Like many Herd fans I was excited when the football season got under way this September. Unfortunately five losses has hurt my enthusiasm for this Marshall bunch. Last nights game was another reminder that the road back to “We Play for Championships” will be long.
At a minimum I thought Marshall would match last years record and be bowl eligible but new schemes on offense and defense have been difficult to over come. This is where patience comes into play. As last nights game wound down I contemplated how long it would take Marshall to compete with schools like Southern Mississippi, Central Florida, and East Carolina. After giving it some thought I think this is going to be a three season process.
Needless to say this year is a wash. The players on this squad do not fit the type of offense or defense Doc Holliday wants to run. This is painfully obvious when offensive coordinator Bill Legg calls a read option for Brian Anderson. Marshall has to many square pegs that this staff is trying to fit into round holes. Situations like this happen all the time when a new coach comes in with a totally different way of moving the ball. Take a look at Rich Rodriguez’s first years at Michigan and WVU. The defense is still getting use to coordinator Chris Rippon’s aggressive style of play. Not to mention the young secondary is extremely short on college experience.
Next seasons schedule looks extremely difficult . Non-conference road games include WVU, Louisville, and Ohio while Marshall gets a “break” with Virginia Tech at home. In conference the Herd plays UCF, ECU, Southern Miss, Tulsa, and Houston. Keep in mind the coaching staff will be breaking in a new quarterback with minimal experience while also replacing three starting offensive lineman. I don’t see the running game improving, even if Travon Vann is all world, with three underclassmen in the trenches. On defense the Herd losses all C-USA player Mario Harvey but could be better. The secondary will have a years worth of experience under their belts and Vinny Curry should continue his dominance at defensive end. I would not be surprised if the defense is Marshall strength in 2011- 2012. Even if the Herd improves stopping the opposition next years offense could still be a work in progress, especially with the tough schedule.
2012 - 2013 is where I see a chance to compete for a conference championship. Doc Holliday recruits will dominate the roster and each true freshman that saw action this season will be entering their junior year. At quarterback Eddie Sullivan or A.J Graham will have a strong grip on the starting spot entering year two as head signal caller. The dynamic duo of Aaron Dobson and Antavious Wilson will be entering their senior season while the offensive line returns three starters. At running back Andre Booker and Martin Ward will be seniors with Vann also in the mix. On defense Marshall’s two starting cornerbacks will be three year starters with Donald Brown at safety while a young defensive front seven is buoyed by James Rouse, Trevor Black, and Brandon Sparrow. If the Herd can’t compete by Holliday’s third season we might have a Mark Snyder size problem on our hands.
This does not mean you should stop supporting Marshall football for the next two years. Hopefully Doc proves me wrong and the Herd is competing much earlier than I expect. Even though this season has been a disappointment don’t let it kill your enthusiasm. At the end of the day Marshall is still YOUR UNIVERSITY and each one of our players / coaches deserves support. Lets keep up the good fight and do every thing we can (JOIN THE BIG GREEN TODAY) to improve our program.
Go Herd!
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