By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON – After another unwanted Covid-19 related game postponement last week, the 16th ranked Thundering Herd is back in action this Saturday in a non-conference matchup with the University of Massachusetts.
Marshall’s scheduled conference game with Florida International University last week was cancelled due to lack of available scholarship players at FIU due to coronavirus related issues.
Marshall (5-0, 3-0) last played on October 24th, beating Florida Atlantic University 20-9.
UMass (0-1) opened the season on October 17th, losing at Georgia Southern 41-0. After initially cancelling the 2020 football season because of the pandemic, UMass regrouped and opted to play a limited non-conference schedule this fall. The Minutemen also have a game scheduled for November 27 against Liberty.
This is the second meeting between the schools, as Marshall knocked off UMass 49-20 on September 8th, 2001 at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
Facing a team that has only played one game puts Marshall in scramble mode in regards to pregame preparation, with very little tape available on how the Minutemen operate on both sides of the ball.
“I tell our kids every week that they’re going to pick up a Sunday paper or watch ESPN and learn that someone’s lost who shouldn’t have lost,” Coach Doc Holliday said. “It happens every weekend. It happened last weekend and it’s going to happen this weekend. You have to make sure it’s not you.”
With previous postponements from Marshall’s non-conference schedule and league games with Rice and FIU, Holliday says his team and staff are now quite used to make quick adjustments.
“When you get into a situation like this, you have to worry about yourself,” Holliday said. “Us as a football team, we have a standard that we have to play up to and we’ve got to get better as a team.”
Junior running back Sheldon Evans insists that no matter who the team is or how many games it has played, the Herd’s attitude and approach to preparation does not change.
“The mindset doesn’t change,” Evans said. “Whoever steps in front of us, they are in the way of our goals that we set for coming back. As long as we keep that mentality, every game is going to be that championship game, that championship mindset.”
Notes—FIU is missing another game this week due to Covid-19 problems on the Panthers’ squad as a game at UTEP has been postponed…With Louisiana Tech’s win last week over UAB in double overtime, Marshall is now the only team with a perfect record in Conference USA play…Marshall’s #16 AP ranking is its highest since September 8th, 2002..Marshall’s defense remains a national leader, coming in 3rd in scoring defense, 3rd in rushing defense and fifth in total defense. Marshall has still not allowed a team to rush for more than 100 yards this season….A Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame member, Dr. Bob Barnett, has died at age 77. The Newell, WV native was the last wrestling coach at MU, serving from 1972 until the sport was dropped in 1979. Barnett was a long-time Marshall professor who also specialized in sports history, authoring numerous books and magazine articles.