HUNTINGTON - When former Marshall running back Ahmad Bradshaw felt he had something to atone for, when he wasn't quite happy with a previous performance, it usually spelled grave trouble for the opposing rush defense.
One of the big questions today as the Thundering Herd takes on Memphis: Will Darius Marshall operate the same way?
He has the motivation. Unprompted, he recounted how he committed several freshman mistakes in last year's Memphis game, contributing to a 24-21 setback.
The most notable came late in the third quarter, when his fumble thwarted a potential go-ahead drive for the Herd. The Tigers drove for a touchdown, taking a 24-14 lead.
He had 90 yards rushing, but didn't see the ball after that point. Fumbles don't sit well with coach Mark Snyder and staff, and that attitude eventually rubs off on the running backs - and gets them itching to make amends.
"I had a lot of mishaps down there," Marshall said. "On the opening kickoff, I dropped the ball and picked it up, but it was too late. I could have had a score then, but it was too late. We were driving and we were on their 25, and I fumbled the ball. That gave them the momentum and they came back and scored.
"I think I have a lot to prove against this team, because last year I didn't do what was expected of me."
Marshall has rushed for 165 yards and two touchdowns in two games, and while the Wisconsin radio network announcers harped on his "fumbleitis" at length last week, Marshall has yet to put a ball on the ground this year.
That doesn't surprise his coach.
"He's gotten bigger and stronger, and he needs to have a good game for us," Snyder said.
The Herd needs Marshall to top his career high of 115 yards, to help control time of possession and keep Memphis' passing game on the sidelines.
And the running back needs it for his piece of mind.
"It's not a greed thing. It's pride," Marshall said.
nn
A number of Herd fans are delighted that today's game was set at 7 p.m. for television. That was a base starting time for MU home games for years until Bob Marcum became athletic director and switched to 4:30 p.m. The debate among the green-clads has raged ever since.
Snyder treaded carefully on that question this week.
"It depends. Basically, where I come from, we've always played at noon and you're home by 4:30, and you play one, two night games a year," he said.
But he was definite on one thing: He loves the later start for this particular game.
"I do. Absolutely. [The crowd] seems a little bit more rambunctious [at 7 p.m. games]," Snyder said. "This is a new-look offense, and we need the crowd being as loud as they possibly can be. Because [Memphis does] change plays at the line of scrimmage, and the guy in the [coaches'] box calls it, and the quarterback has to communicate it.
"And the louder our crowd can be, the better off we'll be. That will be the 'X' factor, our crowd. And it seems like we're a little bit more rambunctious at night, which is a good thing."
Strangely enough, one preliminary crowd estimate puts tonight's gate in the 23,000-24,000 range, even below the Labor Day-weekend opener against Illinois State. That game had a small student turnout and an announced crowd of 25,661.
nn
Last week at Wisconsin, redshirt freshman DeQuan Bembry broke into the starting lineup at cornerback, tallying eight tackles.
Of course, he played a part in Marshall's leaky pass defense, which gave up 329 yards. But Bembry seemed to play the ball a little better than the others in the corner rotation.
And remember, the Badgers burned Marshall as much with their tight ends - often matched against linebackers and safeties - than anybody else in the passing game. Today, the corners stand to get tested more severely, making Bembry's development critical.
"He did OK. After looking at the film, I was more pleased than I was during the game," Snyder said. "The bad thing about us coaches is we see all the bad stuff, and there were a couple of plays I thought he could have come up against the run a little bit better. But he had good coverage and he made some good, solid tackles, especially early in the game."
One more word about the MU secondary: Strong safety Ashton Hall, who missed the Wisconsin game with an injury, remains iffy for today. The Herd's other injury miss of last week, tight end Cody Slate, is more likely to play.
Briefly
While Herd fans still await the first collegiate field goal attempt of kicker Craig Rantanamorn, they may be marveling over true freshman punter Kase Whitehead. His numbers: Of 12 punts, eight have been downed inside the 20-yard line, five inside the 12 and two inside the 5. Six have ended in a fair catch and only one has been returned for 9 yards.
Whitehead's 41.2 gross average is 31st in the nation, but the team's 40.5 net is 11th.
Marshall is one of 14 teams that hasn't allowed a sack, which is a minor upset considering Wisconsin's pass rush. Mark Cann absorbed his first few big-time shots.
"I don't know if they've kept him on his feet. He has yet to be sacked," Snyder said. "[The offensive line is] doing an admirable job. We will not face a front like we just faced in our league. But they've done a decent job. We still need to get better there."
Reach Doug Smock at 348-5130 or dougsm...@wvgazette.com.
HUNTINGTON - When former Marshall running back Ahmad Bradshaw felt he had something to atone for, when he wasn't quite happy with a previous performance, it usually spelled grave trouble for the opposing rush defense.
One of the big questions today as the Thundering Herd takes on Memphis: Will Darius Marshall operate the same way?
He has the motivation. Unprompted, he recounted how he committed several freshman mistakes in last year's Memphis game, contributing to a 24-21 setback.
The most notable came late in the third quarter, when his fumble thwarted a potential go-ahead drive for the Herd. The Tigers drove for a touchdown, taking a 24-14 lead.
He had 90 yards rushing, but didn't see the ball after that point. Fumbles don't sit well with coach Mark Snyder and staff, and that attitude eventually rubs off on the running backs - and gets them itching to make amends.
"I had a lot of mishaps down there," Marshall said. "On the opening kickoff, I dropped the ball and picked it up, but it was too late. I could have had a score then, but it was too late. We were driving and we were on their 25, and I fumbled the ball. That gave them the momentum and they came back and scored.
"I think I have a lot to prove against this team, because last year I didn't do what was expected of me."
Marshall has rushed for 165 yards and two touchdowns in two games, and while the Wisconsin radio network announcers harped on his "fumbleitis" at length last week, Marshall has yet to put a ball on the ground this year.
That doesn't surprise his coach.
"He's gotten bigger and stronger, and he needs to have a good game for us," Snyder said.
The Herd needs Marshall to top his career high of 115 yards, to help control time of possession and keep Memphis' passing game on the sidelines.
And the running back needs it for his piece of mind.
"It's not a greed thing. It's pride," Marshall said.
nn
A number of Herd fans are delighted that today's game was set at 7 p.m. for television. That was a base starting time for MU home games for years until Bob Marcum became athletic director and switched to 4:30 p.m. The debate among the green-clads has raged ever since.
Snyder treaded carefully on that question this week.
"It depends. Basically, where I come from, we've always played at noon and you're home by 4:30, and you play one, two night games a year," he said.
But he was definite on one thing: He loves the later start for this particular game.
"I do. Absolutely. [The crowd] seems a little bit more rambunctious [at 7 p.m. games]," Snyder said. "This is a new-look offense, and we need the crowd being as loud as they possibly can be. Because [Memphis does] change plays at the line of scrimmage, and the guy in the [coaches'] box calls it, and the quarterback has to communicate it.
"And the louder our crowd can be, the better off we'll be. That will be the 'X' factor, our crowd. And it seems like we're a little bit more rambunctious at night, which is a good thing."
Strangely enough, one preliminary crowd estimate puts tonight's gate in the 23,000-24,000 range, even below the Labor Day-weekend opener against Illinois State. That game had a small student turnout and an announced crowd of 25,661.
nn
Last week at Wisconsin, redshirt freshman DeQuan Bembry broke into the starting lineup at cornerback, tallying eight tackles.
Of course, he played a part in Marshall's leaky pass defense, which gave up 329 yards. But Bembry seemed to play the ball a little better than the others in the corner rotation.
And remember, the Badgers burned Marshall as much with their tight ends - often matched against linebackers and safeties - than anybody else in the passing game. Today, the corners stand to get tested more severely, making Bembry's development critical.
"He did OK. After looking at the film, I was more pleased than I was during the game," Snyder said. "The bad thing about us coaches is we see all the bad stuff, and there were a couple of plays I thought he could have come up against the run a little bit better. But he had good coverage and he made some good, solid tackles, especially early in the game."
One more word about the MU secondary: Strong safety Ashton Hall, who missed the Wisconsin game with an injury, remains iffy for today. The Herd's other injury miss of last week, tight end Cody Slate, is more likely to play.
Briefly
While Herd fans still await the first collegiate field goal attempt of kicker Craig Rantanamorn, they may be marveling over true freshman punter Kase Whitehead. His numbers: Of 12 punts, eight have been downed inside the 20-yard line, five inside the 12 and two inside the 5. Six have ended in a fair catch and only one has been returned for 9 yards.
Whitehead's 41.2 gross average is 31st in the nation, but the team's 40.5 net is 11th.
Marshall is one of 14 teams that hasn't allowed a sack, which is a minor upset considering Wisconsin's pass rush. Mark Cann absorbed his first few big-time shots.
"I don't know if they've kept him on his feet. He has yet to be sacked," Snyder said. "[The offensive line is] doing an admirable job. We will not face a front like we just faced in our league. But they've done a decent job. We still need to get better there."
Reach Doug Smock at 348-5130 or dougsm...@wvgazette.com.
