week, culminating with a ranked Louisville team on Sept. 24.
“I don’t think there is any question that there is a comfort level you have at home that you don’t have on the road,” said coach Doc Holliday.
“That’s obvious. Our kids have been extremely successful playing in this stadium, and they understand the importance of playing at home and what that means. There is no doubt I would rather have three straight home games than three straight road games.”
To call Marshall a favorite this week against FCS opponent Morgan State, might be the understatement of the year.
In interim-Head Coach Fred Farrier’s first game, the Bears allowed 30 consecutive points to Holy Cross, dropping their season opener 51-24. Morgan State had 14 penalties for 115 yards and turned the ball over twice inside the Holy Cross 5-yard line.
Holy Cross rushed for 258 yards and four touchdowns while it racked up nearly 500 yards of total offense. Unfortunately for Farrier, it could be more of the same this Saturday in Huntington.
“We’re going to be a whole lot better than we were last year,” promised sixth-year tackle Clint Van Horn.
“We have a seasoned quarterback who played a lot of football last year. We have some running backs that can really go. The offensive line looks good. We have depth like we’ve never had since I’ve been here.”
Marshall simply needs to take care of business on Saturday. Much like an NFL preseason game, the Herd coaching staff will want to see the team eliminate any mistakes, execute the gameplan and most importantly get through the weekend healthy.