By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — News surfaced Tuesday that Marshall’s star sophomore running back Rasheen Ali is not currently with the team and likely will miss at least the start of the regular season.
Ali’s absence, which comes as he deals with personal issues, created a lot of concern among Thundering Herd fans.
However, second-year Marshall head coach Charles Huff is not among that group.
“We’ll get him back soon,” Huff said after Tuesday’s practice in an interview with HerdZone. “It’s not as detrimental as it may seem, but it’s the way that he wanted to handle it, so we respect that. The team has been really good. They’ve all kind of rallied around him. He’s still around our building and team. He’s just not in the routine of meetings and practice. We’re doing well. He’s OK.”
According to Huff, Ali’s teammates have been fully supportive of him and were not caught off guard by Tuesday’s announcement.
“It’s something we had kind of known about for a while,” Huff said. “We asked Rasheen and his family how he wanted to handle it and he wants to be able to handle it within his family and take his time, and we want to support that. The team is very supportive.”
Huff also suggested he’s close to naming a starting quarterback for when the Herd hosts Norfolk State on September 3 at 3:30 p.m. Texas Tech transfer Henry Colombi and Cam Fancher are the top contenders and both have made an effort to separate themselves during preseason camp.
“We have one more drill [Wednesday] that’s really going to separate it,” Huff said. “We have a good idea, but it is still close enough to let that drill play out. Plus, I truly believe in when you set a plan, you work the plan and don’t just cut halfway through and say, ‘we’re going to go with this guy or that guy.’ You work the plan so you have all the information to gather and can evaluate all the information.
“And it helps whoever does not get the job understand we evaluated A, B, C, D, and all the way down the line. This is where you are and how you’re going to help us.”
With just over a week until the opener, Huff says endurance and execution have been focal points of this week’s practices.
“We’re working to get in position to execute for four quarters,” Huff said. “We want guys to think and run even when we’re tired, because the team that sustains and executes the longest usually wins.”
While much of the preseason attention has been centered around the offense and the quarterback battle, Huff likes what he’s seen from the defense, and in particular, the development of several newcomers up front.
“Guys on defense take pride in how they play,” Huff said. “They play real hard and aggressively run to the ball. We just have to stay healthy to maintain our depth.”
ADDITIONAL APPEARANCE ON NATIONAL TV: The Sun Belt Conference announced earlier this week Marshall will have a third national TV appearance this season.
The Herd’s September 17 game at Bowling Green, which begins at 5 p.m., will be televised by the NFL Network.
The NFL Network will also broadcast Louisiana’s contest against Eastern Michigan on September 10.
Marshall will also appear on national TV on September 10 at Notre Dame (NBC) and when it hosts Louisiana on October 12 (ESPN).