Tag: Marshall

Sep 29, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack safety Sean Brown (0) celebrates a sack during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Louisville Cardinals won 13-10.

NC State hopes QB change ignites offense against Marshall

Posted on | by Field Level Media

North Carolina State decided it couldn’t wait any longer to make a change on offense.

After losing two of their first three home games of the season, the Wolfpack will turn to sophomore MJ Morris as their starting quarterback when they face Marshall on Saturday in Raleigh, N.C.

Morris takes over for Brennan Armstrong, who transferred to NC State (3-2) after five seasons at Virginia.

Armstrong has completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 971 yards with five touchdowns and six interceptions, and in the wake of his team’s 13-10 loss to then-unranked Louisville last week, coach Dave Doeren decided it was time to make a change.

“It’s clear that we need a spark on that side of the ball,” Doeren said. “(Morris) is ready to lead the offense. … It was my plan and our plan to redshirt MJ and allow him an opportunity to develop behind Brennan. But plans sometimes need to change. The time is now because it’s what’s best for our team.”

There’s no need for change for Marshall (4-0), which owns a nine-game winning streak dating back to last season following a 41-35 victory over Old Dominion last weekend.

“Really proud of them embracing the process of finding a way to execute well to win,” Thundering Herd coach Charles Huff said. “Are there things we have to get cleaned up? Absolutely.”

Meanwhile, the Wolfpack are scuffling. NC State had won 16 of its previous 17 home games prior to the two setbacks this season. The loss against the Cardinals was particularly ugly, as the Wolfpack were shut out in the second half.

“We just have to stay together and keep going,” Wolfpack receiver Terrell Timmons Jr. said. “We can’t let this loss get between us. We have to stay together as a team and keep going.”

Morris will look to spearhead a turnaround, and even with the change under center, Huff believes his team will still be prepared against NC State since it has been able to adjust on the fly this season.

“Didn’t bat an eye, didn’t get frustrated,” Huff said of his team’s resilience. “Made adjustments and made plays when they counted.”

The Thundering Herd have already defeated an Atlantic Coast Conference team this season, beating Virginia Tech 24-17 on Sept. 23.

Saturday marks the sixth all-time meeting between Marshall and NC State. The Wolfpack have won all five games in the series, most recently prevailing 37-20 in 2018 at Huntington, W.Va.

–Field Level Media

Sep 16, 2023; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) rolls out during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia Tech out for answers vs. undefeated Marshall

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After playing each other four times between 2002 and 2011, Virginia Tech and Marshall have been growing distant.

The Hokies and Thundering Herd met in 2013, not again until 2018 and finally will clash Saturday, when Virginia Tech will visit Marshall in Huntington, W.Va. Call it the new five-year plan.

The latest installment will feature teams headed in opposite directions.

Virginia Tech (1-2) comes in reeling, having dropped consecutive games to Big Ten opponents Purdue and Rutgers.

Not much went right for Virginia Tech in a 35-16 loss at Rutgers last week, but the Hokies might have seen potential for the long term.

Sophomore quarterback Kyron Drones made his first career start in place of injured senior Grant Wells and provided a two-way threat, completing 19 of 32 passes for 190 yards and running for 74 yards on 22 carries in the loss.

Drones, a Baylor transfer, is expected to start again Saturday.

“I think there are some really good things,” Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry said. “(Drones) made it hard to defend him. He had some nice balls and did a really nice job running the ball. He did miss a few reads that I think left some plays on the field. His decision making was pretty good. First college start, I think there will be a lot to build from.”

Marshall (2-0) enters with momentum after winning its first two games of the season against Albany at home and on the road at East Carolina.

The Thundering Herd were off last week following a 31-13 win at East Carolina on Sept. 9. in their two games, quarterback Cam Fancher and running back Rasheen Ali have delivered as expected.

Fancher is 43-of-63 passing in two games for 446 yards, while Ali has rushed for 222 yards on 36 carries and five touchdowns.

“Now that we have got two games on guys, we can start to see some consistency in production, and we can start to see some inconsistency in production,” Marshall head coach Charles Huff said. “We got to be able to make adjustments. We got to be able to coach up the inconsistencies and retain the consistencies.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 19, 2022; Conway, South Carolina, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd running back Rasheen Ali (22) looks for some running room in the first half against the Connecticut Huskies in the Myrtle Beach Bowl at Brooks Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

Marshall tackles UConn 28-14 in Myrtle Beach Bowl

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Freshman quarterback Cam Fancher threw for two touchdowns Monday as Marshall established a 28-0 third-quarter lead and held off UConn 28-14 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl in Conway, S.C.

Rasheen Ali rushed for 92 yards and a score for the Thundering Herd, which finished with a 9-4 record that included a September win at Notre Dame and a season-ending five-game winning streak.

The Huskies (6-7) got 75 yards and two touchdowns from Victor Rosa on 16 carries, but they couldn’t consistently crack Marshall’s physical defense. Quarterback Zion Turner completed just 9 of 27 passes for 166 yards with three interceptions, including a game-sealer in the end zone by Micah Abraham with 5:09 left in the game that thwarted UConn’s last chance to rally.

Marshall melted the remaining time down with a running game that was its best source of offense. Fancher was 10 of 20 for just 93 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, but the Herd ran for 210 yards.

The Huskies actually outgained the Herd 316-303 but continually hurt themselves with mistakes. They committed four turnovers that led to 14 points and were flagged 10 times for 115 yards.

Marshall initiated scoring just 3:45 into the game, two plays after recovering a fumble on a bad option pitch. Fancher zipped a 9-yard touchdown pass to Corey Gammage on a slant.

The Herd’s defense made it 14-0 at the 3:23 mark of the first quarter when Damion Barber intercepted Turner and raced 34 yards for a touchdown. Fancher upped the cushion to 21-0 with 7:05 left in the half when he found Devin Miller on a 10-yard scoring strike.

Ali capped a 79-yard drive on Marshall’s first possession of the second half, plowing in from the 2 with 9:51 on the clock to increase the lead to 28-0.

At that point, the UConn offense finally displayed some life with consecutive touchdown drives of 75 and 40 yards. Rosa finished them off with runs of 14 and 24 yards, the latter coming on the final play of the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

Nov 12, 2022; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Huskies running back Victor Rosa (22) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Liberty Flames in the second half at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Marshall’s stellar defense to challenge UConn at Myrtle Beach Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Armed with one of the top defenses in the country, Marshall will take on a surprisingly improved UConn team in the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Monday in Conway, S.C.

UConn (6-6) is bowl-eligible for the first time since 2015 under first-year coach Jim Mora Jr. Before losing their regular season finale to Army, the Huskies had a stretch of five wins in six games, capped off by an upset victory over then-ranked No. 19 Liberty.

And who did the Huskies play in that 2015 bowl game? Marshall.

The Thundering Herd (8-4) have been a regular attendee during bowl season recently. This will be the 11th time in the past 14 seasons that Marshall has gone bowling — a streak that began in 2009 and stretches across three head-coaching tenures.

The Herd have lost their last three bowl games, though, and are looking for their first postseason win since 2018.

“I think anytime you can get another game added onto the end of your season, it’s a positive,” Marshall head coach Charles Huff said. “(It is) positive for the seniors, positive for the program, positive for the community and we just happened to hit the jackpot with a good location, phenomenal opponent and being able to extend (the season one more game).”

It was the first season in the Sun Belt Conference for Marshall and it started off with a bang. In Week Two, the Herd went into South Bend, Ind., and upset then-ranked No. 8 Notre Dame 26-21. The Herd lost three of their next four games but finished the season strong with four straight wins over conference opponents. Marshall won those four games by an average score of 22.7-13.5.

Key for Marshall this season has been its defense, which ranks seventh nationally in points allowed per game at 16.2. Marshall’s defense is also fourth in passing completion percentage allowed (52.7), fifth in rushing yards allowed per game (88.8), second in opponent yards per carry (2.8), and fifth in interceptions per game (1.3).

That doesn’t bode well for a UConn team that ranks 115th in FBS in scoring offense, putting up 19.8 points per game.

UConn’s offense this season has been powered in part by freshman running back Victor Rosa. He has nine touchdowns on the season and 561 yards on 124 carries. He scampered for 111 yards against Army.

“The (offensive linemen) are amazing and Christian (Haynes) is getting noticed. It is wonderful,” Rosa told CT Insider. “Best offensive line in the nation. Pound the rock, that is our motto and they have been doing a hell of a job. I can’t thank them enough.”

Jackson Mitchell has been opportunistic for the UConn defense, recovering five fumbles, forcing two fumbles and picking off one pass this season.

Khalan Laborn leads Marshall’s rushing attack with 1,423 yards and 16 touchdowns on 281 totes. Owen Porter is the Herd’s defensive playmaker with 14 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles, a recovery and two pass breakups. Micah Abraham has five picks this season.

This will be just the second meeting between UConn and Marshall in football. The Herd won the previous matchup — a 2015 home game — by a score of 16-10.

The Myrtle Beach Bowl is played at Brooks Stadium, home of Coastal Carolina. Neither Marshall nor UConn has ever played there before.

–Field Level Media

Sep 4, 2021; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd running back Rasheen Ali (22) reacts after scoring a first half touchdown against the Navy Midshipmen at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Marshall RB Rasheen Ali steps away from team

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Marshall running back Rasheen Ali will miss the start of the season for personal reasons.

Thundering Herd coach Charles Huff said there is no timetable for the return of the redshirt sophomore, who ran for 1,401 yards and tied for the FBS lead with 23 rushing touchdowns last season.

“Rasheen will be away from the team for some time, and as soon as he is mentally, physically and emotionally ready to return, he will be back,” Huff said in a statement. “Our team and staff are doing a great job of supporting him, and we are looking forward to getting him back soon.”

The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington, W.Va., reported that Ali missed a team scrimmage on Saturday and canceled an upcoming promotional appearance.

Florida State transfer Khalan Laborn will likely start in Ali’s place when Marshall opens the season Sept. 3 against visiting Norfolk State.

Ali posted six 100-yard games on the ground in 2021, including a season-high 203 yards at Charlotte on Nov. 20. He also caught 45 passes for 334 yards and a touchdown in 13 games.

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2020; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; A general view of the end zone before their game between the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Giants to add seven to Ring of Honor

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The New York Giants are reaching back into team history and adding six players and a contributor to the Ring of Honor, the franchise’s highest achievement.

Former running backs Joe Morris, Ottis Anderson and Rodney Hampton, as well as defensive end Leonard Marshall, were invited to practice on Tuesday and were told of their selection by Giants president and CEO John Mara.

Joining them as new members of the Ring of Honor are Ronnie Barnes, the senior vice president of medical services who has been on the team’s medical staff for 47 years, and defensive back Jimmy Patton and halfback/receiver Kyle Rote. The latter two will be inducted posthumously.

All seven of the honorees were members of Giants championship teams: Patton and Rote in 1956; Morris in 1986; Anderson and Marshall in 1986 and 1990; and Hampton in 1990.

Barnes has been with the Giants for all four NFL championships.

Their additions will leave the Ring of Honor with 50 members. Two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning was honored in 2021.

“We are proud to add these deserving and legendary figures in Giants history to our Ring of Honor,” Mara said in a news release. “Each of the players was among the very best at his position to wear a Giants uniform. All of them helped our franchise win championships and enjoy long-term success, as has Ronnie Barnes, who has been an invaluable and beloved member of our organization for decades.”

The enshrinement ceremony will take place Sept. 26 when the Giants host the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on “Monday Night Football.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 18, 2020; Huntington, West Virginia, USA; UAB Blazers players celebrate after defeating the Marshall Thundering Herd for the Conference USA Championship at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Sun Belt-bound schools reach deal with C-USA

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Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss have reached a separation agreement with Conference USA to depart for the Sun Belt this year, ESPN reported Tuesday.

The reported deal comes more than a month after C-USA threatened legal action against the schools for failing to give 14 months’ notice before leaving the conference, per league bylaws. The conference filed for arbitration, with the three schools filing for temporary injunctions against arbitration.

The three schools are on the Sun Belt football schedule for 2022. Meanwhile, C-USA will play with 11 members in 2022 and is expected to release a new schedule soon; the three schools were on C-USA’s schedule for 2022, as well.

C-USA’s football schedule had included 14 schools split into divisions of seven. The East Division is losing Marshall and Old Dominion, and the West is losing Southern Miss.

Six other current C-USA institutions — Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA — will eventually join the American Athletic Conference, but have not expressed intention to make the move in 2022.

Liberty, New Mexico State, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston will eventually join C-USA.

–Field Level Media

Oct 9, 2021; Huntington, West Virginia, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd running back Sheldon Evans (5) runs the ball and shakes a tackle from Old Dominion Monarchs safety R'Tarriun Johnson (21) during the second quarter at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

C-USA threatens legal action to keep 3 members from leaving early

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Conference USA released its 2022 football schedule on Monday, a matrix that included Southern Miss, Marshall and Old Dominion even though the three institutions announced Friday their intention of leaving the conference this summer.

The trio reached an agreement to join the Sun Belt Conference before July 1, 2023. They issued nearly identical statements Friday claiming that C-USA had shown an “unwillingness” to negotiate an earlier exit.

The conference fired back Monday.

“Conference USA intends to conduct the 2022-23 athletic year with the full 14 institution membership intact,” the conference said in a statement. “The C-USA Board of Directors will exhaust all necessary legal actions to ensure all members meet their contractual obligations as defined by and agreed to in the Conference USA Bylaws.”

Marshall interim athletic director Jeff O’Malley tweeted Monday that his department stood by its previous statement despite C-USA including the Thundering Herd on its football schedule.

C-USA’s football schedule includes 14 schools split into divisions of seven. It would be down to 11 teams should the trio depart early, with the West Division losing Marshall and Old Dominion and the East losing Southern Miss.

Six other current member institutions — Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA — will eventually join the American Athletic Conference, but have not expressed intention to make the move in 2022. Liberty, New Mexico State, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston will eventually join C-USA.

Sports Illustrated reported that the Sun Belt also had crafted its yet-to-be-released 2022 football schedule with Southern Miss, Marshall and Old Dominion included.

–Field Level Media

Oct 9, 2021; Huntington, West Virginia, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd defensive back Micah Abraham (6) breaks up a pass intended for Old Dominion Monarchs quarterback Stone Smartt (4) during the third quarter at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Southern Miss, Marshall, ODU to leave C-USA in June

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Southern Miss, Marshall and Old Dominion confirmed Friday they are leaving Conference USA at the conclusion of this academic year.

The schools issued nearly identical statements, alluding to a stalemate with C-USA over an exit plan. The three said their conference membership will end effective June 30.

Each school had an agreement to join the Sun Belt Conference before July 1, 2023. Their announcements did not indicate whether their membership will begin with the 2022-23 academic year.

“The University first advised Conference USA in early December 2021 of the University’s plans to terminate its membership in June 2022. Since then, the University has clearly and consistently repeated its intentions to the conference,” read the statement from Southern Miss. “The University has from the outset expressed its desire to work with Conference USA to achieve an amicable separation, including offering to cooperate to ensure that all remaining conference members had complete competitive schedules for those sports in which the University competes. Conference USA has so far refused to discuss any such arrangement with the University.

“The Conference’s unwillingness to discuss the concept of separation this year creates confusion and doubt for all concerned. The remaining members of Conference USA deserve certainty about their schedules as they plan for competition next year. For their sake, the University makes public its intent.”

The Sun Belt will have 16 member schools with the three additions. James Madison also is entering the league, which also will consist of Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Little Rock, Louisiana, UL-Monroe, South Alabama, UTSA, Texas State and Troy.

Conference USA remains in flux. Also departing are Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA, which are heading to the American Athletic Conference. Liberty, New Mexico State, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston are set to join.

–Field Level Media

Dec 18, 2021; New Orleans, LA, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd quarterback Grant Wells (8) passes the ball against Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns during the first half of the 2021 New Orleans Bowl at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Marshall QB Grant Wells entering transfer portal

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Marshall quarterback Grant Wells announced his plans to transfer Monday after two seasons as the starter for the Thundering Herd.

Wells was the Conference USA Freshman of the Year in 2020 and led Marshall to the New Orleans Bowl in 2021.

“It has been a tremendous honor to be Marshall’s quarterback for these last 2 years. I’ve made memories that will last a lifetime,” he posted on social media. “With that being said, I have decided to transfer from Marshall University.”

Wells completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 3,535 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 13 games for Marshall (7-6) in 2021. He threw for 2,091 yards with 18 TDs and nine picks in 10 games in 2020.

–Field Level Media