Tag: Marshall

Tale of the Tape: Team Stats – Notre Dame vs. BYU

This matchup is pretty reminiscent of the Irish’s last game, no?

Notre Dame still hasn’t fully gotten out of the sluggish start to its season. Sure, the punting is impressive, but the offense mostly still leaves a lot to be desired. It’s no wonder the Irish are at .500 through four games because if that offense was any better, we’d most likely be talking about a 3-1 team with the first win coming against Marshall. Still, we’ll take a team that holds onto the ball for extended periods of time and also doesn’t give up a lot of first downs.

BYU is a lot like North Carolina, which the Irish faced in their last game. The offensive numbers are off the charts, but the defense could stand to be a lot better. To this point, the offense has been able to overcome the defense to the point where the Cougars are ranked. The question is whether the Irish will be just as forgiving of that as most of their other opponents have.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Marshall at Gardner-Webb Prediction, Game Preview

Marshall at Gardner-Webb game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Week 5 game on Saturday, October 1

Marshall at Gardner-Webb prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 5, Saturday, October 1

Marshall vs Gardner-Webb How To Watch

Date: Saturday, October 1
Game Time: 3:30 ET
Venue:  Joan C Edwards Stadium, Huntington, WV
How To Watch: ESPN+
Record: Marshall (2-2), Gardner-Webb (1-3)
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Marshall at Gardner-Webb Game Preview

Why Gardner-Webb Will Win

The Runnin’ Bulldogs are better than their 1-3 record.

They pushed Coastal Carolina and Elon on the road before collapsing against Mercer, but there’s a lot to like.

The defense is great on third downs thanks to a strong pass rush, the offense cranks up the big passing yards, and now the team is getting a reeling Marshall.

The Thundering Herd pulled off the shocker against Notre Dame, and then the air went out of the balloon with strange losses to Bowling Green and Troy. The offense has been flaky, the defense a failure against the pass, and …

– NFL Expert Picks, Week 4

Why Marshall Will Win

Here come the takeaways.

How does Marshall get out of this funk? It comes up with a slew of turnovers against a Gardner-Webb team that has a problem giving it up. Marshall was -3 in turnover margin against Bowling Green, but it has eight takeaways in the other three games.

The Herd running game should be able to take over early, the defense will dominate agains the run, and …

– Schedules, Previews College | NFL

What’s Going To Happen

Marshall will finally wake up.

Gardner-Webb will turn it over three times, Marshall will capitalize off the mistakes, and it’ll be a very, very necessary win for the home side – even if the offensive line gives up way too much pressure behind the line.

– CFN Expert Picks, Week 5

Marshall at Gardner-Webb Prediction, Line

Marshall 42, Gardner-Webb 7
Line: Marshall -34, o/u: 54.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 1
Marshall at Gardner-Webb Must See Rating (out of 5): 1

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Marshall vs Troy Prediction, Game Preview

Marshall vs Troy game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Week 4 game on Saturday, September 24

Marshall vs Troy prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 4, Saturday, September 24

Marshall vs Troy How To Watch

Date: Saturday, September 24
Game Time: 7:00 ET
Venue: Veterans Memorial Stadium, Troy, AL
How To Watch: NFL Network
Record: Marshall (2-1), Troy (1-2)
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Marshall vs Troy Game Preview

Why Marshall Will Win

What was that?

Marshall pulled off the stunner against Notre Dame, everyone was fired up, and then came the three giveaways and the total meltdown in the secondary in a strange loss at Bowling Green.

The team is still strong.

The running game continues to be fantastic, the defense is better than it showed against the Falcons, and the team has the right mix to get out of a tough road game like this alive.

The Troy defense is awful on third downs, it doesn’t run the ball a lick, and it’s about to get pounded on by the Herd backs.

But …

– CFN Expert Picks, Week 4

Why Troy Will Win

Bowling Green has a good passing game, but should it have hit the Herd for 300 yards and four scores? Maybe.

Gunnar Watson is about to find out.

The Troy offense did enough to beat Appalachian State, and so did the D up until the final play in the brutal 32-28 last second loss.

Appalachian State has a great ground game, and it was kept from going off. The Troy defensive front should be able to hold up against the Herd, Watson and the passing game will push for 300 yards, and …

– 10 Best Predictions Against the Spread

What’s Going To Happen

Will the lack of a Trojan running game matter? It won’t help, but the defense will come up with a strong performance at home with two takeaways and a good game against the Marshall rushing attack.

It’ll come down to the final few drives, and …

Troy’s heart will get broken for the second week in a row, but this time it’ll be on a field goal.

– NFL Expert Picks, Week 3

Marshall vs Troy Prediction, Line

Marshall 26, Troy 24
Line: Marshall -3.5, o/u: 51.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Marshall vs Troy Must See Rating (out of 5): 3

College coaches all over America this week are raising awareness and research dollars for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a progressive genetic disorder that takes the lives of young men. Fans can donate to Coach To Cure MD online or by texting the word CURE to 501501 to give $25.

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Jeff Agrest: NBC’s Notre Dame broadcasts have become ‘training ground’

Has the new broadcast team won you over yet?

As Notre Dame is on the road at North Carolina this week, NBC will not be covering the game. That means the new Irish broadcast team of Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett will get a week off. Actually, the team will get two weeks off as the Irish have their bye week after they leave Chapel Hill. The next time we hear them will be for the Shamrock Series game against BYU in Las Vegas.

The long layoff provides an opportunity for observers to critique Collinsworth and Garrett’s performances for the loss to Marshall and the win against California. Those merely are the first two of what could be many Irish games they’ll call together. Most people seem to agree that there’s a lot of room for growth and improvement.

Among them is Chicago Sun-Times sports media columnist Jeff Agrest. In his weekly column, which mainly is available to subscribers, Agrest analyzes what he’s observed so far. He joins a chorus that has reminded people of broadcasters like the late Dick Enberg, Tom Hammond and Mike Tirico who used to call the action from South Bend. While he likes Collinsworth’s Notre Dame ties, he can’t help but wonder this:

“(Collinsworth) doesn’t carry on the tradition, which makes me wonder just what NBC thinks of Notre Dame these days. The Irish still were basking in the golden glow of their 1988 national title when they agreed to a five-year, $38 million deal with NBC. They don’t carry the same heft they used to, but Notre Dame maintains a national following. Its games are a big deal and deserve a broadcast team worthy of them.”

Here are Agrest’s current impressions of the new broadcast team:

“In both games, Collinsworth sounded knowledgeable talking about the teams. But all of his interviewing and studying couldn’t prepare him for live action. The USFL was supposed to be his training ground, not Notre Dame football in front of 2.5 million viewers for the Marshall game and 2.9 million for Cal.

Incidentally, Garrett impressed me. He brought emotion and valuable insight to the broadcast. The former Cowboys coach clearly understood his role. He got in and out with his commentary and didn’t talk over Collinsworth. It likely helped they worked together on USFL games.

Both will have to grow into their jobs on a national stage, but Collinsworth has more to do. He needs to command the broadcast and provide context for viewers. The Marshall game was a missed opportunity for him. Garrett understood, calling it one of the biggest upsets in recent college football history.”

Will the broadcasts eventually improve? We’ll find out as Collinsworth and Garrett continue to call games. If they continue to not impress, maybe they’ll be bumped down on NBC’s depth chart when the network picks up Big Ten games next year. Still, there’s a lot of season left, and they have time to change people’s minds.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Tale of the Tape: Starting Quarterbacks – Drew Pyne vs. Drake Maye

Pyne might be out of his league with this matchup.

Add another to what’s been a series of mismatches at quarterback for Notre Dame this season. One full game wasn’t enough for [autotag]Drew Pyne[/autotag] to catch up to what [autotag]Tyler Buchner[/autotag] did before the injury he suffered late against Marshall knocked him out for the year. Unless Pyne suddenly becomes amazing, you really have to start wondering if there is any chance he’ll be better than the opposing quarterback in any game this season. Navy perhaps?

The Tar Heels have Drake Maye as their quarterback, and holy smokes. How is this 19-year-old doing all of this already in his first season taking over for Sam Howell? Maybe the best passer in North Carolina history taught him everything he needs to know about playing at the college level because these numbers make it look like Howell never left. Still, Howell failed to beat Notre Dame in his two opportunities, so maybe this isn’t the biggest thing for the Irish to worry about.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Marshall vs Bowling Green Prediction, Game Preview

Marshall vs Bowling Green game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Week 3 game on Saturday, September 17

Marshall vs Bowling Green prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 3, Saturday, September 17

Marshall vs Bowling Green How To Watch

Date: Saturday, September 17
Game Time: 5:00 ET
Venue: Doyt L Perry Stadium, Bowling Green, OH
How To Watch: NFL Network
Record: Marshall (2-0), Bowling Green (0-2)
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Marshall vs Bowling Green Game Preview

Why Marshall Will Win

Anything interesting happen last Saturday?

Here’s the crazy part about the Marshall win over Notre Dame – that shouldn’t have been that shocking.

Okay, so it was, but the Herd defense was supposed to be this good, the running game was supposed to be this good, and it all worked in a nearly perfect performance with three takeaways, a great day from QB Henry Colombi, and with the good running backs doing what they do.

As long as everyone is past what happened in South Bend, there shouldn’t be a problem against a Bowling Green team that won’t be able to run a lick on this defensive front and won’t keep the Herd passing game from keeping things moving.

– CFN Expert Picks, Week 3

Why Bowling Green Will Win

So how do the Falcons pull this off?

First, they need Marshall to come in without a whole lot of focus. Second, they have to get the passing game going right away.

Here’s the part about that win no one wants to think about – it’s possible that Notre Dame really can’t do a whole lot offensively right now. Bowling Green has to give it a shot by pressing the corners deep.

Falcon QB Matt McDonald threw five touchdowns last week in the wild loss to Eastern Kentucky. As long as he gets the ball out of his hands quickly, the passing attack should move.

– Week 3 Schedule, Predictions, Game Preview

What’s Going To Happen

Keep grinding with the running game, keep attacking with a defense that should be able to get into the backfield, and make Bowling Green take lots of chances.

Marshall should be able to do all of that.

It will have the ball for well over 35 minutes as the running game rumbles for 250 yards and controls the tempo throughout.

– CFN Week 3 Predictions

Marshall vs Bowling Green Prediction, Line

Marshall 41, Bowling Green 20
Line: Marshall -16.5, o/u: 51.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5
Marshall vs Bowling Green Must See Rating (out of 5): 2

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Marshall running back wins national award winner after thundering through Notre Dame defense

It turns out not all publicity is good publicity

I was fooled at the start of the year as I thought Notre Dame’s defensive line was nearly as good as any in the nation.  What I know two weeks in is that it may have sky-high potential but that a (very good but still a) Sun Belt team walked into Notre Dame Stadium and pushed the Fighting Irish defensive front around on Saturday.  If that’s a sign of things to come then Notre Dame is going to be in even more trouble as the calendar turns to fall and the wins don’t stack quite like they were expected to.

The running back responsible for thundering through the Notre Dame defense on Saturday was named the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week.  The following is courtesy of the Doak Walker Award:

DALLAS (SMU) – Marshall running back Khalan Laborn ran for 163 yards and a touchdown in the Thundering Herd’s 26-21 upset of Notre Dame in South Bend to earn the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Sept. 10.

Laborn, a 5-11, 212-pound sixth-year senior transfer from Virginia Beach, Va., averaged 5.3 yards on 31 carries to post his second consecutive 100-yard game (102 vs. Norfolk State last week). His 42-yard run as part of a 94-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter set up the Herd to retake the lead at 19-15 and the defense all but sealed the upset when Steven Gilmore returned an interception for a touchdown on Notre Dame’s ensuing possession.

After transferring from Florida State and enrolling at Marshall this past spring, Laborn has started for both games this season filling in for the absence of Rasheen Ali, who was named to the preseason candidates list for the 2022 Doak Walker Award.

“In house – no disrespect to Notre Dame – we expected it because we talked about this summer, this team being expected to win,” Marshall head coach Charles Huff said after the game. Marshall, new to the Sun Belt Conference in 2022, was the first Sun Belt team to visit Notre Dame.

Related: Notre Dame’s 26 worst home losses since 1990

Next: Other Week 2 Candidates

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Notre Dame helps earn Marshall ‘Team of the Week’ award

Notre Dame got Fun Belted.

DALLAS (FWAA) – The App State Mountaineers and Marshall Thundering Herd set the table with historic afternoon upsets at Texas A&M and Notre Dame, respectively, before the Georgia Southern Eagles added a win at Nebraska to close a memorable Saturday for the Sun Belt Conference. After those three epic upsets – and for the first time in 21 seasons – the Football Writers Association of Americahas awarded all three schools the Cheez-It Bowl National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Sept. 10.

This is the second App State team to earn team of the week honors and the first since the program’s legendary 2007 upset at Michigan. Georgia Southern is a first-time winner, and Marshall now has three national team of the week awards, including previous wins in 2003 and ’20. All Division I FBS and FCS schools are eligible to be selected.

The recognition puts a bow on an incredible weekend for the Sun Belt and its East Division, where all three programs are divisional foes. Marshall’s 26-21 win at No. 5 Notre Dame – as the first Sun Belt team to ever play in South Bend – was the first final score to post. The Herd (2-0) grabbed three interceptions on the day, including a fourth-quarter snag by cornerback Steven Gilmore that he returned 37 yards for a touchdown to seal the win. Cornerback Micah Abraham (two interceptions on the season) and defensive lineman Owen Porter had the others.

On offense, Khalan Laborn, a 2022 transfer from Florida State, pounded 31 carries for 163 yards and a touchdown to pace the offense. It was Marshall’s first win over an AP Top 10 team in its last eight tries and first since toppling then-No. 6 Kansas State on the road, 27-20, on Sept. 20, 2003.

“We talked about the difference in this game was our collective best was better than their individual best,” second-year head coach Charles Huff said. “We talked about the difference was going to be Marshall can’t beat Marshall. … In-house, no disrespect to Notre Dame, we expected it because we talked about this summer this team being expected to win.”

Shortly after Marshall clinched its win, App State (1-1) sealed a 17-14 win in College Station as Michael Hughes kicked a tiebreaking field goal with 8:05 left to give the Mountaineers their first win over an AP Top 10 opponent since that 34-32 win at the Big House. App State’s defense held the No. 6 Aggies on their side of the field for the first 52 minutes and forced two fumbles to keep A&M at bay. Overall, App State allowed just nine first downs and 186 yards of offense one week after taking North Carolina down to the wire a week earlier.

“The key was belief,” App State head coach Shawn Clark said. “You have to believe in yourself and believe in this program. I told them, ‘Take the logo off of the helmet, take the logo off the field and let’s go play football.'”

Georgia Southern (2-0) then capped the day with the most dramatic finish. Eagles quarterback Kyle Vantrease lunged across the goal line with the go-ahead eight-yard score with 36 seconds left to give his team a 45-42 win in Lincoln. It was the program’s second over a Power-5 program in school history, matching the Eagles’ 26-20 win at Florida in 2013. Vantrease completed 37-of-56 passes for 409 yards and a touchdown, with wide receiver Derwin Burgess Jr. grabbing a school-single-game-record 12 catches for 119 yards. Gerald Green rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries. Georgia Southern converted 9-of-13 third downs.

“What a special night. So proud of our kids,” head coach Clay Helton said. “Especially coming off a season where you just win three games and you got a new collection of people. I have always thought great teams support each other. Last week our offense was supported a lot by our defense, and then this week, our offense supported our defense early and got us to a fourth-quarter game.”

Related: Notre Dame’s worst home losses since 1990

Next: More about the FWAA National Team of the Week Award

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Photos from last time Notre Dame got knocked out of AP Top 25

This one didn’t sting quite as badly.

It’s been a while since we’ve had to think about Notre Dame not being in the AP Top 25. Yet that’s exactly what happened after a brutal 26-21 home loss to Marshall. The Irish had been in the AP Top 25 for 80 consecutive weeks, one of the longest active streaks in the country. To think of the last time a loss knocked the Irish out of that poll, you have to go back to their 2017 game against Georgia, which was a 20-19 decision.

To be fair, this defeat didn’t come for an Irish team with expectations that were absurdly high. They weren’t ranked to open the season, but they ascended to 24th after a blowout win over Temple in their first game. They wouldn’t be down for long as back-to-back road wins over Boston College and Michigan State right after put them right back in the poll. That’s where they would stay until the Herd shocked everybody this past weekend.

Here are some photos from the last time an Irish loss pushed them out of the rankings:

Fighting Irish Wire reacts to Notre Dame loss, Marcus Freeman’s nightmare vs Marshall

.@IrishWireND is trying to make sense of an unfathomably awful start to the #FreemanEra at Notre Dame. (We’re surprised, too.)

Marshall shocked No. 8 Notre Dame 26-21 on Saturday, making Marcus Freeman the first Fighting Irish head coach to lose his first three games at the school. Not even Gerry Faust did that in the early 1980s.

Freeman entered Saturday with an 0-2 record, and that moved to 0-3 after the loss against Marshall. Fighting Irish quarterbacks Tyler Buchner and Drew Pyne, both four-star prospects, combined to throw three interceptions as the Thundering Herd scored a stunning win as a nearly three-touchdown underdog.

As you might expect, Fighting Irish Wire editor Nick Shepkowski pulled no punches after the mind-blowing turn of events:

“An anemic offense that struggles to do the littlest of things right,” Shepkowski wrote. “You can question play-calling, but when presented an opportunity the Irish suffered through a case of the drops, overthrown receivers and entirely missed open receivers.

“It was one thing a week ago when Ohio State’s offensive line gassed Notre Dame’s defense and was able to run at will in the fourth quarter.  It was an entirely different thing when Marshall did the same on Saturday.”

 

No Notre Dame running back gained more than 50 yards. Buchner was 18-of-32 passing for 201 yards with two interceptions.

Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and Marcus Freeman have struggled putting a clean game plan together. They had trouble with Ohio State last week. They just haven’t been able to find a new running back or a high-end quarterback.

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