— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — After seven practices, the lessons learned by the Marshall football team were put to the test Friday when the Thundering Herd conducted its first live scrimmage at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
Following Thursday’s practice, Herd head coach Tony Gibson expressed his desire for improvement from the Marshall offense.
“Offensively, we have to have an identity and have guys step up,” Gibson said. “I know we have a lot of new guys, but we’re seven practices in and it’s got to get better. Right now, the defense is ahead of the offense, but there’s no excuse for not playing hard, not executing drives and finishing plays.”
Friday’s scrimmage simulated game conditions and included Sun Belt Conference officials, with hopes of approximately 100 plays as part of the competition.
“I always challenge the guys after practice to get better tomorrow and keep stacking days where we can have something to build on and get some continuity, especially on offense,” Gibson said.
Herd coaches also hope to see more natural reactions and football instinct take over in favor of thinking that can cause players to slow down and ponder their execution.
“No excuse for some guys getting it and some not getting it,” Gibson said. “Getting a signal and knowing what to do isn’t too much to ask.”
Seven spring practices remain for Marshall, which finishes on April 12 with the annual Green-White Spring Game at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
Off the field, Gibson says that this week has been a positive one for the Marshall program.
A large NFL turnout was on hand for the Herd’s Pro Day on Monday. Two days later, a number of MU players participated in a Wednesday morning pothole-patching community service project on Huntington’s streets.
“It was good for our guys to get out and give back to the community since they give so much to this university,” Gibson said. “I do hope our guys play football better than they fill potholes.”