Analysis of the Enemy: Marshall Game Preview, Part I

What: Marshall Thundering Herd @ the Ohio State University Buckeyes

When: Thursday, September 2^nd; 7:30 p.m. EST.

Where: Along the Olentangy

Television: Big Ten Network

Weather Forecast: High- 90 degrees, Low- 67 degrees; 30% chance of rain.

Marshall's 2009 Team Chart

Former Head Coach Mark Snyder resigned last year after receiving pressure from the administration. Snyder's tenure at Marshall was rocky at best, culminating in a 6-6 regular season last year, with a bowl victory over the Ohio Bobcats in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl coming under interim coach Rick Minter. The first bowl season since 2004 was not enough to save Snyder's job, and the Thundering Herd administration tabbed 53 year old John "Doc" Holliday as its new coach.

A renowned recruiter, especially in Florida, Holliday was viewed as an exciting hire by Thundering Herd fans. His deep connections to the state itself ( he played and coached at WVU), and the opportunity to steal him from the current West Virginia coaching staff led to a positive reaction amongst the Marshall faithful.

Holliday immediately rewarded that faith by salvaging the 2010 recruiting haul, finishing with the 5^th best Conference USA class as evaluated by Rivals.com. True to Holliday's pedigree, thirteen recruits of the twenty eight member class were from Florida.  The class has already faced attrition, though, as three of the more highly regarded incoming freshman were kicked off the team for their apparent connection to a pizza delivery driver robbery.   Marshall returns seven offensive and six defensive starters from last year's roster, but complete staff turnover has led to uncertainty across the depth chart.

Quarterback(S)

The quarterback position was open coming into fall camp, with returning starter Brian Anderson battling redshirt freshman A.J. Graham, true freshman Ed Sullivan, and Clemson transfer Willy Korn for the job. Senior Brian Anderson prevailed, being named the starter less than two weeks into fall practice. Ed Sullivan is the top backup, and the possibility of a partial role in the offense still exists for him. Sullivan's mobility and outright athleticism provides a rushing threat that the statuesque Anderson lacks. As for Willy Korn, the 4-star quarterback and projected heir to the Clemson quarterback throne, he was moved to safety, but bolted to Division II North Greenville for one last shot at his original position.

Mediocre would be a kind way to describe Anderson's career up to this point. Started all 13 games last season, along with one his sophomore year. Completion percentage did improve from 2008 to 2009 (58%), but his yards per attempt figure is relatively paltry. Even Terrelle Pryor with his passing struggles last season, averaged significantly higher (7.1.) And the yards per rush number is chuckle inducing at first glance; he isn't running away from Ohio State's defensive tackles, let alone any member of the back seven. On the plus side, Anderson does not throw an exorbitant number of interceptions, although with his meager level of production, perhaps it would be better if he took more chances downfield.

Offensive Line + Heavy Personnel

Marshall's offensive line is in flux right now after losing the entire right side to graduation. Senior Brandon Campbell returns as the starter at left tackle, and junior Ryan Tillman will start at guard. Offensive lineman Chad Schofield (Sr.) hails from Strongsville, Ohio, and has been quoted as "hating the Buckeyes."  Schofield started at center for Marshall last season, but his versatility makes him a valuable player for the Herd. They experimented with playing him at guard during spring practice, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that we will see multiple line combinations during the game. So if he hates us now, wait until Dexter Larimore and the boys up front are done with him.

Senior tight end Lee Smith caught 23 passes last season (14.3 Y/C), is the C-USA coaches preseason selection at tight end, and he has been featured prominently in the new offense, if fall practice reports are to be believed, of course.

Skill Positions

As far as offensive playmakers go, Marshall lost its best athlete when junior running back Darius Marshall declared for the NFL Draft. His replacement, redshirt sophomore Martin Ward, saw limited action last season, having 4.89 yards per rush on 89 handoffs. Ward did, however, have a coming-out-part of sorts in the Little Caesar Bowl, where he went for 77 yards on 9 carries (8.0 Y/R) and scored two touchdowns. He was awarded the MVP trophy after the game.

Wide receiver Antavious Wilson (Soph.) led the Herd in receiving last year, notching 60 catches for 724 yards (12.1 Y/C) and three touchdowns. Wilson hails from Pahokee, Florida, the area famous for producing tremendous football talent on an annual basis. Another sophomore wide receiver, Aaron Dobson, is expected to contribute heavily after posting an impressive 24.13 YPC figure on only 15 receptions.

The most exciting newcomer is RB/WR Travon Van, a former Florida Gators' recruit who ended up at Marshall after grade issues prevented his enrollment at Florida this season.

Defensive Front Seven

Senior linebacker Mario Harvey returns as the Herd's leading tackler (117) and one of their fastest players (4.35 reported 40 time.) DT Michael Janac and DE Vinnie Curry were named Honorable Mention All-Conference USA last season, and early practice reports have had the defensive line bordering on "dominant."  New defensive coordinator Chris Rippon has even stated that they are a potential BCS-caliber defensive line, going six deep in the rotation. It's easy to see that the defensive line is the Herd's best unit, both in talent and depth.

Defensive Backs:

During the offseason, the new coaching staff dismissed two cornerbacks with starting experience- T.J. Drakeford and DeQuan Bembry were both kicked off the team for off-field issues.  Ahmed Shakoor will return as one of the corners, while one of the starting safeties from last season, Omar Brown, will also return. Quality depth is a very real issue in the secondary. Besides last year's starters, only seniors D.J. Wingate and Kevin Brown have extensive experience.

Special Teams:

Personnel turnover has not even escaped the special teams' units. Junior placekicker Tyler Warner takes over with minimal experience, having a 3/5 (60%) field goal mark on his career, all taking place in 2008 when filling in for the injured starter. Marshall must also break in a new long-snapper after losing their three year starter to graduation. However, Punter Kase Whitehead reprises his role for the third year in a row, bringing an average of 39.2 yards per punt with him.

Darius Marshall also served as the main returner last season, so experience is not a strength there either.

Overview:

Overall, it's hard to see this Marshall team as a threat to the Buckeyes, personnel-wise. When Darius Marshall left for the NFL, he took 25% of the Thundering Herd's yards with him. The young receivers' ability should provide a challenge for Ohio State's defensive secondary, but the Marshall offensive line will have trouble with Ohio State's defensive size and athleticism.

For a Conference USA team, the Herd defensive line should provide an adequate challenge for Ohio State's offensive line. Unlike many non-BCS teams, they match up quite well in the size department. Linebacker Mario Harvey is a legitimate NFL prospect, but his fellow linebackers are not.

Terrelle Pryor and the receivers should have a very efficient day through the air. Marshall's lack of experienced defensive back talent is noticeable, and combined with the talent disparity between Ohio State's skill position players and Marshall's athletes in the secondary, there should be plenty of yards to go around.

Stay tuned for Part II of the Preview tomorrow.