— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall looks to send its seniors out on a high note at home as Herd hosts the UTSA Roadrunners in a Conference USA interdivisional matchup.
Eighteen Herd seniors will play their final game at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
The game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. and will be shown on Stadium Facebook Live.
Marshall (6-3, 4-2) earned bowl eligibility last Saturday with a 30-13 win over Charlotte, while UTSA (3-7, 2-4) continued its season-long struggles in a 45-7 loss to C-USA East Division leading FIU.
This will be the third meeting between the Herd and Roadrunners and they’ve split the first two matchups, each winning on their home field. Last season, UTSA beat Marshall 9-7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio with a last-second field goal.
Here are three things to watch for in Saturday’s game.
Who will be running for the Herd?
Marshall got a breakout performance last week from redshirt freshman running back Brenden Knox, who blitzed a solid Charlotte defense for more than 100 yards and a touchdown in his first extended action. Knox’s effort was needed due to the depleted Marshall backfield, as Tyler King and Keion Davis were injured and not dressed and Anthony Anderson was playing in pain.
If Marshall gets King and Davis back, UTSA’s defense will be severely tested as MU’s offensive line is now doing its best run blocking of the year.
Herd coach Doc Holliday now has the luxury of knowing that he has four productive running backs who can get yards when they’re needed.
UTSA must find offense
After two winning seasons and a 2016 bowl trip, 2018 has been a nightmare season for Roadrunner head coach Frank Wilson. His club has been hit by an usually-high number of season-ending injuries, along with the need to play youngsters, which has led to a lot of mistakes.
The Roadrunners have been especially troubled with turnovers and inconsistent quarterback play. At times, UTSA has played true freshman quarterback Jordan Weeks as well as inexperienced sophomore Bryce Rivers, who threw a touchdown pass in last week’s loss to FIU.
Holliday believes that UTSA’s receiving corps is impressive, but it remains to be seen if someone can consistently get them the ball against the Herd.
What a seventh win might mean for Marshall
There were plenty of relieved fans, players and coaches in Huntington after Marshall beat Charlotte. There are now six bowl-eligible teams in Conference USA (MU, FIU, MTSU, UAB, Louisiana Tech, North Texas) and a seventh win will greatly improve the Herd’s bowl stock.
Marshall’s bowl options are interesting as it may be Marshall’s turn to play in the Bahamas Bowl or make the long trek to Hawaii.
A return to last year’s bowl destination, the New Mexico Bowl is a possibility (Marshall beat Colorado State in that contest). Holliday’s preference would be a Florida bowl and there are two options — the Boca Raton Bowl and Gasparilla Bowl in St. Petersburg.
NOTES: Marshall’s football team took part in Wednesday’s annual Plane Crash Memorial Service at Memorial Student Center, an annual event to remember the 75 victims of the November 14, 1970 plane crash … Herd players laid memorial flowers along the wall of the Memorial Fountain … Marshall’s veteran volleyball coach Mitch Jacobs announced his retirement from coaching on Thursday, meaning Marshall is now looking for a new volleyball coach for the first time in nearly two decades.