— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall’s football team has a golden opportunity to make some noise on a national stage this weekend as North Carolina State comes to Huntington to meet the Herd.
It’s the first visit to Joan C. Edwards Stadium by a team from a Power 5 conference opponent since Purdue opened the 2015 season there and left a 41-31 loser to the Herd.
Saturday’s game time is 7 p.m.
The Herd and Wolfpack met in Raleigh last season and the Pack came away with a 37-20 win, overcoming a 20-10 deficit.
N.C. State has won all four previous meetings between the two schools, with all of those games occurring in Raleigh.
Here are three key questions regarding Saturday’s game:
1. Can young Marshall quarterback Isaiah Green perform on a big stage?
The redshirt freshman has been a steady performer in Marshall’s early season wins over Miami (Ohio) and Eastern Kentucky, with five touchdown passes and only one interception. This week, Green will face better talent on the defensive side, although the Wolfpack defenders were not all that impressive even in early wins over James Madison and Georgia State.
The best help for Green will be a steady running performance by backs Keion Davis and Tyler King, who were slowed two weeks ago by an Eastern Kentucky defense stacked against them. N.C. State may be more concerned with slowing Marshall’s stable of receivers, so there could be some running opportunities for the Herd.
2. Will Marshall special teams get it right?
Marshall coach Doc Holliday has put in lots of extra work over the past two weeks with his special team units after a less than spectacular effort in the win over Eastern Kentucky. In that game, there were two turnovers caused by inattentive punt blockers, plus a blocked punt. More consistency is also needed in the punt return game, with King aggressively looking to return kicks rather than backing away from them.
Another sign of improvement would be deeper kicks and more overall consistency from first-year Herd punter Robert LeFevre, who has had several rugby-style punts end up short in distance, putting pressure on MU’s defense. It wouldn’t break the hearts of Marshall fans if LeFevre simply stayed in place and punted away rather than moving to his left or right and inviting pressure.
3. Can Tyre Brady and the Herd receiving corps have another big night against the Wolfpack?
Last year’s N.C. State contest was the breakout game for Herd senior receiver Tyre Brady, who exploded for 11 catches, 248 yards and a touchdown. Brady’s receiving partners, Marcel Williams and Willie Johnson, combined for another eight catches.
Marshall’s No. 2 receiver, Obi Obialo, wasn’t available to play against the Pack last year, so he brings a further challenge for State’s defense.
Marshall offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey will also look to keep the Wolfpack stoppers honest with short passes to Davis and King — and don’t be surprised if a trick play or two finds its way into the offensive game plan.
NOTES
Marshall enters the game as healthy as it’s been all season, as center Levi Brown returns from an injury which limited his playing time against Eastern Kentucky, plus preseason All-Conference USA defensive lineman Ryan Bee will see his first action of the year after injuring himself in the week leading up to the season-opener … Marshall has declared Saturday as “Reggie Oliver Day”, as the university remembers the quarterback of the 1971 “Young Thundering Herd” who died in mid-August at age 66. A video will be shown prior to the game which honors Oliver, plus his former head coach, Jack Lengyel and “Young Thundering Herd” assistant coaches Red Dawson and Mickey Jackson will join MU captains for the pregame coin toss. Oliver was one of the main characters in the 2006 movie “We Are Marshall” which portrayed Marshall’s battle to restore its football program following the November 14, 1970 plane crash near Tri-State Airport which killed 75 Herd football players, coaches, athletic administrators and fans … Saturday is Marshall’s “Stripe the Stadium” game for this season and a detailed map has been released online showing what color fans should wear, depending on where their seat is located. Ten thousand green and white t-shirts are also being handed out to fans as they enter the stadium … After this week, it’s Conference USA play for Marshall for the rest of the season, starting next week with the Herd’s league opener at rival Western Kentucky.