— By Bill Cornwell
A busy week of Sun Belt Conference football continues Thursday as Marshall takes on Coastal Carolina from Brooks Stadium.
The matchup will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. and is being televised by ESPN2.
The game is being shown nationally by ESPN2.
Marshall (4-3, 2-1) last played October 18 when it defeated Texas State in overtime, 40-37. The Chanticleers (4-3, 3-1) picked up a 45-37 road win that same day at Appalachian State.
Tim Beck is in his third year as head coach at Coastal Carolina and has an 18-15 record.
Thursday’s meeting between two teams with identical records and one loss in conference play will be the fourth between Marshall and Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers have a 2-1 series lead.
Earlier this week in the Sun Belt, East Division leader James Madison picked up a 52-20 win at Texas State on Tuesday.
Here are three things to look for in the contest:
Ground and pound
The Herd have been solid over the last three games at displaying a balanced offense that can beat opponents through the air or on the ground.
While Marshall will be without injured tailback Michael Allen a second straight game, plenty of firepower remains in the backfield.
Quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson makes things happen in the run-pass option game and his effectiveness shows in the fact that he’s Marshall’s top rusher with 347 yards and four touchdowns.
Jo’Shon Barbie’s returned from injury to score two touchdowns against Texas State, including the game-winner in overtime.
Antwan Roberts continues to provide a physical presence in the MU backfield and also found the end zone against the Bobcats — the second straight game Roberts has scored in.
Marshall gains another advantage in the way that it uses speedy receiver Floyd Lacey as a runner on sweeps.
Coastal Carolina gives up roughly 180 rushing yards per game, but will be challenged to keep the Herd below that number as MU has reeled off 409 yards on the ground over its last two contests.
Hold the line
Despite notable wins against Old Dominion and Texas State this month, Marshall head coach Tony Gibson and defensive coordinator Shannon Morrison are still looking for better play from the Herd defense.
Marshall allowed 439 yards to the Monarchs and 558 yards to the Bobcats, and much of the damage was done through the air.
The Herd is allowing slightly less than 400 yards on average, but recent performances have shown the unit is still vulnerable.
At times, Marshall’s secondary has suffered through coverage busts that have resulted in big plays such as a 73-yard TD reception to Texas State’s Beau Sparks, and defensive backs have occasionally been hurt by overplays or going for interceptions rather than the more conservative and fundamentally sound play.
To help the back end, Marshall hopes to generate a consistent pass rush against Coastal, but it must be way of Chanticleers’ quarterback Samari Collier, an elusive dual threat who rushed for 74 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s most recent game.
Familiarity for head coaches
The head coaches in Thursday’s game are quite familiar with one another.
Marshall’s Tony Gibson was North Carolina State’s defensive coordinator from 2019-24, while Coastal Carolina’s Tim Beck ran the Wolfpack offense from 2020-22.
Suffice to say, both know each other’s systems and there won’t be many secrets.
Gibson said last week he could change the signals and calls for the defense knowing Beck could be aware of what he’s trying to do.
Beck made similar comments about Gibson’s knowledge of his calls.
Yet no matter the familiarity, it all comes down to execution and which team will be sharper after an 11-day layoff.
The winner Thursday night stays in the thick of the race atop the Sun Belt’s East Division. JMU is in first place with a 5-0 league mark, while Coastal and the Marshall are the only other teams in the division with one league loss to this point.
Marshall welcomes James Madison next Saturday.