— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — With high expectations for the 2018 season, the Thundering Herd is looking forward to getting together with old Mid-American Conference rival Miami (Ohio) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the season opener for both clubs at Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio.
Marshall is coming off a rebound year in 2017, ending with an 8-5 record and New Mexico Bowl win over Colorado State.
Miami had a disappointing 2017, ending with a 5-7 mark just one year after competing for a Mid-American Conference division title and earning a bowl spot. MAC media are expecting fifth-year coach Chuck Martin’s team to improve this year and challenge Ohio for the league’s East Division title.
“They’ve got a lot of guys back and they’re going to be a tough opponent,” senior center Jordan Dowrey said. “It’s good to start a season with a team that you know is well-prepared because you have to focus and that gets you in the routine to focus on every opponent.”
Miami leads the all-time series 30-13-1, but Marshall has won eight of the last nine matchups, including a 31-26 win over the Redhawks in last season’s opener in Huntington.
After four weeks of camp, Marshall’s veterans on both sides of the ball are eager to face an opponent wearing something other than green and white.
Much of the work in fall camp has involved deciding who will fill key offensive skill positions for the Herd. Wagner transfer Alex Thomson and redshirt Freshman Isaiah Green have been battling for the starting quarterback job while there’s a fight for playing time at tailback between senior Keion Davis and sophomore Tyler King.
Dowrey says competition for jobs is just motivation to he and his offensive line partners.
“It doesn’t bother me much,” Dowery said. “I line up and they say, ‘set-go’, and I block them.
“For me, I can do my job and not have to worry about everybody else”.
Marshall’s defense is expected to be solid this season as it returns multiple starters on all levels. One of those returning starters is senior lineman Ryan Bee, who is healthy after undergoing off-season shoulder surgery. Bee, a past all-Conference USA performer, is encouraged by the overall experience of the Herd defenders, led this year by new defensive coordinator Adam Fuller.
“It’s great going into the season knowing you’re surrounded by seasoned guys and it’s comforting to know that this team has faced tough situations,” Bee said.
Despite the excitement of Marshall’s Conference USA Tournament title and NCAA Tournament win over Wichita State in men’s basketball in March, Herd football is no less loved as shown by higher season ticket sales over last year and huge turnouts at preseason events involving fans and players.
A larger number of Herd fans are expected to make the relatively short trip to Miami and Bee believes the sea of kelly green and the preseason excitement is all the fire he and his teammates need.
“We love the high expectations of fans and others because it makes you focus that much more,” Bee said.