Marshall University Thundering Herd

Transcription

1 Marshall University Thundering Herd 2017 Football Game Notes Marshall Thundering Herd (7-3, 4-2 C-USA) at UTSA Roadrunners (5-4, 2-4 C-USA) Saturday, Nov. 18, p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT - Alamodome (72,000) - San Antonio, Texas TV: Stadium on Facebook/KYMS (locally in Texas) Marshall Media Relations Contact Information Jason Corriher (Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations) Work: Cell: corriher@marshall.edu Website: HerdZone.com Series Marshall won the only meeting between the two schools by a margin on Oct. 5, 2013 in Huntington. Online Resources HerdZone.com Herdzone.com is Marshall Athletics official website. Roster, biographical information, Marshall s football record book, complete statistics and historical information regarding Thundering Herd football can be found here. Each week game notes, statistics and other media resources can be found here. CollegePressBox.Com Collegepressbox.com is the official media website for Conference USA football. Access and download weekly game notes, quotes, statistics, media guides and more for the conference and each of its 14 member schools throughout the season. Login information will be distributed to accredited media or you can apply for a password by sending an to password@collegepressbox.com. ConferenceUSA.com Weekly conference statistics and an interactive online conference media guide are available at com Game-by-Game Captains Miami (Ohio)-6 Marquis Couch, 16 Kaare Vedvik, 85 Ryan Yurachek NC State-9 Marcel Williams, 16 Kaare Vedvik, 91 Ryan Bee Kent State-8 Tyre Brady, 21 Artis Johnson, 37 Chase Hancock Cincinnati-28 D Andre Wilson, 37 Chase Hancock, 61 Levi Brown Charlotte-14 Chase Litton, 23 Tony Pittman, 91 Ryan Bee Old Dominion-8 Tyre Brady, 29 Malik Gant, 91 Ryan Bee Middle Tennessee-21 Artis Johnson, 44 Blake Keller, 85 Ryan Yurachek FIU-4 Juwon Young, 14 Chase Litton, 16 Kaare Vedvik Florida Atlantic-37 Chase Hancock, 44 Blake Keller, 85 Ryan Yurachek WKU-23 Tony Pittman, 37 Chase Hancock, 85 Ryan Yurachek UTSA-16 Kaare Vedvik, 37 Chase Hancock, 85 Ryan Yurachek Stat Comparison (2017 NCAA Ranks) Marshall UTSA Scoring Offense 28.2 (68th) 27.1 (78th) Scoring Defense 19.4 (21st) 17.8 (13th) Total Offense (82nd) (55th) Total Defense (24th) (6th) Rushing Offense (84th) (32nd) Rushing Defense (18th) (30th) Passing Offense (59th) (82nd) Passing Defense (51st) (6th) Marshall University Information Location Huntington, W.Va. Founded 1837 (as Marshall Academy) Enrollment 14,000 Nickname Thundering Herd Colors Green (PMS 354) and White Stadium Joan C. Edwards Stadium Capacity 38,227 Year Opened 1991 (as Marshall University Stadium) Surface FieldTurf Conference Conference USA (East Division) President Dr. Jerome Gilbert (Mississippi State, 1977) Director of Athletics Mike Hamrick (Marshall, 1980) Head Coach Doc Holliday (West Virginia, 1979) Record at Marshall (.600) Career Record same Marshall s 2016 Record C-USA Record/Finish 2-6 (T-6th, East) Offense Multiple Defense Multiple Offensive Starters Returning/Lost 7/4 Defensive Starters Returning/Lost 7/4 Letterwinners Returning/Lost 52/20 Marshall Football Staff Head Coach Doc Holliday (West Virginia, 1979) Offensive Coord./TEs Bill Legg (West Virginia, 1985) Defensive Coord./Secondary Chuck Heater (Michigan, 1975) Asst. HC/Special Teams Coord./LBs Adam Fuller (Sacred Heart, 1998) Co-OC/Quarterbacks Todd Goebbel (Northern Iowa, 1998) Wide Receivers Dallas Baker (Florida, 2006) Defensive Ends Cornell Brown (Virginia Tech, 1997) Offensive Line Alex Mirabal (FIU, 1993) Running Backs Pepe Pearson (Ohio State, 1998) Defensive Tackles J.C. Price (Virginia Tech, 1998) Assistant AD for Football Ops Mark Gale (Oklahoma State, 1981) Schedule Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET)/Result Sept. 2 MIAMI (OHIO) (Stadium) W, Sept. 9 at NC State (ESPN3) L, Sept. 16 KENT STATE (Stadium/CUSA.tv) W, 21-0 Sept. 30 at Cincinnati (ESPN3) W, Oct. 7 at Charlotte (WQCW/WCCB) W, 14-3 Oct. 14 OLD DOMINION (ESPN3) W, 35-3 Oct. 20 at Middle Tennessee (ESPN2) W, Oct. 28 FIU (Stadium) L, Nov. 3 at Florida Atlantic (CBS Sports Network) L, Nov. 11 WKU (bein SPORTS) W, Nov. 18 at UTSA (Stadium) 7 p.m. (6 p.m. CT) Nov. 25 SOUTHERN MISS (Stadium) 2:30 p.m. Bold - Indicates a C-USA game Home games in CAPS All times are Eastern Time Zone and subject to change.

2 Notes from WKU The game captains, as selected by Marshall head coach Doc Holliday and his staff, were senior tight end Ryan Yurachek (offense), junior linebacker Chase Hancock (defense) and senior running back Tony Pittman (special teams). Marshall s win broke a three-game losing skid in the series with Western Kentucky, and gave the Thundering Herd the overall series lead, 5-4. Saturday s game against WKU was the 100th of Doc Holliday s head coaching career. The win was his 60th in eight seasons. Marshall scored at least 30 points for the sixth time in 10 games this season and the 54th time in 100 games under Holliday. The Herd defense produced its fourth defensive touchdown of the season when freshman defensive back Nazeeh Johnson intercepted a pass and returned it 45 yards for a score in the third quarter. The interception was the sixth of the season for the Herd and the first of Johnson s career. Johnson s score was the first Pick-6 for a Marshall freshman since Gary Thompson had a five-yard TD return against East Carolina in Marshall junior receiver Nick Mathews, who entered Saturday s game without a reception this season, set career highs in receptions and receiving yards against WKU. He entered Saturday s game with five career receptions for 47 yards. MU senior specialist Kaare Vedvik converted three field goals in a single game for the first time in his career. Marshall made three field goals as a team for the first time since the 2015 St. Petersburg Bowl, a win against Connecticut. Vedvik s 63-yard punt against WKU was his third of more than 60 yards, joining his 72-yard effort at Southern Miss last year and the 92-yard bomb against ODU this season. The 63-yarder last night was the 79th of 60+ yards in Marshall history. Of Marshall s 22 starters on offense and defense, only three started the 2016 home game against WKU: Jordan Dowrey (left guard), Rodney Allen (cornerback) and Chris Jackson (cornerback). Freshman linebacker Jaquan Yulee forced his second fumble of the season on a kickoff return in the third quarter. The fumble was recovered by Chase Hancock, his second fumble recovery of the season and third of his career. Marshall improved to 7-0 this season when the defense forces at least one turnover. The Hilltoppers only rushed for 34 yards - the fewest rush yards Marshall has allowed in a game since Ohio managed only 12 yards (24 carries) in the Herd s win in the 2009 Little Caesar s Pizza Bowl at Ford Field. National Team Rankings (Top 25) Sacks Allowed (T-2nd, 6) Defensive Touchdowns (T-5th, 4) Red Zone Defense (10th,.724) Kickoff Return Defense (15th, 17.79) Net Punting (16th, 41.21) Third Down Conversion Percentage (16th,.461) Red Zone Touchdown Percentage Allowed (17th,.483) Yards Per Rush Allowed (17th, 3.47) Rushing Defense (18th, 121.6) Third Down Conversion Percentage Defense (21st,.321) Time of Possession (21st, 32:18) Scoring Defense (21st, 19.4) Total Defense (24th, 332.6) National Individual Rankings (Top 25) Kickoff Return Avg.: Keion Davis (5th, 30.9) Punting: Kaare Vedvik (13th, 44.9) Tackles: Chase Hancock (15th, 9.7) Leading the League Marshall stands atop the league in rushing defense (121.6), net punting (41.2), kickoff coverage (45.2), sacks allowed (6). Individually, Kaare Vedvik is the top punter (44.9). Brady on Biletnikoff List Marshall wide receiver Tyre Brady has been named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation. His is Marshall s leading receiver in 2017 with 56 catches for 777 yards and seven touchdown passes. Pass Protection Marshall s offensive line allowed just two sacks two WKU but has yielded just six this season (344 pass attempts). The Thundering Herd is tied for second nationally in this statistic. Only Army has allowed fewer. Streaks! Tight end Ryan Yurachek caught a pass for the 39th consecutive game versus WKU, a streak that dates back to his freshman season and is the fourth-longest nationally. Yurachek s last game without a reception was Nov. 8, 2014 at Southern Miss. From a career perspective, Yurachek now has 22 touchdown receptions. Gator Hoskins leads all Marshall tight ends with 28 in his career, while Cody Slate is second with 23. Additionally, Marshall has the following streaks currently in progress when compared to its opposition: 13 consecutive games: Higher third down percentage 8: More first downs 7: Higher punting average Road Warrior Chase Litton surpassed 1,500 passing yards for the season against Middle Tennessee, so he has now done that three straight years. The list of Herd QBs who ve passed for 1,500+ yards three times: Michael Payton, Chad Pennington, Byron Leftwich, Rakeem Cato, Chase Litton. Pennington and Cato passed for 1,500+ yards four times, Michael Payton and Byron Leftwich three times... Litton three and counting. Climbing the List Chase Litton s two touchdown passes at Florida Atlantic puts him fifth in program history in passing TDs with 65, passing Todd Donnan ( ). Litton has also climbed into fifth in career completions (668) and now sits fifth in the school s career passing yardage records with 7,573. In career completion percentage, he currently sits sixth at 60.8%. With his 363-yard effort versus FIU, Litton has eight 300+ yards games in his Marshall career. Here are the all-time interception rate leaders in Marshall s history (min. 800 attempts): Byron Leftwich, 1.9% Rakeem Cato, 2.4% Chase Litton, 2.5% Chad Pennington, 2.8% Michael Payton, 3.4%. Protecting the Home Turf Marshall is nationally known for being one of the toughest places to play in college football. The program has won 83.3 percent (155-31) of its home games in Joan C. Edwards Stadium, the best mark in the country.

3 Stingy D The Marshall defense held Middle Tennessee to 4.3 yards per play. The Herd has won 30 of its last 32 when holding offenses to 5.0 yards per play or fewer. Marshall s defense allowed 273 yards to the Blue Raiders. The Herd has won 19 straight when allowing fewer than 300 yards. Twelve (12) times in Doc Holliday s eight seasons has the Herd allowed 125 yards passing or fewer. Marshall is 11-1 (.909) in those games. Marshall s defense pitched another shutout in the second half at Middle Tennessee. Marshall is now 23-2 (.920) under Doc Holliday when the defense does not allow a rushing touchdown. Two of the 26 sacks Marshall has registered this season have been recorded by seniors; 21.5 by juniors and sophomores. Feel the Rush Marshall s ground game continued its strong performance in the win over Middle Tennessee with 198 yards on the ground. The Herd is now 31-3 (.912) in the last five seasons when rushing for 150+ yards and 25-2 (.926) the last five years with 200+ on the ground. The Thundering Herd has also gotten it done on the ground in crunch time. Marshall has outrushed the opposition in the fourth quarter thus far in Herd Finishes under Holliday Since Doc Holliday became head coach in 2010, the Herd has an excellent record of finishing off its opponents once it takes the lead. Marshall is 44-7 (.863) when it scores first, 41-7 (.854) when leading after the first quarter, 48-3 (.941) when leading at halftime and 48-4 (.923) when leading after three quarters. In fact, Marshall was won 34 of its last 35 contests (Charlotte, 2016) when it has the halftime lead. Hang on! It s easy to see why Herd Coach Doc Holliday talks about ball security so often. His seven previous Marshall teams have provided a strong indicator of why turnover margin is so important. Holliday s Herd teams have a combined (.600) record. When Marshall has an edge in turnover margin, it is 34-8 (.810). When the turnover number is equal, Marshall is 14-6 (.700). But when the opponent is more sure-handed, the Herd is (.316). Of Marshall s 100 games under Holliday, the Herd has played 51 while producing zero or one turnover, amassing a record of (.725) in those games. Marshall is 20-4 (.833) under Holliday when it has a turnover margin of +2 or better. Individually, Marshall is now 9-0 in quarterback Chase Litton s career when he has a multi-td pass/zero interception performance. 30+ Marshall s 30 points versus WKU makes the Herd 32-3 (.914) in its last 35 games when scoring 30+ points. All of those games are under Doc Holliday. 50+ Marshall s 62-0 win over Morgan State last season was the 16th time that the Thundering Herd has reached the 50+-point plateau under coach Doc Holliday, one more than Jim Donnan ( ) for the all-time school mark. Bob Pruett ( ) reached that mark 14 times and Cam Henderson ( , ) did it on 13 occasions. Perfect Versus Texas at Home Interestingly enough, Marshall has never lost to a school from Texas at home. The Thundering Herd is a perfect 12-0 against Texas schools in games played in Huntington. Marshall owns two wins over North Texas (1988, 2015), two wins over Houston (2008, 2012), three wins over Rice (2007, 2011, 2014), two wins over SMU (2005, 2009), two wins over UTEP (2006, 2010) and one victory over UTSA (2013). Notes from Florida Atlantic The game captains, as selected by Marshall head coach Doc Holliday and his staff, were senior tight end Ryan Yurachek (offense), senior defensive lineman Blake Keller (defense) and junior linebacker Chase Hancock (special teams). Marshall tight end Ryan Yurachek scored on a five-yard reception in the third quarter to extend his streak of consecutive games with a catch to 38 games. Marcel Williams established a career high in receiving yards (122), and his 59-yard third quarter reception is the longest of his career (previous best: 34 yards). It is the second consecutive game Williams set a new career high for receiving yards. Quarterback Chase Litton made his 30th career start. Florida Atlantic produced the longest play from scrimmage against the Marshall defense this season when running back Devin Singletary ran for 66 yards in the second quarter. The run was the first play of at least 50 yards the MU defense had allowed this season. Notes from FIU The game captains, as selected by Marshall head coach Doc Holliday and his staff, were junior quarterback Chase Litton (offense), junior linebacker Juwon Young (defense) and senior specialist Kaare Vedvik (special teams). Marshall quarterback Chase Litton eclipsed several personal milestones: 600 career completions, 1,000 career attempts and 7,000 career passing yards. Litton s 363 passing yards were a season high and the third-best single game mark of his Marshall career. Litton had his streak of consecutive pass attempts without an interception snapped at 164. The streak is the longest in Doc Holliday s eight seasons as head coach and the second-longest in program history. Chad Pennington holds the record with 177 consecutive passes without an interception, which spanned the 1997 and 98 seasons. Marshall junior running back Keion Davis 59-yard run in the fourth quarter was the longest of his career. MU freshman running back Tyler King scored his fifth touchdown of the season and third in the last two games. King also set career highs in receptions (five) and receiving yards (45). Junior receiver Tyre Brady went over 100 yards receiving for the second time this season and caught a touchdown for the fifth time in eight games. Junior receiver Marcel Williams set career highs in receptions (nine) and receiving yards (92). The touchdown was his second of the season. Sophomore receiver Obi Obialo set career highs in receptions (four) and receiving yards (47).

4 Junior linebacker Chase Hancock set a career high with 17 tackles. His previous career high was 11 (2017 vs. Kent State and 2016 vs. Charlotte). Notes from Middle Tennessee The game captains, as selected by Marshall head coach Doc Holliday and his staff, were senior tight end Ryan Yurachek (offense), senior defensive end Blake Keller (defense) and junior linebacker Artis Johnson (special teams). Marshall extended its winning streak to five games. MU has won three consecutive games on the road for the first time since the 2015 season (at Kent State, at FAU and at Charlotte). Marshall scored first for the fifth time this season and has won all of those games. Junior linebacker Artis Johnson scored his first touchdown at Marshall on a 17-yard interception return. The interception was also Johnson s first at Marshall. Middle Tennessee QB John Urzua connected with Richie James for a 9-yard touchdown in the second quarter, Marshall s first touchdown allowed in Conference USA play this season. The score is also the first the Herd defense has allowed in the first half of a game since Sept. 9 at N.C. State. MU linebacker Omari Cobb forced a fumble in the second quarter, the first of his career. The fumble recovery by Herd linebacker Chase Hancock in the second quarter was the second of his career. Marshall s 28-point margin of victory was the Herd s largest in a road win since the victory at Southern Miss in Marshall s four rushing touchdowns at Middle Tennessee were the most in a game since the Herd rushed for seven in that 2014 game at Southern Miss. The Thundering Herd has rushed for that many touchdowns 13 times under coach Doc Holliday (12-1 record). The last Marshall player to rush for more than Tyler King s 129 yards last night was Devon Johnson, with 170 at Ohio in Marshall got to Middle Tennessee quarterbacks for six sacks (the sixth time amassing at least that many under coach Doc Holliday), totalling 44 yards in losses (highest total under Holliday). The last time with more sack yardage was 55 (5 sacks) versus UTEP in Marshall has allowed only 16 points in its 3-0 C-USA start. The last time allowing fewer points in three straight games versus league foes was Marshall has allowed only 37 points during its five-game win streak. The last stretch with fewer points allowed over five games came in It had been six years and five days since Marshall won without throwing a touchdown pass: 10/15/11 vs. Rice (the monster Vinny Curry game). Marshall is 3-0 in Conference USA play for the third time in the last four seasons (2014, 2015). Notes from Old Dominion The game captains, as selected by Marshall head coach Doc Holliday and his staff, were junior Tyre Brady (offense), sophomore Malik Gant (defense) and junior Ryan Bee (special teams). Kaare Vedvik s 92-yard punt in the first quarter etched his name in the record books at Marshall. Vedvik s punt is the longest in Marshall history, breaking the record of 79 yards set by John Arnold against Temple in 1974 a mark that stood for 43 seasons. Vedvik s punt is also the seventh-longest in FBS history, based on available data, and is the longest by an FBS punter in 45 years (Ray Guy, Southern Mississippi, 93 yards, vs. Ole Miss, 1972). The 92-yard punt is also the longest in FBS competition this season (Corey Bojorquez, New Mexico, 77 yards). Along with his 72-yard punt at Southern Miss last season, Vedvik now owns two of the eight longest punts in Marshall history. Among games where a Marshall player punted at least five times, Vedvik s average of 48.5 yards per punt (6 att., 291 yards) is third-best in program history. For his efforts, Vedvik was named Special Teams Player of the Week by Conference USA. Old Dominion s second quarter field goal are the first points allowed in the first half by Marshall since NC State. Marshall s defense allowed 197 yards, the fifth time in Doc Holliday s eight seasons the defense has held a team to fewer than 200 yards of total offense. The others: Norfolk State (191 in 2015), Rhode Island (175 in 2014), Rice (180 in 2014) and Gardner-Webb (184 in 2013). The 3.13 yards per play allowed is the fourth-best total by a Herd defense under Holliday, and the second-best vs. an FBS team. Junior receiver Tyre Brady had his second career two-touchdown game. He has six receiving touchdowns in his first six games at Marshall. Tyler King s touchdown was the second of his career. Yurachek s touchdown was the 20th of his career and fourth of the season. Marshall won its Conference USA home opener for the seventh consecutive season. The Herd is off to a 2-0 start in league play for the fourth time under Holliday. The other three times the Herd finished with 10- plus wins (2013, 2014, 2015). Senior defensive lineman Davon Durant received his first career start at Marshall. Notes from Charlotte The game captains, as selected by Marshall head coach Doc Holliday and his staff, were junior quarterback Chase Litton (offense), junior defensive lineman Ryan Bee (defense) and senior Tony Pittman (special teams). Junior linebacker Juwon Young saw his first action of the season for Marshall. He lasted played a collegiate game on Dec. 26, 2015 for the University of Miami in the Sun Bowl against Washington State. There were three first-time starters for the Herd two on offense and one on defense. Redshirt freshmen Will Ulmer (left tackle) and Cody Mitchell (tight end) made their first collegiate starts. Young was the other, although he made five starts at Miami. Junior running back Keion Davis surpassed 1,000 career rushing yards on a 9-yard carry in the first quarter. Senior tight end Ryan Yurachek cleared a personal milestone by eclipsing 1,000 career receiving yards on a 4-yard reception in the first quarter. Yurachek reached 100 career receptions last

5 week. Quarterback Chase Litton moved past Todd Donnan for No. 6 in MU history in career attempts. Donnan had 912. Litton currently has 932. Junior wide receiver Tyre Brady collected two touchdown receptions for the first time in his collegiate career. Litton had his 17th-career multi-touchdown game. He has three in five games this season. Marshall won a road game on the second straight weekend -- an 8-day stretch -- for the first time since The Marshall defense gave up three points, the fewest allowed in a conference opener for the Herd since Sept. 18, 1993 (13-3 W vs. Georgia Southern). That is the fewest points Marshall has allowed in a true road game since Oct. 23, 1999 at Buffalo (59-3, W). Marshall s defense allowed nine first downs (tied for second nationally last weekend) and 212 yards (fifth last weekend) to Charlotte, with the yardage registering as the third-fewest for the program since Keion Davis became the 16th different 100-yard rusher under Doc Holliday. Five are on the current roster. The last time Marshall allowed 24 or fewer points over a threegame stretch (during the same season) was all the way back in The last time Marshall won a game in which it scored 14 or fewer points was the win at Clemson in Notes From Cincinnati The game captains, as selected by Marshall head coach Doc Holliday and his staff, were sophomore center Levi Brown (offense), junior linebacker Chase Hancock (defense) and senior D Andre Wilson special teams. Yurachek finished with three touchdowns: 14 and 15 yards in the first half, and a 27-yard scoring reception in the second half. It was Yurachek s first career multi-touchdown game. He also set a season high for receptions (6) and a career high for receiving yards (77). Yurachek is the first player since Gator Hoskins to catch three touchdown passes in one game. Hoskins accomplished the feat at FIU on Nov. 23, Yurachek s three touchdowns are the most scored by a Marshall player since Remi Watson scored four in a win at Southern Miss in The Marshall defense did not allow a point Saturday until 9:05 left in the third quarter. Prior to that, the Herd last allowed a point on Sept. 9, 2017, at NC State. That came with 3:58 left of the fourth quarter, giving the Marshall defense a streak of 99 minutes and 53 seconds without allowing a point. MU linebacker Artis Johnson and safety Nazeeh Johnson combined on fumble firsts. Artis Johnson forced a fumble on a kickoff return late in the second quarter his first forced fumble at Marshall. The fumble was recovered by Nazeeh Johnson his first fumble recovery at Marshall. Senior D Andre Wilson had his first career fumble recovery on a special teams play. The Herd has had a different leading receiver in all four games this season (Ryan Yurachek, Marcel Williams, Willie Johnson and Tyre Brady). Marshall freshman running back Tyler King received his first career start. Marshall s win was just its second ever at Cincinnati - the other one was a 27-9 win for Cam Henderson s Herd in Marshall s 38 points at Cincinnati are the most for the Herd in a road game since the win at Southern Miss in Marshall held the ball for 24 minutes, 21 seconds in the first half, while Cincinnati had it for 5:39. The Thundering Herd ended with a 39:11 time of possession for the game, which is fifth in the alltime book. The most was 42:13 at Houston in Yurachek Named National Tight End of the Week Marshall tight end Ryan Yurachek was named National Tight End of the Week by the John Mackey Award after his performance in Marshall s win at Cincinnati. The Myrtle Beach, S.C. native finished with six catches for 77 yards and three touchdowns. The latter two totals were career highs. Yurachek s TD receptions went for 14, 15 and 31 yards as Marshall jumped out to a commanding 24-0 halftime lead. His three touchdowns are the highest single-game total by a Marshall player since running back Remi Watson scored four in a win at Southern Miss in 2014 and it was the first three-td catch performance since tight end Gator Hoskins had three at FIU in Yurachek now has 19 career touchdown receptions, third in school history among tight ends. He also has 33 straight games with a reception, a streak that stands fourth nationally. The John Mackey Tight End of the Week is an honor distinct and different from the annual John Mackey Award. This weekly honor was started in 2004 to draw attention to individual play by tight ends during the active season. The Tight End of the Week acknowledgment does not have a direct bearing on the final John Mackey Award selection process. The John Mackey Tight End of the Week honor will run until the announcement of the eight semifinalists. Wednesday s national award was the latest in what has been a decorated stretch for the program. Last week, Yurachek was named a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, an honor that is given to the football student-athlete with the best combination of academics, community service and on-field performance. It is considered by many to be the Academic Heisman. On Monday, quarterback Chase Litton was named a Star of the Week by the Manning Award for his Cincinnati performance, an outing where he completed 21 of 34 passes for 233 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He currently has a touchdown pass in 25 consecutive games, the nation s secondlongest streak behind Oklahoma s Baker Mayfield (30). Notes From Kent State The game captains, as selected by Marshall head coach Doc Holliday and his staff, were junior receiver Tyre Brady (offense), junior linebacker Chase Hancock (defense) and junior linebacker Artis Johnson (special teams). Junior receiver Marcel Williams established new career highs in receptions (8) and yards (79). His second quarter touchdown catch was the first of his career. Offensive lineman Alex Mollette was a first-time starter at left

6 guard. He replaced junior Jordan Dowrey, who did not dress. Marshall s win against Kent State gives the Thundering Herd a edge in the series. Marshall has won 12 consecutive games in the series. Kent State had did not allow a sack in the first 10 quarters of the season. Marshall defensive lineman Ryan Bee sacked Kent State QB George Bollas in the third quarter, the first sack allowed by the Golden Flashes offense this season. The Marshall defense recorded three sacks in a five-play span to end the third quarter, with Damien Dozier and Nazeeh Johnson getting their first sacks of the season. The sack by Johnson was the first of his career. Damien Dozier s three quarterback sacks against Kent State are the most by a Herd player since the amazing Vinny Curry game versus Rice in Marshall finished with seven sacks as a team, the most by the Herd since it also recorded seven sacks against Florida International on Nov. 23, 2013, a span of 45 games. It is the ninth time in school history Marshall has had seven or more sacks in a game. Chris Jackson recorded his second interception in three games this season. He has four interceptions in his 15-game career. Marshall was led in rushing by Tyler King and receiving by Marcel Williams, which gives the Herd a different leading rusher and leading receiver in all three games this season. Tyler King finished with 101 yards, the first 100-yard rusher for the Herd since Anthony Anderson did it last season against Middle Tennessee (109 yards on 16 carries). King is the fourth different player on Marshall s current roster with a 100-yard game (King, Anderson, Hyleck Foster and Tony Pittman). King s 101 rushing yards in his Marshall debut is certainly a rarity. You have to go back nearly 40 years to find another 100+ debut. The last Marshall player to rush for 100+ yards in his Herd debut was Ron Lear, who ran for 126 yards in a win over Toledo in Chase Litton s 14-yard run for a touchdown in the fourth quarter was his second career TD on the ground. Kent State s 117 passing yards and 259 total yards were the fewest allowed by Marshall since UConn had just 86 passing yards and 213 total yards in the Herd s 2015 bowl win in St. Petersburg. Notes From NC State The game captains, as selected by Marshall head coach Doc Holliday and his staff, were junior receiver Marcel Williams (offense), junior defensive lineman Ryan Bee (defense) and senior kicker/punter Kaare Vedvik (special teams). Marshall s Tyre Brady established a new Carter-Finley Stadium record for receiving yards (248), breaking the record held by NC State s Jerricho Cotchery. Brady became the 13th player in Marshall history to gain at least 200 receiving yards in a single game. That receiving yardage total was the most by a Marshall receiver in 15 years, the most against a Power 5 opponent in the program s history, and tied him for fourth with Troy Brown in the school s single-game records. From a Conference USA perspective, those 248 yards ranked fifth. Brady s average of 22.5 yards per reception is No. 2 among Marshall receivers with 10 or more catches in a game. Kaare Vedvik s 45-yard field goal with 8:20 left of the second quarter is the longest by a Marshall kicker since Justin Haig booted a 46-yard field goal to end the first half of the 2014 Conference USA championship game against Louisiana Tech (Dec. 6, 2014). Keion Davis 53-yard run in the first quarter is the longest of his collegiate career. (Previous long: 41 yards). Marshall had 451 yards of total offense at NC State. Louisville and Clemson are the only two teams with more against the Wolfpack in the last two seasons. Chase Litton had the 53rd 350-yard passing game in Marshall s history, and the 18th such game in a true road contest. In the last five years, only four quarterbacks have thrown for 350+ yards against NC State: Florida State s Jameis Winston, Mississippi State s Dak Prescott, Clemson s Deshaun Watson and, now, Marshall s Chase Litton. Only one other team in the last two seasons has held NC State to no more than one sack and four tackles for loss -- Florida State in Brady (Co-Offensive) and Vedvik (Special Teams) were honored as Players of the Week by Conference USA for their performance.

7 Marshall vs. Ranked Opponents Since moving to Division I-A (FBS) in 1997, the Herd has enjoyed a pair of landmark victories against nationally-ranked opponents. The following is the Marshall Thundering Herd s game-by-game results against NCAA FBS opponents ranked in the Associated Press (since 1936), UPI ( ), CNN ( ), ESPN/USA Today ( ) or USA Today (since 2005) Top 25 polls since Date Opponent Result 9/11/76 Miami (Ohio) W, #20 (Associated Press) 8/31/95 NC State L, #25 (CNN) 12/27/99 BYU (Motor City Bowl) W, 21-3 #25 (ESPN) 9/9/00 Michigan State L, #24/23 (Associated Press/ESPN) 9/1/01 Florida L, #1 (Associated Press/ESPN) 9/12/02 Virginia Tech L, #7 (Associated Press/ESPN) 9/6/03 Tennessee L, #11 (Associated Press/#12 (ESPN) 9/20/03 Kansas State W, #6 (Associated Press/ESPN) 9/11/04 Ohio State L, #9 (Associated Press/ESPN) 9/18/04 Georgia L, 3-13 #3 (Associated Press/ESPN) 10/7/05 Virginia Tech L, #3 (Associated Press/ESPN) 9/2/06 West Virginia L, #5 (Associated Press/ESPN) 9/23/06 Tennessee L, 7-33 #15 (Associated Press/ESPN) 9/8/07 West Virginia L, #3 (Associated Press/ESPN) 9/6/08 Wisconsin L, #11 (Associated Press) 9/12/09 Virginia Tech L, #14/#15 (Associated Press/ESPN) 9/2/10 Ohio State L, 7-45 #2 (Associated Press/ESPN) 9/10/10 West Virginia L, OT #22/#23 (Associated Press/ESPN) 9/4/11 West Virginia L, #24 (Associated Press/USA Today) 9/24/11 Virginia Tech L, #13/#11 (Associated Press/USA Today) 10/22/11 Houston L, #21/20 (Associated Press/USA Today) 9/1/12 West Virginia L, #11 (Associated Press/USA Today) 9/24/16 Louisville L, #3/#4 (Associated Press/USA Today) Marshall Football on National Outlets 12/19/87...NE Louisiana (ESPN)...L, /21/91...YSU (CBS)...L, /19/92...YSU (CBS)... W, /18/93...YSU (ESPN)... L, /16/95...Montana (ESPN)...L, /21/96...Montana (ESPN)... W, /5/97...Toledo (ESPN2)... W, /26/97...Ole Miss (ESPN2)...L, /4/98...Toledo (ESPN2)... W, /23/98...Louisville (ESPN2)... W, /14/99...Toledo (ESPN)... W, /26/99...Ohio (Fox)...W, /3/99...Western Michigan (ESPN2)... W, /27/99...BYU (ESPN2)...W, /9/00...Michigan St. (ESPN)...L, /5/00...Western Michigan (ESPN)...L, /2/00...Western Michigan(ABC)... W, /27/00...Cincinnati (ESPN2)... W, /1/01...Florida (ESPN2)...L, /30/01...Toledo (ESPN)...L, /19/01...East Carolina (ESPN2)... W, /12/02...Virginia Tech (ESPN)...L, /20/02...UCF (ESPN2)... W, /12/02...Miami (ESPN)... W, /30/02...Ball State (ESPN2)... W, /7/02...Toledo (ESPN2)... W, /18/02...Louisville (ESPN2)... W, /6/03...Tennessee (ESPN2)...L, /12/03...Toledo (ESPN)...L, /13/03...Kansas State (Fox Sports Net)... W, /12/03...Miami (ESPN2)... L, /19/03...UCF (ESPN2)...W, /11/04...Ohio State (ABC)...L, /29/04...Miami (ESPN2)... W, /5/04...Akron (ESPN2)...L, /23/04...Cincinnati (ESPN)...L, /10/05...Kansas State (ESPN2)...L, /1/05...SMU (CSTV)...W, (OT) 10/8/05...Virginia Tech (ESPN2)...L, /15/05...UAB (CSTV on i)... W, /22/05...UTEP (CSTV on i)... L, /29/05...Tulane (CSTV)... W, /8/05...Southern Miss (ESPN2)... L, (OT) 11/26/05...Memphis (CSTV)... L, /16/06...Kansas State (FSN)... L, /4/06...UCF (ESPN2)...L, /4/06...Tulane (CSTV)... W, /25/06...Southern Miss (CSTV)... L, /1/07...Miami (Fla.) (ESPNU)... L, /8/07...West Virginia (ESPN2)...L, /2/07...Memphis (ESPN2)...L, /21/07...Southern Miss (ESPN)...L, /27/07...Rice (CSTV)... W, /3/08...Cincinnati (ESPN)...L, /28/08...Houston (ESPN2)... W, /8/ East Carolina (CBSSN)... L, (OT) 11/22/ Rice (CBSSN)...L, /24/ East Carolina (CBSSN)...L, /1/ UCF (ESPN)...L, /26/ Ohio (ESPN)... W, /2/ Ohio State (Big Ten)... L, /10/ West Virginia (ESPN)... L, (OT) 10/2/ Southern Miss (CBSSN)...L, /13/ UCF (ESPN)...L, /27/ Tulane (CBSSN)... W, /4/ West Virginia (ESPN)...L, /10/ Southern Miss (CSS)... W, /17/ Ohio (ESPN3)... L, /24/ Virginia Tech (CBSSN)...L, /12/ Tulsa (Fox Sports Net)...L, /17/ Memphis (Fox Sports Net)... W, /26/ East Carolina (CBSSN)...W, (OT) 12/20/ FIU (ESPN)... W, /1/ West Virginia (FX)...L, /8/ Western Carolina (FCS)... W, /29/ Purdue (Big Ten)...L, /6/ Tulsa (CBSSN)...L, /20/ Southern Miss (CBSSN)... W, /27/ UCF (CBSSN)...L, /23/ East Carolina (CBSSN)...L, (2OT) 8/31/ Miami (Ohio) (CBSSN)... W, /14/ Ohio (ESPNews)...L, /21/ Virginia Tech (ESPNU)...L, (3OT) 10/12/ Florida Atlantic (FCS)... W, /24/ Middle Tennessee (FS1)...L, /2/ Southern Miss (CBSSN)... W, /14/ Tulsa (FS1)... W, /23/ Florida International (FCS)... W, /29/ East Carolina (CBSSN)... W, /7/ Rice (ESPN2)...L, /27/ Maryland (ESPN)... W, /30/ Miami (Ohio) (ESPN3)... W, /6/ Rhode Island (American Sports Network)...W, /13/ Ohio (CBSSN)... W, /20/ Akron (ESPN3)... W, /4/ Old Dominion (Fox Sports Net)... W, /11/ Middle Tennessee (Fox Sports Net)... W, /18/ FIU (American Sports Network)... W, /25/ Florida Atlantic (FS1)... W, /8/ Southern Miss (American Sports Network)... W, /15/ Rice (FOX Sports Net)... W, /22/ UAB (American Sports Network)... W, /28/ WKU (FS1)... L, (OT) 12/6/ Louisiana Tech (FS1)... W, /23/ Northern Illinois (ESPN)... W, /6/ Purdue (FS1)... W, /12/ Ohio (American Sports Network/ESPN3)...L, /19/ Norfolk State (American Sports Network)...W, /26/ Kent State (American Sports Network/ESPN3)... W, (2OT) 10/3/ Old Dominion (American Sports Network)...W, /9/ Southern Miss (CBS Sports Network)... W, /17/ Florida Atlantic (FOX College Sports)... W, /24/ North Texas (FOX Sports Net)... W, /31/ Charlotte (FOX Sports Net)... W, /7/ Middle Tennessee (FOX Sports Net)...L, (3OT) 11/14/ FIU (FOX Sports Net)...W, /27/ WKU (FOX Sports 1)...L, /26/ UConn (ESPN)... W, /10/ Morgan State (bein SPORTS)...W, /17/ Akron (CBS Sports Network)...L, /24/ Louisville (CBS Sports Network)...L, /8/ North Texas (American Sports Network)...L, /15/ Florida Atlantic (American Sports Network)... W, /22/ Charlotte (bein SPORTS)...L, /29/ Southern Miss (American Sports Network)...L, /5/ Old Dominion (American Sports Network)...L, /12/ Southern Miss (American Sports Network)... W, /19/ FIU (American Sports Network)...L, /26/ WKU (ESPNU)... L, /2/ Miami (Ohio) (Stadium)... W, /9/ NC State (ESPN3)...L, /30/ Cincinnati (ESPN3)... W, /14/ Old Dominion (ESPN3)...W, /20/ Middle Tennessee (ESPN2)... W, /28/ FIU (Stadium)...L, /3/ Florida Atlantic (CBS Sports Network)...L, /3/ WKU (bein SPORTS)... W, 30-23

8 2017 Season Superlatives Overall Record Current Streak... W-1 C-USA Record Division Record Non-Conference Record Home Record Current Home Streak... W-1 Road Record Current Road Streak... L-1 Day Games Night Games Natural Grass Artificial Turf MU wins Coin Toss MU loses Coin Toss MU leads after 1st Quarter MU trails after 1st Quarter MU leads at Halftime MU trails at Halftime MU leads after 3rd Quarter MU trails after 3rd Quarter In September In October In November In December vs. Top 25 teams vs. unranked teams With 100-yard rusher vs. 100-yard rusher With 300-yard passer vs. 300-yard passer When MU scores first When Opp. scores first On Stadium On ESPN On HerdVision On ESPN On CBS Sports Network On bein SPORTS Conference USA Standings Conf. Overall EAST DIVISION W L W L Florida Atlantic FIU 6 Marshall WKU Middle Tennessee Old Dominion Charlotte WEST DIVISION W L W L North Texas 6 1 UAB Southern Miss UTSA 5 4 Louisiana Tech Rice 1 1 UTEP UPCOMING GAMES (All Times ET) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17 Middle Tennessee at WKU (CBSSN), 8 p.m. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18 Rice at Old Dominion (ESPN3), 2 p.m. Charlotte at Southern Miss (CUSA TV), 3 p.m. Louisiana Tech at UTEP (CUSA TV), 3 p.m. UAB at Florida (SEC Network), 4 p.m. Army at North Texas (bein), 6:30 p.m. FIU at Florida Atlantic (Stadium), 7 p.m. Marshall at UTSA (STAD FB/KMYS), 7 p.m. LAST MEETING VERSUS UTSA (10/5/13) BY JACK BOGACZYK, HERDZONE.COM HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Beep! Beep! On a football Homecoming afternoon on which Marshall s latest mascot Marco was introduced, there wasn t much noise from the Roadrunners of UTSA. The hoof beats of the Herd s retooled defense just kept thundering through the visitors from San Antonio, as Marshall opened Conference USA play with a triumph on Saturday. UTSA (2-4, 1-1) came into Edwards Stadium averaging 431 yards per game. The Roadrunners managed only 254 against Coach Doc Holliday s confident team (3-2, 1-0), which ravaged quarterback Eric Soza and Co. with 3 interceptions, 3 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 9 QB hurries and 7 pass breakups. There have been routs of Miami (Ohio) and Gardner-Webb and frustrating losses at Ohio and in three overtimes at Virginia Tech for the Herd, and Marshall s aggressive man-based scheme has been impressive prior to league play... however, perhaps no more so than it was against UTSA before a crowd of 28,837. Was this Homecoming the Herd s best defensive performance of 2013? Coming in, if you had told me we d do that to that team, I d have said `absolutely (it was), Marshall defensive coordinator Chuck Heater said. And they were a good offense against everybody we saw, Arizona, Oklahoma State, Houston. They didn t have No. 1 (top UTSA receiver Kam Jones did not make the trip) and I think that had an impact, and also the long trip here and all the things that go into it. Some days you aren t quite as good as you were the week before. We had an enormous amount of respect for them, their scheme and how they executed it, and the quarterback and the skill guys. I thought the receivers they have are the best we ve seen as a group. All that being said, and yet, we had a really good day. Marshall made interceptions on UTSA s first two series and the Herd led 10-0 after only eight minutes. I think after that we re in their heads a little bit, said Herd true freshman Stefan Houston, who moved from an inside spot to sam linebacker and got significant playing time. Still, anything can happen in a football game. It was still early, so we just tried to stay level-headed, keep the pressure on, make plays, do what we do. The first pick, by Evan McKelvey, was the third by an MU linebacker this season. The second, by end Ra Shawde Myers off a tipped ball, was the first pick by a Herd defensive lineman since end Ryland Wilson got a pair in November 2007 (thrown by UCF s Kyle Israel and Case Keenum of Houston). Houston emerged with opportunity after his recovery from a high ankle sprain. He led Marshall with eight tackles. Five of MU s top eight tacklers - Houston, McKelvey, Neville Hewitt, Darryl Roberts, Taj Letman) had something in common that is telling about Heater s defense. They weren t in Marshall uniforms last season for one reason or another. We re playing a lot of people because those guys have ability, Heater said. We have 13 players who are playing and contributing on defense right now who didn t play here last year on defense for one reason or another, and they re all playing. And we have some seniors who are playing good football, showing the way. When you have 13 new players, coming from different places, who can make plays, it helps. In college football, if you can t make a play, you can t get off the field today, the offenses are so good. At some point, you ve got to make a play, stop `em on third-and-1, get an interception; if you don t, you re going to give up points... We re not there yet, but we re making progress. The Herd has nine interceptions (by seven players) in five games, already tying the 2012 team total in a 5-7 finish. Safety A.J. Leggett has two - and he s another player who was out last season (after shoulder surgery). It also helps that the Herd has been dealing from a field position advantage. Walk-on freshman Amoreto Curraj has 21 touchbacks on kickoffs in five games - six against UTSA, after Holliday s first three Marshall clubs (combined) managed only nine. They (UTSA) won the toss and took the ball, but I think it was the turnovers, Holliday said. The field position on kickoff has been tremendous. (Curraj) is one of the top five guys in the country in touchbacks. The field position the defense has started with has been huge. We got two turnovers backto-back. We had two interceptions in the first half that gave us great field advantage. For all of the numbers, the thing Heater said he liked most was holding UTSA to a second-quarter field goal on a drive that started at the Herd 11 after a Rakeem Cato lost fumble. I just felt like the way they fought on that red zone turnover situation, played six plays down there stopped them, I thought that was a tremendous accomplishment, Heater said. I felt like we were pretty comfortable. I mean, they threw the ball, but we were pretty comfortable, nobody panicked, we just kept playing and developed a certain level of confidence. That s important, because I think you re going to get a lot of punches and you ve got to keep playing and go on to the next play. The Herd defensive front dominated the Roadrunners offensive line, pressuring Soza throughout. Heater said a good reason for that is even without injured senior end Jeremiah Taylor, Marshall has a front-four plethora of personnel. We can roll guys, and that s huge for us, because we can play guys plays as opposed to 70 or 80, Heater said. If you have to play that many, you can t play well. You just can t. So, they re getting into that rotation. Those guys like (Arnold) Blackmon and (Gary) Thompson, (Josh) Brown are rolling in, and we rotate guys inside (James Rouse, Brandon Sparrow, Jarquez Samuel, Steve Dillon, Brown). Sparrow was back today (from an ankle sprain), and that s huge for us to keep rolling in those guys. And while the Marshall offense perhaps wasn t its so-often eye-popping self, Holliday really liked his team s 6-for-6 in the red zone and 10-of-18 on third down conversions. Although UTSA did get quality pressure on Herd quarterback Rakeem Cato - the Herd s five sacks allowed matched the most times Cato has been taken down (a home loss to Virginia Tech in 2011), he still completed 22-of-32 for two scores, extending his consecutive games with a TD toss to 23 - second among active FBS quarterbacks. Cato also moved to third on Marshall s career list with 697 completions, training on Chad Pennington (1,026) and Byron Leftwich (939). He moved to fourth in attempts with 1,068 (training Pennington, Leftwich and Michael Payton). Offensively, I ve said at times I don t think we are statistically better than last year, but we can be a better offense, said Holliday, who was pleased with his team s score-ending drive of 5:58, the longest in clock time this season. We slowed down in the second half and worked some clock. We ran the ball and were able to pick up first downs and stick that last touchdown in... which was good to see. Marshall s 17-0 first-quarter lead was the most points scored by a Herd team in the opening period since the Herd led Tulane 21-0 at Edwards Stadium on Nov. 4, a MU victory.

9 Doc Holliday Head Coach - Eighth Season (60-40 overall, C-USA) Coach John Doc Holliday, who has returned Marshall University football to the national picture, enters his eighth season leading the Thundering Herd. Marshall has won five consecutive bowls the current long streak in the FBS with four of those triumphs coming under Holliday in the last five seasons. Marshall s three straight 10-win seasons from were also a first in the 20-season history of Conference USA football. His 2015 Herd finished 10-3 with a win over Connecticut in the St. Petersburg Bowl. His 2014 and 15 teams with a combined mark of 23-4 had the best record among the Group of Five programs in the two-year College Football Playoff era. In Holliday s seven MU seasons, he has built the Herd into a perennial Conference USA contender. His teams have sported 23 All-C-USA first team selections, 17 second-teamers, 36 honorable mention picks and 20 All-Freshman team selections. He has had nine players selected for C-USA s top individual player-of-the-year awards. Holliday s 2014 Herd (13-1) grabbed the school s first C-USA Championship with a thrilling comeback, title-game win over Louisiana Tech. MU headed to the Boca Raton Bowl, where it routed Mid-American Conference champion Northern Illinois, The Herd finished the season in the major polls No. 22 in the USA Today Coaches poll and No. 23 in the Associated Press media poll. It was Marshall s first appearance in the final polls since The Herd coach was named the 2014 Conference USA Coach of the Year in voting by his peers and Marshall boasted a C-USA-record 10 allconference first team selections. Holliday received a six-year contract extension (through July 2021) for $755,500 annually on April 8, The 2014 title season followed a successful 2013, as Marshall went 10-4, won the C-USA East Division crown and downed ACC member Maryland in the Military Bowl -- the Terps last game before heading to the Big Ten. In December 2014, Holliday was named the 15th annual Gazett Sportsman of the Year by Charleston Newspapers. In April 2015, the Herd coach was honored as the 2014 Lowell Cade Sportsperson of the Year by The (Huntington) Herald-Dispatch. And in concert with Herd Athletic Director Mike Hamrick, Holliday has helped bring about upgrades in the Marshall non-conference schedule, with home-and-homes against Louisville, Pitt, North Carolina State, Purdue, Navy, Boise State, Cincinnati, Appalachian State, East Carolina, Akron and Ohio and a 2018 game at South Carolina, which will yield the largest guarantee in school history ($1.4 million). Holliday, named as Herd coach on Dec. 17, 2009 in his first collegiate head coaching job, is widely regarded as one of the top recruiters in the nation. Since he has become a head coach, he has added a reputation for finding and hiring assistant coaches who have made a strong impact on his program. He has more than 30 years of collegiate coaching experience, including previous stops at Florida, North Carolina State and West Virginia, his alma mater. During his time in Huntington, Holliday s teams have consistently improved as the season stretches into the winter months. The Herd is under Holliday after Oct. 27 on the calendar, including an eye-popping 15-2 mark in the friendly confines of Joan C. Edwards Stadium. In 2011, the Herd went 7-6 against the 16th-toughest schedule in the nation, a slate that was ranked second among non-bcs schools. Two of those victories came against eventual C-USA champion Southern Miss and Big East co-champ Louisville, the latter coming on the road for the program s first non-conference road win since the early 2000s. Marshall also won five Conference USA games, the most for the program since it had joined the league in During his coaching career, Holliday has coached in 25 bowl games, three national championship games and coached 15 players who have gone on to the NFL. He also has coached five All-Americans. A native of Hurricane, W.Va., Holliday was born April 21, He was a threeyear letter winner as a linebacker at West Virginia ( ) and has earned bachelor s (1979) and master s (1981) degrees from WVU. He won a West Virginia state wrestling title at 175 pounds (all divisions) in 1975 at Hurricane High. Holliday and his wife, Diana, have four children -- Meghan, Cade, Chase and Cody.