Marshall University Thundering Herd 2015 Football Game Notes Marshall Thundering Herd (8-1, 5-0 C-USA) at Middle Tennessee (3-5, 2-2 C-USA) Saturday, Nov
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Marshall University Thundering Herd 2015 Football Game Notes Marshall Thundering Herd (8-1, 5-0 C-USA) at Middle Tennessee (3-5, 2-2 C-USA) Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015 - 3:30 p.m. ET - Floyd Stadium (30,788) - Murfreesboro, Tn. TV: FOX Sports Net (Brendan Burke-Play-by-Play, Ben Leber-Analyst, Christian Steckel-Sideline) Marshall Media Relations Contact Information Marshall University Information Jason Corriher (Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations) Location______________________________________ _____Huntington, W.Va. Work: 304-696-4660 Founded______________________________ ____ 1837 (as Marshall Academy) Cell: 740-331-1497 Enrollment____________________________________________ ______ 14,000 E-mail: [email protected] Website: HerdZone.com Nickname______________________________________ ____ Thundering Herd Colors _______________________________ ____Green (PMS 356C) and White Online Resources Stadium__________________________________ ___Joan C. Edwards Stadium HerdZone.com Capacity_______________________________________________ _____ 38,148 Herdzone.com is Marshall Athletics’ offi cial website. Roster, Year Opened____________________ __ 1991 (as Marshall University Stadium) biographical information, Marshall’s football record book, Surface______________________________________________ _____ FieldTurf complete statistics and historical information regarding Conference__________________________ ____Conference USA (East Division) Thundering Herd football can be found here. Each week game Interim President_____________________ ____________________ Gary White notes, statistics and other media resources can be found here. Director of Athletics____________________ ____Mike Hamrick (Marshall, 1980) Head Coach________________________ ___Doc Holliday (West Virginia, 1979) CollegePressBox.Com Record at Marshall____________________________ 48-26 overall, 32-13 C-USA Collegepressbox.com is the offi cial media website for Career Record___________________________________________ _____ same Conference USA football. Access and download weekly game Marshall’s 2014 Record_____________________________________ _____ 13-1 notes, quotes, statistics, media guides and more for the 2014 C-USA Record/Finish_____________________________ ___7-1 (1st, East) conference and each of its 13 member schools throughout Off ense______________________________________________ ______Multiple the season. Login information will be distributed to accredited Defense_____________________________________________ ______Multiple media or you can apply for a password by sending an e-mail to Off ensive Starters Returning/Lost______________________________ _____ 6/5 [email protected]. Defensive Starters Returning/Lost______________________________ ____ 7/4 Letterwinners Returning/Lost_______________________________ _____67/15 ConferenceUSA.com Weekly conference statistics and an interactive online conference media guide are available at www.ConferenceUSA. Marshall Football Staff com. Head Coach_______________ ____________Doc Holliday (West Virginia, 1979) Off ensive Coord./QBs________ ______________ Bill Legg (West Virginia, 1985) 2015 Game-by-Game Captains Defensive Coord./Secondary___ ____________ Chuck Heater (Michigan, 1975) Purdue-22 D.J. Hunter, 54 Michael Selby, 78 Clint Van Horn, 94 Jarquez Samuel Running Backs_____________ ____________ Chris Barclay (Wake Forest, 2009) Ohio-17 Taj Letman, 54 Michael Selby, 71 Sebastian Johansson, 93 Steve Dillon Defensive Ends_____________ ________ Sean Cronin (Georgetown, Ky., 2003) Norfolk State- 3 Davonte Allen, 10 Corey Tindal, 54 Michael Selby, 94 Jarquez Samuel Linebackers_______________ ____________ Adam Fuller (Sacred Heart, 1998) Kent State- 17 Taj Letman, 19 Deandre Reaves, 22 D.J. Hunter, 47 Devon Johnson ODU- 31 Evan McKelvey, 54 Michael Selby, 85 Ryan Yurachek, 94 Jarquez Samuel Wide Receivers_____________ ___________ Mike Furrey (Northern Iowa, 2000) Southern Miss- 3 Davonte Allen, 31 Evan McKelvey, 85 Ryan Yurachek, 93 Steve Dillon Tight Ends/Recruiting Coord.__ ________ Todd Goebbel (Northern Iowa, 1998) Florida Atlantic-10 Corey Tindal, 30 Evan McKelvey, 38 Tyler Williams, 85 Ryan Yurachek Off ensive Line_____________ ____________________ Alex Mirabal (FIU, 1993) North Texas-3 Davonte Allen, 17 Taj Letman, 22 D.J. Hunter, 54 Michael Selby Charlotte-17 Taj Letman, 31 Evan McKelvey, 54 Michael Selby, 85 Ryan Yurachek Defensive Tackles___________ _______________ J.C. Price (Virginia Tech, 1998) MT- Assistant AD for Football Ops __________ Mark Gale (Oklahoma State, 1981) Stat Comparison (Conference USA Ranks) 2015 Marshall Football Schedule Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET)/Result Marshall MT Sept. 6 PURDUE (FS1) W, 41-31 Scoring Off ense 31.9 (5th) 34.6 (4th) Sept. 12 at Ohio (ASN/ESPN3) L, 21-10 Sept. 19 NORFOLK STATE (ASN-WVAH) W, 45-7 Scoring Defense 16.1 (1st) 30.8 (7th) Sept. 26 at Kent State (ASN/ESPN3) W, 36-29 (2OT) Oct. 3 OLD DOMINION (ASN/WCHS) W, 27-7 Total Off ense 396.1 (6th) 440.1 (4th) Oct. 9 SOUTHERN MISS (CBSSN) W, 31-10 Oct. 17 at Florida Atlantic (FOX College Sports) W, 33-17 Total Defense 352.0 (1st) 404.0 (5th) Oct. 24 NORTH TEXAS (FOX Sports Net) W, 30-13 Oct. 31 at Charlotte (FOX Sports Net) W, 34-10 Rushing Off ense 173.7 (5th) 129.5 (12th) Nov. 7 at Middle Tennessee (FOX Sports Net) 3:30 p.m. Nov. 14 FIU (FOX Sports TBA) TBA (12-day window) Rushing Defense 174.6 (7th) 142.0 (2nd) Nov. 27 at Western Kentucky (FS1) 12 p.m. Passing Off ense 222.4 (8th) 310.6 (4th) Bold - Indicates a C-USA game Home games in CAPS Passing Defense 177.4 (1st) 262.0 (10th) All times are Eastern Time Zone and subject to change. Marshall Football 2015 Charlotte Notes Pass Defense (177.4 yards/game) Junior safety Tiquan Lang – usually No. 21 – wore No. 47 as tribute to senior Pass Defense Effi ciency (86.9) running back Devon Johnson, who remains out due to injury. Kickoff Return Average (25.9 yards/game) Passes Intercepted (12) Marshall game captains versus Charlotte, as selected by Coach Doc Holliday Kickoff Coverage (41.8 net average) and his staff -- Off ense: Michael Selby, center; Ryan Yurachek, tight end; Touchbacks (33) Defense: Taj Letman, safety; Evan McKelvey, linebacker. Selby leads the team PAT Percentage (1.000, 27-27) with seven captain selections in nine games in 2015. Individually, Evan McKelvey’s 88 tackles is eighth nationally and fi rst in the Defensive tackle Jarquez Samuel’s sack on Charlotte’s fi rst series was the league by four. Also, Deandre Reaves boasts a league-leading 27.8 kick return senior nose tackle’s fi rst sack of the season and third of his career. average and Taj Letman’s three interceptions are tied for the league lead, as are Corey Tindal’s 11 pass breakups. Wide receiver Davonte Allen’s 66-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Chase Litton (6:30, fi rst quarter) is the Herd’s longest completion this season. Polling It also was Allen’s 12th career touchdown catch, moving him into a tie for No. The Thundering Herd received fi ve points in the latest Amway/USA Today 21 all-time at Marshall with Andre Motley (1988-90). Coaches Poll, eff ectively placing the program 36th nationally. Tyler Williams’ 54-yard punt (4 mins, fi rst quarter) was his 18th punt of 50 or Leaves Fall, Herd Wins more yards this season and the 56th of his career. The Herd is 22-6 after Oct. 28 in Doc Holliday’s fi ve-plus years as head coach, including a 12-1 mark at home. Marshall’s nine-play, 97-yard touchdown drive (13:27 second, Litton-to- Yurachek TD) is the Herd’s longest drive by yardage this season, topping an The Best...and... 89-yarder against North Texas one week earlier. Among Group of Five programs, Marshall has the best winning percentage in the 2014-15 seasons. A look at the top G5 teams during that span: Tight end Emanuel Byrd’s 41-yard reception (early second quarter) is the longest by a Herd tight end since Devon Johnson had a 52-yarder against East Marshall (21-2, .913) Carolina on Nov. 29, 2013 – the Herd’s fi rst C-USA East Division-clinching win. Memphis (18-3, .857) Boise State (19-4, .826) Placekicker Nick Smith’s 37-yard fi eld goal miss (13:04, third quarter) ended Toledo (16-4, .800) his streak at 12th straight fi eld goal, and Marshall’s at 19 in a row. Smith’s 12 in Houston (16-5, .762) a row puts him No. 2 on the Herd all-time list for consecutive successful fi eld goal tries. Craig Ratanamorn made the school record 16 in a row with his last ...Nearly the Best two in 2008 and fi rst 14 in 2009. Justin Haig made his fi nal seven last season With back-to-back seasons of double-digit victories – 10 in 2013 and 13 in prior to Smith’s streak. The last miss was Haig’s 23-yarder in the fi rst quarter 2014 -- Marshall entered 2015 owning one of the best FBS totals in that two- (11:26) against UAB at Legion Field on Nov. 22, 2014. plus-season span. Currently, only three FBS teams have more victories since the start of the 2013 season. Quarterback Chase Litton’s 486 pass yards ranks third in Herd single-game history. Only Byron Leftwich (576, GMAC Bowl, 2001 vs. East Carolina) and Florida State-34 Michael Payton (496, VMI, 1991) have thrown for more yards in a Marshall Ohio State-34 game. Michigan State-32 Marshall-31 Wide receiver Davonte Allen made 12 catches for 232 yards, the most for the program since Josh Davis had a 264-yard day against Appalachian State in Next Man Up 2002. The 232 ranks sixth in Herd single-game receiving history. Randy Moss Coach Holliday talks frequently about the program’s “Next Man Up” owns the record of 288 yards versus Delaware in 1996 Division I-AA playoff s. philosophy as it relates to reserves playing well in place of injured starters. It’s been a season-long situation for Holliday’s team, which continues to endure The yardage numbers posted by Litton and Allen – who had a 66-yard scoring through depth. The Herd has had 34 players start on off ense or defense in catch -- were single-game highs in Conference USA this season. 2015 -- 19 of those on the off ensive side. Cornerback Corey Tindal’s fourth-quarter interception was his second this Effi ciency at its best season and third of his career.