By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON – Football won’t be all that is on the minds of Marshall Thundering Herd fans on Saturday as the 16th ranked Herd plays host to Middle Tennessee State at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
Saturday is the 50th anniversary of the Marshall Football Plane Crash, an event which still affects the Huntington community as well as the university.
The game’s importance isn’t lost on Marshall’s 11th year head coach, Doc Holliday.
“As we all know, this is the biggest game on our schedule every year,” Holliday said. “Our kids understand the importance of it–how important it is to our fan base, our community and our school–so they have to do a great job with their preparation and getting ready to play this game.”
The coach’s words are echoed by Herd senior tight end Xavier Gaines.
“That week is important to our program, to our school, to this city, to West Virginia to be honest,” Gaines said. “Every game is important, but that game is a different time, a different meaning. We know we’ve got to go extra hard because we don’t lose on that date.”
With a 6-0 start (3-0 in Conference USA) start and highest national ranking in 18 years, the Marshall program has a chance to head for new heights, but the momentum must continue against the Blue Raiders (2-5, 2-3).
Marshall’s big task this week is slowing down MTSU quarterback Asher O’Hara, who beat Marshall with his arm and legs in the 2019 win. O’Hara threw for 261 yards in that game and rushed for 76 yards.
Despite the Blue Raiders losing record this year, O’Hara is having a strong season with 1,509 passing yards and 475 yards on the ground. O’Hara has accounted for 17 of the Blue Raiders touchdowns this season. His main targets will also be the focus of Marshall’s defense–seniors Jarrin Pierce and CJ Windham.The Blue Raiders last game was played on October 24th, a 40-34 overtime road win at Rice.
Marshall leads the all-time series with MTSU 5-4, but the Blue Raiders have won the last two matchups, including a 24-13 loss last year in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Notes–Saturday’s game could be perfect for a fan of defenses. Middle Tennessee’s defense is ranked 26th in the nation in regards to yards passing allowed per game, but Marshall’s defensive numbers are even better as the Herd is 3rd in the nation in yards allowed per game and #1 in both rushing defense and scoring defense…Marshall’s defensive stinginess continued last Saturday as the Herd allowed UMass to gain only 190 total yards, including 41 in the ground. Herd senior linebacker Tavante Beckett continued making his case for All-American status as he recorded 11 tackles against the Minutemen, including a half-tackle for loss, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry…Crash Memorial events continue throughout the week on the Marshall campus. The Herd players who perished in the crash will be awarded posthumous degrees in a Friday ceremony which begins at 4pm in the Joan C. Edwards Playhouse. The annual Crash Memorial Service takes place at 9am Saturday on the Memorial Student Center Plaza. Attendance at both events is limited to invited guests, but online streams of them are available on the university’s website–marshall.edu…Internationally-known Contemporary Christian music artist Michael W. Smith, who grew up about 10 miles from the Marshall campus in Kenova, WV, will perform at the Saturday morning Memorial Service and later sing the national anthem prior to the football game…