By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall’s football team is at the mercy of Mother Nature this week.
The Herd’s scheduled Saturday night battle with the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference is still on, but might be affected by the oncoming Hurricane Florence, which is expected to hit parts of South Carolina later this week
As of now, Saturday’s game time at Williams-Brice Stadium is set for 7:30 pm.
The South Carolina athletic department issued a statement Monday evening on the school’s website, www.gamecocksonline.com, regarding the situation on USC-Marshall football and other contests involving Gamecocks teams this weekend.
“As has been previously announced, the USC campus is closed beginning Tuesday and until further notice per South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster’s order. The athletics department is currently monitoring the forecast for Hurricane Florence. The safety of everyone affected by the storm and the minimization of the impact on emergency personnel are the most important factors in making the decision on hosting an athletics event. This includes the Sept. 15 football game vs. Marshall University in Williams-Brice Stadium and other athletics events that our teams travel to and host. We are in communication with the National Weather Service, state and local authorities, the Southeastern Conference, Marshall University and schools that other programs that we compete against this week regarding potential weather issues. Fans can monitor any updates on USC Athletics events via GamecocksOnline.com, social media and local media outlets. USC Athletics sends its thoughts and prayers to those preparing for the storm and hope that you will be safe and careful during this time.”
Governor McMaster ordered public schools in the Midlands and Low Country in South Carolina during the Hurricane Florence emergency as well as the USC closure. There are also mandatory evacuations taking place in coastal areas of the Palmetto State.
Marshall Athletic Director Mike Hamrick says all efforts will be made to play the game, including in what manner the Herd might travel to Columbia, S.C.
Hamrick was quoted in today’s edition of The State as saying that Marshall will make every possible effort, as long as it’s safe, to make the trip to South Carolina.
Marshall is scheduled to fly to the game at 3 p.m. Friday from Tri-State Airport, but if weather conditions prevent flying, Hamrick says a backup plan has been established to bus to the game, starting on Friday morning.
Driving time from Huntington to Columbia, S.C. is approximately six and a half hours.
It’s doubtful that the two schools would make-up the game later this season as South Carolina hosts Tennessee in an SEC East contest on October 27th, the date of Marshall’s bye week this season.
South Carolina has been hit quite often by Hurricanes and the University of South Carolina has had to adjust football schedules because of weather issues in the past.
In 2015, heavy flooding in Columbia forced to a scheduled game with LSU to be moved to Baton Rouge, La. A year later, Hurricane Matthew caused storms in Columbia, which forced the USC-Georgia game to be moved from Saturday to Sunday.
Hamrick also had experience with Hurricane-influenced weather when he was the athletic director at East Carolina as a scheduled game between the Pirates and Miami in 1999 had to be moved from Greenville, N.C., to North Carolina State’s Carter-Finley Stadium due to Hurricane Floyd.
Marshall last played South Carolina 20 years ago when the Herd, led by quarterback Chad Pennington, beat the Gamecocks 24-21 on a last-second field goal by Billy Malashevich.
One college football game in the state has already been moved, as Coastal Carolina was set to host Campbell this weekend. That contest was moved to Wednesday and will instead be played at Campbell.