Tag: Marshall

Notre Dame Fighting Thanos?!?!

Check out some concept work of Marvel themed college helmets done by 247Sports.

When I saw the headline Marvel themed college football helmets, I wondered what was in store as 247Sports prepared to change some of the most iconic looks to Marvel comic book themed mascots.

Some of them were very obvious, Michigan didn’t have to change much as they were already the Wolverines, Iowa the same with Hawkeye (just added an s), and Air Force staying with the Falcons. Other teams saw additions to their names like Richmond adding men to Spiders, Pitt added Black to their Panthers (RIP Chadwick Boseman), Toledo added Racoons’ to become the Rocket Racoons, Duke transformed into the Daredevils and Oregon became Howard the Ducks’.

There were some more fantastic reworked names such as the Arizona Hellcats, Marshall Thundering Thors, Army Moonknights, Virginia Tech Loki’s and others.

What they had in store for Notre Dame was quite different, as an avid Marvel reader and viewer, I knew this one was going to be a bit more difficult than others. The closest Notre Dame figure in a Marvel comic was actually when the reworked opening game covers for ESPN in 2016. They ended up with the Fighting Thanos’, if you have been under a rock for the last ten years then you need no introduction to the big, baddie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you are unfamiliar, Thanos is the epitome of evil, using the Infinity Gauntlet to house the Infinity Stones and posses massive power.

It’s hard to argue with what 247Sports chose for Notre Dame, it was going to be tough anyways. By adding the Infinity Gauntlet to the iconic gold helmet was a nice addition, but even cooler was the middle of the gauntlet was a clover. The kid in me loved it, moving away from tradition and having fun with Marvel. Which one did you like the best?

American Athletic Conference announces schedule shifts

The AAC

College football hasn’t kicked off yet and the conferences that are playing already are shifting some of the dates.

On top of that, the East Carolina-Marshall interconference game scheduled for Sept. 12 has been postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Chiefs UDFA Spotlight: Marshall LB Omari Cobb

How does Marshall LB Omari Cobb fit with the Kansas City Chiefs?

A three-star prospect out of high school, Cobb had offers from eight different schools. He ended up joining the Marshall Thundering Herd, becoming a four-year contributor on the defensive side of the ball.

In his freshman season at Marshall, Cobb started seven games, surprising and impressing early in his career. As a sophomore, he’d put his athleticism and versatility on display, playing MIKE, WILL, and SAM linebacker positions in addition to defensive back. Cobb entrenched himself as a leader on the Marshall defense by his junior season. As a senior in 2019, he was named team captain. He earned a second-team All-CUSA selection and was voted co-defensive MVP after a terrific end to his career with the Thundering Herd.

Stats:

2016: 11 games played. 36 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one pass defended and one punt blocked.

2017: 10 games played. 37 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.

2018: 13 games played. 61 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, one interception for a touchdown and one pass defended.

2019: 13 games played. 114 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble, one interception and one pass defended.

Combine/pro day results

Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 230 pounds
Hands: 9 3/8″
Arms: 33.5″
40-yard dash: 4.71s
10-yard split: 1.58s
225-pound bench: 21
Vertical: 37″
Broad Jump: 120″
20-yard shuttle: 4.64s
3-Cone Drill: 7.09s

Highlights & Film:

2016

2017

2018

2019

Fit with the Chiefs:

I feel like Cobb is a player who had a shot to be drafted in the late rounds under normal circumstances. The way he was utilized at Marshall, he feels like the Conference USA version of Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons. He’s a great athlete with excellent size and length. He has a really good feel for coverage and finding the ball. He does a good job navigating traffic near the line of scrimmage. He’s impressive tackling in space and has a penchant for creating negative plays for the offense.

You can tell that he’s a student of the game watching his film. Coming into Kansas City even, Cobb wants to soak up all the information he can from the most veteran linebacker on the team.

“I’m excited to learn from Anthony Hitchens,” Cobb said in an interview with team media. “You know, just learning from him is a great opportunity and experience in itself. See how he operates and carries himself.”

Like any undrafted linebacker that the Chiefs have brought in throughout the years, Cobb will have to earn his keep on special teams. He played there early in his career and was able to make an impact. Consider that he also has experience playing each of the three linebacker positions. If he can make an impression early he could prove to be an extremely valuable chess piece in Kansas City.

Chiefs’ undrafted free agents

Position Player School Article Release Date
QB Shea Patterson Michigan 5/26
WR Maurice Ffrench Pittsburgh 5/28
LB Bryan Wright Cincinnati 6/2
OC Darryl Williams Miss. St. 6/6
CB Hakeem Bailey West Virginia 6/8
P Tommy Townsend Florida 6/15
WR Kalija Lipscomb Vanderbilt 6/17
DB Rodney Clemons SMU 6/20
OT Yasir Durant Missouri 6/22
DE Tershawn Wharton Missouri S&T 6/24
WR Justice Shelton-Mosley Vanderbilt 6/29
CB Jalen Julius Ole Miss 7/1
WR Aleva Hifo BYU 7/6
LB Omari Cobb Marshall 7/9
WR Cody White Michigan St. TBA
CB Lavert Hill Michigan TBA
WR Andre Baccelia Washington TBA
OG Jovahn Fair Temple TBA
CB Javaris Davis Auburn TBA

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4 things to know about Patriots rookie kicker Justin Rohrwasser

Get to know the new Patriots kicker.

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On the third day of 2020 NFL draft, the New England Patriots selected Marshall kicker Justin Rohrwasser with the 159th overall pick. The need was apparent after the team released Stephen Gostkowski earlier this offseason. This will be the first year the Patriots enter the season with a new kicker since Gostkowski’s rookie year in 2006.

Rohrwasser is the first Marshall kicker to be drafted in NFL history and hopes to make his alma mater proud at the next level. He is the first Marshall player drafted by New England since wide receiver Aaron Dobson was selected in the second round of 2013.

Here’s what Patriots fans should know about their new placekicker.

Rohrwasser was a great extra point kicker in college.

At Marshall. Rohrwasser hit 79 of 82 of his extra-point attempts in his two seasons with Marshall. It is a little different transitioning to the NFL because of the distance of the kicks. The college extra-points were similar to the old NFL rules. They attempt from 20 yards at the college level, and in the pros, the attempt is now 33 yards out. The Patriots will hope that the extra distance isn’t too much for the kicker to overcome.

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Should the Patriots bring in competition for K Justin Rohrwasser?

Is Justin Rohrwasser the surefire answer as New England’s kicker in 2020?

The New England Patriots are heading into the 2020 season with many changes ahead of them. Tom Brady’s departure is the most apparent, but losing Stephen Gostkowski sits up there on the list.

Gostkowski missed most of the 2019 season with a hip injury and the Patriots released him this offseason after spending his 14 NFL years with the team. New England relied on Gostkowski and Adam Vinatieri to hold the position down since 1996 and last year was the first glimpse without either player on the field — and it was ugly.

New England trotted out four different kickers throughout the season and didn’t stick with any of them by the end of the season. Moving forward, they drafted Justin Rohrwasser in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. He spent two seasons at Marshall and finished his senior year with 18-of-21 field goals made and 35-of-36 extra point attempts made.

The most important thing Rohrwasser boasts is his tendency to make long kicks.

So, should the Patriots add some competition on the kicking department, or is Rohrwasser the solidified starter going forward?

Given the fact that Rohrwasser was the first kicker drafted this year, and the Patriots haven’t signed a free agent yet — no. Bill Belichick has clearly done his research on Rohrwasser and viewed him as the best option available for the team going forward. Belichick had faith in fifth-round punter Jake Bailey last year and released six-year veteran Ryan Allen — who won three Super Bowls with the team. Bailey quickly proved his worth.

There is still a handful of veteran free agents available, a few of which played for the Patriots in the past. There are and there will be options for the Patriots to select if Rohrwasser doesn’t pan out, but the need to force his hand with competition isn’t there.

Rohrwasser has the trust of Belichick and the resume to back it up, so the job should remain his and solely his until he loses it.

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Patriots’ Justin Rohrwasser vows to remove controversial tattoo in emotional interview

Justin Rohrwasser took his vow one step further by saying he’ll remove his controversial tattoo.

New England Patriots rookie kicker Justin Rohrwasser was met with a field of questions the day he was drafted, and many of them weren’t related to football.

Rohrwasser has a tattoo on his forearm supporting the right-wing militia group, the 3 Percenters. He was asked if the tattoo was associated with the group and he quickly said that getting the tattoo was a misunderstanding and he should’ve done more research. He finished fielding questions about it by saying it involved something he didn’t want to represent and that he’d get it covered.

He took it one step forward on Monday in an emotional interview with WBZ’s Steve Burton.

“We were celebrating and hugging (on Saturday). So happy. I went on to Twitter. I saw that someone had taken a picture of me and put it with my tattoo and linking me to some horrific events — obviously Charlottesville and these horrible things,” Rohrwasser said.

“As soon as I saw what it was linked to on Saturday, it was exactly that time I knew I had to get it totally taken off my body. I said cover it up (to reporters), but I want to get it removed from my body. It’s shameful that I had it on there ignorantly.”

He spoke about his military background and how it influenced his decision to get the tattoo.

‘Wow, that is such an American sentiment, a patriotic sentiment.’ Coming from a military family, I thought that really spoke to me. I always was proud to be an American. I’m very proud to be an American,” he said.

Rohrwasser was very emotional by the end of the interview and apologized to his family for ‘putting them in a compromising position.’

“I’m sorry for all my [friends] and family that have to defend me,” Rohrwasser said. “Putting them in that compromising position is one of the biggest regrets I’ll ever have. To them, I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m going to learn from this. I’m going to take ownership of it. This is not who I am. No matter what, that’s not who I am. Hopefully, you will all find that out.”

Rohrwasser was a clutch kicker at Marshall and seems to be the replacement for Stephen Gostkowski. He’ll make an immediate impact on the team and will have large shoes to fill.

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Instant analysis of Patriots selecting Justin Rohrwasser with the No. 159 pick

Justin Rohrwasser is slated to be the Patriots’ starting kicker, with no competition on the roster.

The New England Patriots filled an empty slot on the team’s roster after drafting kicker Justin Rohrwasser with the No. 159 pick.

New England released Stephen Gostkowski after 14 seasons with the team and they released the kickers they used to replace him last season. Rohrwasser out of Marshall currently has no competition for the starting role and he’ll attempt to follow the path of Gostkowski and Adam Vinatieri — who collectively filled the Patriots’ roster since 1996.

Rohrwasser made 18 of 21 attempts last season with a long of 53 yards. He totaled 79 of 82 extra point attempts in two seasons at Marshall and made 33 of 42 field goals. What really stood out about Rohrwasser was his ability to make long-range kicks.

The Patriots are used to reliability and big-moment kickers and Bill Belichick is trusting Rohrwasser to step into that role. New England selected a specialist in the fifth round last year with punter Jake Bailey and he turned out to be one of the best rookies to walk into Gillette Stadium in recent years.

New England addressed the linebacker, tight end and now kicker positions so far in this draft — quarterback is the only major hole to fill.

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Patriots take Marshall kicker Justin Rohrwasser in 5th round of 2020 NFL Draft

The likely starter at the position.

The New England Patriots drafted Marshall kicker Justin Rohrwasser at No. 159 in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He’s is the first kicker off the board in this year’s draft, and is slated to be the Patriots’ starter, with no competition currently on the roster.

In 2019, he had a long of 53 yards while hitting 18 of 21 on field goals and 35 of 36 on extra points. In 2018, he made 15 of 21 field goal attempts (with a long of 40) and made 44 of 46 extra point attempts.

The team parted ways with kicker Stephen Gostkowski, whose season ended early on injured reserve, this offseason. New England also decided not to re-sign kicker Mike Nugent, who served as Gostkowski’s replacement in 2019.

Rohrwasser is the sixth pick in the Patriots’ draft class, behind Lenior-Rhyne safety Kyle Duggan (pick no. 37), Michigan outside linebacker Josh Uche (no. 60) and Alabama outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings (87th overall) and UCLA tight end Devin Asiasi (no. 91) and Virginia Tech tight end Dalton Keene (101st overall).

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Louisiana Tech at Marshall odds: Herd favored in key C-USA game

Previewing Friday’s Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Marshall Thundering Herd college football matchup, with NCAA football betting odds, picks and best bets

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-1, 5-0 Conference USA West) visit the Marshall Thundering Herd (6-3, 4-1 C-USA East) Friday night in Huntington, W. Va., at 7 p.m. ET.

We analyze the Louisiana Tech-Marshall odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Louisiana Tech at Marshall: Three things you need to know

1. While this is a cross-divisional matchup in C-USA, it’s a key game. The Bulldogs hold a slim one-game lead on Southern Miss in the West Division, while Marshall is a half-game back of Florida Atlantic in the East.

2. The Bulldogs rank 18th in the nation in total yards (479.1), 23rd in passing yards (292.1) and 13th in points scored (38.1).

3. Marshall ranks 50th in the country with 426.0 total yards per game, and 50th defensively with 371.1 total yards allowed.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Louisiana Tech at Marshall: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 10:50 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Louisiana Tech 30, Marshall 24

Moneyline (ML)

LOUISIANA TECH (+170) is a rather moderate underdog on the road despite an 8-1 SU record. Marshall (-209) is favored at home, but is a little short-handed with WRs Obi Obialo (foot) out indefinitely and WR Artie Henry (undisclosed) done for the season.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Louisiana Tech returns a profit of $17 if the Bulldogs prevail.

Against the Spread (ATS)

Take LOUISIANA TECH (+3.5, +105) catching the points. The Bulldogs are 4-0 ATS in the past four, 4-1 ATS in the past five C-USA battles and 6-2 ATS in the previous eight games against teams with a winning record. La. Tech is also 10-4 ATS in the past 14 on the road.

On the flip side, Marshall (-3.5, -125) is just 2-12 ATS in the past 14 games at home and 2-5 ATS in the past seven conference tilts. It’s also just 2-5 ATS in the past seven overall and 1-4 ATS in the previous five coming off a bye week.

Over/Under (O/U)

The UNDER (56.5, -115) is the play. The under has cashed in seven of the past nine road games for Louisiana Tech, while going 10-4 in the past 14 conference battles. The trends points to the over for Marshall, but injury woes in the pass game will force the Thundering Herd to try and run a lot more. Usually, ground-based attacks equal under results.

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