As a Marshall fan it warms my heart to see a Herd player burning the Bobcats down the sideline for the touchdown, this rivalry resumes in the 2010 Football season and this is a taste of what is to come in that contest.
Ohio is sticking to the multiple option offense, which against an undisciplined defense will produce big plays, but Marshall is playing smart defense right now.
Vinny Curry down on the field for the Thundering Herd after a shove from an Ohio lineman cause him to land awkwardly on his leg. This could be a hit for the Herd as Curry was one of the top tacklers on the squad and an anchor on the defensive line, although the line should be talented enough to compensate.
The hit on Curry was ruled a personal foul, due to the way the WAC treats situations with players who are ruled defenseless in situations as Curry was.
Marshall is able to hold the Bobcats after the penalty as Ohio continues to shoot itself in the foot going for short underneath catches that Marshall is able to blow up. Again the Bobcats hurt themselves with kick catch interference on the punt and the Herd is going to get the ball on their own 46.
Marshall on the other hand continues to chip away yard-by-yard, curls and end arounds, running the ball or throwing the Herd looking confident currently even on one yard gains.
The Brian Anderson, Antavious Wilson duo continues to hook up in Detroit. BA 7 of 9 as it stands as he tried to hit Chuck Walker but a defensive pass interference call bails BA out.
Darius Marshall continues to impress all season long, being able to read the Ohio pressure very well time and time again. Marshall's cuts each time seem to swim by the tide of the blitz like it isn't even there and pick up 5 yards just as he has done all season.
The Herd stacks up inside the 5 yard line with three Tight Ends, and a pair of tries from Darius Marshall gives way to another Martin Ward touchdown. With 7:21 left in the half, the Thundering Herd is running away from rival Ohio 21-0.
The Herd continues to snow under the Ohio offense making Theo Scott look like last year's Marshall starter Mark Cann. Marshall plays smart on defense again and again and this time comes up with the hit on Scott and forces the fumble, Marshall giving Ohio a taste of it's own medicine, the Bobcats one the nation's leading teams in turnover margin.
Ohio gets a fumble recovery of it's own on Marshall first play, but it could have been a 70 yard dash for nothing as there was a flag on the play.
The flag was offensive holding and the play stands, Ohio gets some momentum back as Ohio tries to mount the come back down 21 to 7 in motown.
As Marshall goes back to the field Brian Anderson has to take a quick time out to avoid the delay of game penalty. Marshall looking a little shaky, as they have at times during the season when facing adversity.
Martin Ward breaks off a 44 yard run and with a little more speed that's a touchdown, but at this point Marshall is going to be happy with the yardage. Ward's run should be another push of the dagger into the heart of the OU defense as they're scrapping to find something to be excited about.
Anderson scrambles out for close to a first down off of a blown play, giving everything he had to try and get the first. Anderson continues to be an 'X' factor on this Herd offense. When BA is on, he is on for the Herd and when he isn't, it is usually painfully obvious.
In side the Ohio 15, Marshall lines up five-wide, Anderson looks to the strong side and pumpfakes, BA then pulls down the pass and scrambles for just shy of the first. On 4th and 1 the Herd goes with the HB toss, and it's a turn over on downs that quite frankly has me scratching my head along with all Herd fans.
Another questionable play call from Offensive Coordinator John Shannon keeps the Herd from extending it's lead to close out the half in Detroit, and I can't say I'm completely surprised.
Now it's on the Herd defensive as it all too often is this year. Marshall getting the big stop from Thumper on first down. Rick Minter calls a timeout to attempt to force the Bobcats into a mistake. :18 left in the half and Minter will burn the Herd's final time out on a Bobcats third down. I like the tenacity from the seasoned Minter, I can only imagine Mark Snyder would have let the Bobcats run the clock and sneak out of the half.
The Bobcats will take a knee for their final play of the half and things head to half time with the Herd leading it's former rival 21-7.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Here are some points to ponder for half time and the second half of the contest.
- Conference USA is 1-3 in the this very Bowl game, however two of those losses came against Marshall University when they were in the MAC.
- The Mid-American Conference on the other hand is 6-6 all-time in the Detroit Bowl game, with Marshall accounting for 3 of those victories
- Marshall is 101-131 all-time against current MAC schools. However the Herd is 52-10 against MAC schools since joining Division I-A in 1997.
- This game resumes the Ohio-Marshall rivalry which has been dormant since 2005 when Marshall left the MAC for green pastures of CUSA. Marshall has never played a team more than Ohio with this, their 53rd meeting. Ohio owns the series at 29-17-6
- The last time Ohio won against the Herd was a 38-28 victory in 2000 in Athens, Ohio.
- This contest marks the return of the MU-OU Battle For The Bell, as well as Marshall's second game against a MAC team since joining CUSA. This also continues a stint against the MAC in which Marshall will play at least one MAC team through the next five seasons.
Again at the half the Herd leads Ohio University 21 to 7 in the Little Casear's Pizza Bowl, but there's still plenty of football left to play.
No comments:
Post a Comment