Marshall University Thundering Herd 2020 Football Game Notes Marshall Thundering Herd (2-0, 0-0 C-USA) at WKU Hilltoppers (1-2, 1-0 C-USA) Saturday, October 10, 2020-7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium (22,000) - Bowling Green, Ky. BROADCAST: Stadium (Chris Hassel, AJ Hawk) 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 354) and White Series Stadium__________________________________ ___ Joan C. Edwards Stadium Marshall leads the all-time series 7-4. Capacity_______________________________________________ _____ 38,144 Year Opened____________________ __ 1991 (as Marshall University Stadium) Online Resources Surface______________________________________________ _____ FieldTurf HerdZone.com HerdZone.com is Marshall Athletics’ official website. Roster, Conference__________________________ ____ Conference USA (East Division) biographical information, Marshall’s football record book, President_____________________ Dr. Jerome Gilbert (Mississippi State, 1977) complete statistics and historical information regarding Director of Athletics____________________ ____ Mike Hamrick (Marshall, 1980) Thundering Herd football can be found here. Each week game Head Coach________________________ ___ Doc Holliday (West Virginia, 1979) notes, statistics and other media resources can be found here. Record at Marshall________________________________________ 80-51 (.611) Career Record___________________________________________ _____ same CollegePressBox.Com Marshall’s 2019 Record_____________________________________ ______ 8-5 Collegepressbox.com is the official media website for 2019 C-USA Record/Finish_____________________________ _ 6-2 (T-2nd, East) Conference USA football. Access and download weekly game Offense______________________________________________ ______ Multiple notes, quotes, statistics, media guides and more for the Defense_____________________________________________ ______ Multiple conference and each of its 14 member schools throughout Offensive Starters Returning/Lost______________________________ _____ 8/3 the season. Login information will be distributed to accredited Defensive Starters Returning/Lost______________________________ ____ 4/7 media or you can apply for a password by sending an e-mail to Letterwinners Returning/Lost_______________________________ _____ 48/22 [email protected]. ConferenceUSA.com Marshall Football Staff Weekly conference statistics and an interactive online conference media guide are available at www.ConferenceUSA. Head Coach_______________ ____________Doc Holliday (West Virginia, 1979) com. Offensive Coord./QBs________ ________ Tim Cramsey (New Hampshire, 1997) Defensive Coord./Safeties _______________ Brad Lambert (Kansas State, 1987) 2020 Game-by-Game Captains EKU-4 Tavante Beckett, 5 Sheldon Evans, 13 Nazeeh Johnson, 55 Alex Mollette Co-Defensive Coord./DTs___________ ________ J.C. Price (Virginia Tech, 1998) ASU-4 Tavante Beckett, 5 Sheldon Evans, 32 Koby Cumberlander, 50 Will Ulmer Offensive Line/Recruiting Coord._____________ _ Greg Adkins (Marshall, 1990) WKU- Wide Receivers_____________ _________________ Dallas Baker (Florida, 2006) Cornerbacks ________________________________ Patrick Bastien (UAB, 2014) Defensive Ends_____________ __________Cornell Brown (Virginia Tech, 1997) Linebackers/ST Coord.___ ________________Jordon Hankins (UT-Martin, 2005) Running Backs_____________ _____________ Pepe Pearson (Ohio State, 1998) Tight Ends/Co-ST Coord. __ __________ Kyle Segler (Sam Houston State, 2006) Assistant AD for Football Ops __________ Mark Gale (Oklahoma State, 1981) 2020 Marshall Football Schedule Date Opponent (TV TBA) Time (ET)/Result Sept. 5 EASTERN KENTUCKY (ESPN) W, 59-0 Stat Comparison (2020 NCAA Ranks) Sept. 19 #23 APPALACHIAN STATE (CBS) W, 17-7 Oct. 10 at WKU (Stadium) 7:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. CT) Marshall WKU Oct. 17 at Louisiana Tech (CBSSN) 6 p.m. (5 p.m. CT) Oct. 24 FLORIDA ATLANTIC (Stadium) 2:30 p.m. Scoring Offense 38.0 (18th) 21.7 (56th) Oct. 30 at FIU (CBSSN) 7 p.m. Scoring Defense 3.5 (1st) 27.3 (35th) Nov. 14 MIDDLE TENNESSEE (CBSSN) 1:30 p.m. Nov. 21 CHARLOTTE (Stadium) 12:30 p.m. Total Offense 503.0 (10th) 288.3 (69th) Bold - Indicates a C-USA game Home games in CAPS Total Defense 265.0 (5th) 431.0 (50th) All times are Eastern Time Zone and subject to change. Rushing Offense 249.0 (9th) 122.3 (58th) Rushing Defense 91.0 (13th) 200.0 (62nd) Passing Offense 254.0 (33rd) 166.0 (63rd) Passing Defense 174.0 (12th) 231.0 (29th) Marshall Football 2020 Thundering Herd Fall Notes for the second consecutive game, the first time in his career he has had a sack in back-to-back games. Marshall Football Dents Associated Press Top 25 Marshall Football found itself ranked 25th nationally on Senior defensive back Brandon Drayton had his first forced September 20, when the Associated Press released its fumble of the season and second of his career. weekly Top 25 rankings. Senior defensive back Nazeeh Johnson had his first fumble This is the first time that the Thundering Herd has reached recovery of the season and second of his career. the AP Poll since the 2014 season. That year, Marshall climbed as high as 18th before finishing 23rd in the final Redshirt freshman quarterback Grant Wells scored his first rankings, following its 52-23 victory over Northern Illinois rushing touchdown at Marshall. Wells also established a in the inaugural Boca Raton Bowl. new career-best for rushing yards with 43. On September 19, the Thundering Herd knocked off Junior defensive back Derrek Pitts had a career-high nine Appalachian State 17-7, who came into the contest tackles, the most for him since 2018 at WVU. ranked 23rd. The game was carried to a national audience, courtesy of CBS. Running back Brenden Knox ran for 138 Atop the Nation yards and a touchdown, while linebacker Tavante Beckett The Marshall defense has allowed a total of seven points posted a career-high 16 tackles, including one forced through two games (its 3.5 scoring defense currently fumble to help secure the win. leads the nation). The last time that the Thundering Herd allowed fewer points in the first two games of a season The Thundering Herd also received 40 points in the Amway was 1993, when the Herd opened with a 56-0 win over Coaches Poll that afternoon. Morehead State and then beat Murray State 29-3. Notes versus Appalachian State Knox Climbs the Marshall Rushing List The game captains for Marshall were senior offensive Marshall running back Brenden Knox is steadily making his lineman Will Ulmer and junior running back Sheldon way up the Thundering Herd’s all-time rushing list. The top Evans on offense, and junior defensive lineman Koby 10 (plus Knox) is listed below. Cumberlander and senior linebacker Tavante Beckett on defense. This is Cumberlander’s first time as a captain. 1. 5,931 (1,100 attempts), Chris Parker, 1991-95 2. 4,382 (830 attempts), Doug Chapman, 1996-99 Saturday was the 23rd meeting in the long-running 3. 3,903 (849 attempts), Ron Darby, 1986-89 series between Marshall and Appalachian State. After the 4. 2,982 (558 attempts), Ahmad Bradshaw, 2004-06 Thundering Herd’s win, the Mountaineers lead the all-time 5. 2,858 (550 attempts), Franklin Wallace, 2000-04 series, 14-9. 6. 2,857 (574 attempts), Darius Marshall, 2007-09 7. 2,724 (629 attempts), Glenn Pedro, 1990-93 Saturday’s game was Marshall’s 25th against a nationally 8. 2,373 (305 attempts), Devon Johnson, 2012-15 ranked opponent, and the fifth time in 202 games that a 9. 2,357 (364 attempts), Erik Thomas, 1993-96 Top 25 team has played at Joan C. Edwards Stadium, which 10. 2,232 (539 attempts), Larry Fourqurean, 1980-83 opened in 1991. Marshall won against a Top 25 team for 11. 2,188 (411 attempts), Brenden Knox, 2018-pres. the first time in Joan C. Edwards Stadium history, the first time anywhere since 2003 and the first time in Huntington Holliday Moves to the Top since 1976. MU snapped a 16-game losing streak to Marshall head coach Doc Holliday led the program for a nationally ranked teams. school-record 131st time against 23rd ranked Appalachian State. The Herd’s 17-7 victory over the Mountaineers was Marshall junior running back Brenden Knox eclipsed 100 Holliday’s 72nd over an FBS opponent, two more than Bob rushing yards in a game for the 11th time in his career. Pruett (70) in that category for the school record. Holliday (80) currently sits second on the school’s overall win list Knox moved up three spots on the Thundering Herd all- behind Pruett (94, 1996-2004). time rushing list, passing Stew Butler (2,063 career rushing yards), Llow Turner (2,090) and Orlando Hatchett (2,143) to Bowl Prowess move into 11th place on the career rushing list. Marshall enters 2020 featuring an .800 winning percentage (12-3) in all NCAA-sanctioned bowl games, the highest Knox’s 21-yard run to open the game is his longest this mark nationally among programs that have made at least season and the 16th rush of 20 or more yards in his career. six appearances. (The Thundering Herd also participated in the 1948 Tangerine Bowl, at which point it was not The first half interception by Steven Gilmore is his first of sanctioned). The leaders are below: the season and third of his career. 1. Marshall: .800 (12-3) Gilmore also set a career-high with three pass breakups. 2. Army: .750 (6-2) 3. Utah: .739 (17-6) Redshirt senior T.J. Johnson recorded his first career sack at 4. Louisiana Tech: .708 (8-3-1) Marshall in Saturday’s first half. 5. San Jose State: .700 (7-3) 6. Rutgers: .667 (6-3) Junior defensive end Darius Hodge had at least one sack 7. WKU: .667 (4-2) Marshall Football 2020 8. Ole Miss: .649 (24-13) 55 contests (2016 vs. Charlotte, 2018 vs. Middle Tennessee, 9.