WKU Football: Marshall Preseason Preview
With the kickoff of football season less than two weeks away, we’ll continue to bring you our preseason look at each of WKU’s regular season opponents between now and the start of the season. Today we continue the series with the Moonshine Throwdown as the Tops head to Huntington for the second year in a row to take on the Thundering Herd of Marshall.
Date & Time
November 11th, 2017, 5:30 p.m.
Location
John C. Edwards Stadium. Huntington, WV
Series
Series Tied at 4–4
Last Meeting
During the final week of the 2016 regular season, WKU traveled to Huntington for senior night. Marshall’s season was already at a disappointing 3–8 tailspin heading into the game. To add insult to injury, Doc Holliday suspended starting quarterback Chase Litton for that game. WKU promptly went into Huntington and made quick work of the Herd jumping out to a 48–0 lead while putting a demoralizing end to Marshall’s season with a 60–6 whooping, clinching a spot in the Conference USA title game in the process.
TV/Radio
TV — beIN Sports
Radio — Hilltopper IMG Sports Network
2016 Season
Big things were expected from Doc Holliday’s team after being the class of Conference USA and averaging 11 wins a season from 2013 to 2015. Dreams of competing for another bowl bid were quickly dashed as the Herd got embarrassed by a mediocre Akron team (65–38) in route to starting their season 1–4. Besides a November 12 upset of MTSU, Marshall struggled all season, culminating with that blowout loss to WKU on senior night finishing a disappointing 3–9 (2–6), tied for last in Conference USA East Division and leaving their fans to ask what happened?
Returning Starters
15 (8 on offense, 7 on defense)
Relevant Preview Articles
Bill Connelly’s SB Nation Marshall Preview
I don’t think there’s any slow rebound from a season like last year; you either bounce back immediately, or you’re fired. Holliday built a deadly Conference USA machine in Huntington, and the machine malfunctioned horribly last fall.
The Herd can absolutely bounce back. From a pure talent perspective, Holliday has added some impressive new pieces (assuming good eligibility) and could have the type of fast, physically imposing team he employed while winning 33 games from 2013–15.
It does feel like Marshall needs a set of projections. The Herd are projected 101st overall and projected to win about five games. Their slate is loaded with relative tossups (seven games between 36 and 58 percent win probability), but if they end up actually bouncing back stronger, the projected win total pretty quickly rises to seven or eight, at least. There is no unwinnable game if the Herd are again a top-75 team.
Oh yeah, and if Marshall’s again in the 110s, 2–10 or so is possible.
Marshall is going to be fast and fascinating this year. Really, that goes for Conference USA, too
Pete Fiutak’s College Football News Marshall Preview
This year, the Herd have to beat Miami University. And Kent State, and Charlotte, and FIU, and Florida Atlantic, and UTSA. That might seem easier than it actually will be, but do that, do what Marshall teams were able to do from 2013 to 2015, and there’s six wins right there.
But it’s not just that Marshall lost to a slew of bad teams last season; it got obliterated by some of them.
QB Chase Litton might not have most of his top targets to throw to, but the passing game should still be more efficient if the running game starts to take the pressure off a bit more. With almost everyone back up front, expect a more physical, effective offense.
The defense that was stunningly awful gets back just about everyone up front, along with several key tacklers in the linebacking corps. Throw in all the experience in the secondary, and with a few key transfers and some nice recruits to help across the board, and Holliday and his staff have plenty to work with.
So which team will show up? Can Marshall really go from awful to champion with just a flip of a switch?
Absolutely.
Three Players to Watch
On paper, Litton is everything that you want from a quarterback. The 6'6" junior from Tampa has put up really impressive statistics during his two seasons as the Herd’s starting quarterback. His two season average of 2,608 yards passing, 23.5 touchdowns and 8.5 interceptions show a solid decision maker that plays and gives his team a chance to win each week. Litton, however, is an emotional player that has let his play become affected based on how the game goes. That can often result in finger pointing, overthrown receivers and ill advised turnovers. If Litton can mature during his junior season than the Herd will be able to return to C-USA’s upper tier. If not, then they could be in for another long season.
Marshall’s defense was outright atrocious last season, but Allen was a bright spot on that maligned unit. The 5'11" senior from Dallas was an impact player across many categories, finishing third on the team with 76 tackles and was a turnover machine forcing four fumbles, while intercepting two passes as well. He also finished first in Conference USA with 12 deflected passes on the season. If Allen continues to elevate his play and puts offseason DUI behind him then he could be the shutdown corner that Marshall’s defense desperately needs.
Yurachek is the most proven weapon returning to Marshall’s receiving corps. The 6'3" senior from Myrtle Beach is Conference USA’s top returning tight end, earning preseason All-Conference honors. 2016 was a step back from his stellar sophomore season but he still posted 298 yards receiving on 28 catches with five touchdowns. He is a proven safety valve for Litton and might benefit from a go-to receiver emerging in 2017 to take off constant double teams. Yurachek did have a touchdown in each of the past two games against WKU. If the Herd is improved, Yurachek will once again be a reason why.
Preseason Thoughts about the Game
- Doc Holliday Needs a Bounce Back Season
Prior to 2016, head coach Doc Holliday’s tenure was an undisputed success. Marshall had emerged as Conference USA’s top program after realignment weakened the league. Everything came crashing down in 2016. That 3–9 season came out of the blue and now the Herd faithful are left wondering if Holliday’s best years are now behind him. This offseason, West Virginia’s governor openly tried to replace Holliday with former coach Bob Pruitt. Needless to say, Holliday has to have a bounce back season in 2017. Marshall returns several starters and annually finishes towards the top of the conference recruiting rankings, so talent shouldn’t be a problem. A bounce back is definitely possible, by the time WKU heads to Huntington, we’ll know which direction their season is trending towards.
2. Second Year in a Row in Huntington
With UAB rejoining the league, Conference USA decided to realign the schedule. WKU’s top two conference rivals (Marshall and MTSU) were both either at home or on the road depending on the season. Conference USA rightfully fixed that situation but that means having to travel to Huntington for the second consecutive year. Overcoming Marshall’s home-field advantage three times in a row will prove to be difficult for WKU.
3. One Sided Rivalry - Thus Far
Marshall was one of the programs that was left in Conference USA after the AAC raided the league during the last round of conference realignment. Due to geography, WKU seamlessly became Marshall’s newest rival. The Moonshine Throwdown was born during that 2014 thriller and animosity between the fan bases has followed. As fun as the new rivalry has become, WKU has dominated the games on the field. After ruining Marshall perfect 2014 season, the Hilltoppers thoroughly outclassed the Thundering Herd (a 21 point WKU victory) in a 2015 game that decided the Conference USA East Division. Last year’s blowout was just affirmation that the budding rivalry was now one sided. This sticks in the craw of Marshall’s proud fan base, they detest a basketball school overtaking them in a sport that they recently dominated. The 2017 game will either reinforce that lopsidedness or reestablish the rivalry anew.
4. Trap Game
This game sits between two of WKU’s toughest opponents on their schedule (Vanderbilt and MTSU). If WKU is mentally or physically exhausted from the previous week’s SEC road trip, it probably will help level the playing field for the Herd. Marshall has enough talent to beat WKU, compounding things is WKU’s senior night game against Conference USA contender, MTSU the following Friday. WKU should be favored against the Herd, but a road rivalry game being sandwiched between those two big games has trap written all over it.
5. Game moved up from Thanksgiving Weekend
This game was annually played on Rivalry Week during its first three iterations, with Conference USA de-emphasizing that week due to attendance issues it was moved to a few weeks prior. That should be a positive for Marshall’s overall attendance and WKU’s traveling contingent making the four-hour trip to Huntington. It will be interesting to see how the new date impacts the atmosphere and feel of the game.
Preseason Prediction
I do believe that Marshall will return to a bowl game this season. They have the talent and experience at quarterback to grind out at least six wins. That talent will make WKU’s trip to Huntington result in a close game. WKU will be focused despite where the game lies on the schedule. I think WKU will jump out to a ten point lead and then trade scores throughout the game. Entering the fourth quarter, Marshall will get the ball down three points, however a mental mistake by Litton will give WKU the ball and a resulting touchdown run by Quinton Baker to help WKU escape Huntington with a ten point victory, taking the series lead in the process.
Final Score Prediction- WKU 41 — Marshall 31
Best places for Marshall coverage as the game gets closer
Marshall has two local newspapers that cover the team thoroughly. The Herald-Dispatch (Huntington) and Gazette-Mail (Charleston) will give you solid coverage of the Herd’s beat. Marshall has one of the best fan bases in Conference USA, They have several sites dedicated to their coverage including Herd Nation (Rivals), Herd Haven (Scout) and Herd Insider. For a fanblog check out HerdFans.com and for a rivalry specific view check out our friends at Moonshine Throwdown on twitter and their podcast called the Shiner Sitdown.
What do you think about WKU’s trip to Huntington? Is this a trap game? Does Marshall return to a bowl game this year? Let us know in a comment below, via twitter at @TheTowelRackWKU or on our Facebook page.
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