Marshall Basketball: Herd Defeats FIU 80-68

The score was tied at 49 with 12:26 left in the game when Marshall (8-14, 2-5) went on a seven point run and never looked back, defeating FIU (11-10, 3-3) 80-68 in the Cam Henderson Center Thursday evening.

The Herd was carried by two impressive performances. In the first half, backup guard Tamron Manning scored 10 points in 12 minutes. Manning buoyed Marshall in the game’s first 20 minutes as his teammates only shot 37% (9-24) from the floor. Chris Thomas stole the second half spotlight, scoring 14 points in games final frame while also grabbing three rebounds.

Besides Manning and Thomas, Kareem Canty (16) and Ryan Taylor (14) also scored double-digit points. Canty recorded a double-double, distributing 10 assist and only turning over the ball twice.

Marshall shoots for their second win a row on Saturday as they host FAU (7-14, 2-4). Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m.

Box Score

Marshall Football: Donquell “Gator” Green Commits to Herd

The train of Georgia recruits to Marshall picked up another passenger this afternoon when Donquell Green gave a verbal commitment to the Thundering Herd.

Green was a dynamic athlete at Burke County High School, playing a number of positions including quarterback. During his junior season, Green rushed for 1,827 yards and 32 touchdowns on 177 carries. He also passed for 1,399 yards, 11 touchdowns, and two interceptions.  As a senior he was named to Georgia’s AAAA All-State First Team at the athlete position.

Standing 5-foot-8, 160 lbs., Green prefers to go by his nickname “Gator”. Besides Marshall, he also had scholarship offers from Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Middle Tennessee.

For more on Green, follow the links below.

1) Rivals profile

2) 247 Sports profile

3) Hudl profile (video)

C-USA Releases Preseason Polls for Baseball & Softball

Despite single digit temperatures gripping most of the nation, spring is actually right around the corner. With warmer weather approaching, Conference USA released its softball and baseball preseason polls earlier this week.

The defending C-USA softball tournament champion, Marshall was selected to finish third in the leagues preseason poll. UAB, ranked 21^st in the nation by USA Today/NFCA Division I Softball Preseason Poll, was predicted to win the C-USA title.

The Herd also landed two players on the All-Conference preseason softball team, outfielder Kaelynn Greene and utility player Shaelynn Braxton. As a freshman last year, Greene started 55 of Marshall’s 57 regular season games, hitting for a .335 average with 32 stolen bases. A junior, Braxton scored 19 runs during the 2013 season and posted a .316 batting average.

C-USA’s baseball coaches were not as kind to Marshall. The Herd was picked to finish 12^th out of 13 teams. Marshall also failed to place a player on the preseason All-Conference team.

Baseball starts the season on February 14^th in Winston-Salem N.C. The Herd faces Georgetown, Towson, and Wake Forest over three days at Wake Forest Baseball Park. Marshall softball also begins their year on the road, traveling to a tournament at Auburn. Besides the Tigers and Herd, Western Illinois, Winthrop, Nebraska-Omaha, and Loyola Chicago will participate in the three day event running February 14^th to the 16^th. 

Marshall Football: Quincy Perdue Commits to Herd

After taking an official visit to Marshall last week, Quincy Perdue has given the Thundering Herd a verbal commitment.

Perdue is a 6-foot-3, 205 lbs., wide receiver from Georgia's Lassiter High School. He is regarded as a three start recruit by 247 Sports and Scout.

In a October game against Milton (Ga.) High School, Perdue caught three passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns. As a junior, he placed first in the Georgia 6A, Region 5, 100-meter dash. 

Perdue made a verbal commitment to Troy in the summer of 2013 only to re-open his recruitment one month ago. Besides Marshall and Troy, he also had scholarship offers from Georgia State, Memphis, and a host of FCS schools. 

For more on Perdue follow the links below.

1) Rivals profile

2) Scout profile

3) 247 Sports profile

4) Hudl profile (video)

Marshall Basketball: Turnovers Ruin Herd in Loss at Louisiana Tech

From Marshall University's sports information office.

RUSTON, La. – Before a near-capacity crowd of 7,355, the Marshall men’s basketball team was affected early and often against the Louisiana Tech full court press and trap defense, leading to 22 turnovers and a 98-77 defeat for visiting Marshall, Saturday night on Karl Malone Court at Thomas Assembly Center.

The Bulldogs improve to 17-4 on the season and 5-1 in Conference USA play, while the Thundering Herd falls to 7-14 on the season, 1-5 versus conference foes. LA Tech continued its success against Marshall and is now 3-0 all-time in the series, 2-0 in Ruston.

Coach Tom Herrion once again adjusted the starting lineup, making it the fourth lineup in as many games for the Herd. This time consisting of Shawn Smith (Sacramento, Calif.), Kareem Canty (Harlem, N.Y.), TyQuane Goard (Charleston, W.Va.), Ryan Taylor (Indianapolis) and Tamron Manning (Georgetown, Ky.).

Taylor opened the Marshall scoring with a layup, putting his side up 2-0 before the Bulldogs full court press and trap defense affected the Herd mightily as a 13-0 run made it 13-2 just 2:03 into the game. The scoring run forced Herrion to burn two early 30-second timeouts.

At the first media timeout, the Herd trailed 17-6 after both sides exchanged a pair of buckets. As 15:51 remained in the half, Marshall had committed six turnovers which led to 13 LA Tech points.

Facing an uphill climb, Marshall began to settle into the game while combatting the crowd noise to bring the score to 21-18 on a layup from Taylor to force a Bulldog timeout as 12:29 remained until the break. LA Tech gained some breathing room with assistance from the three-point shot as the home team got hot from deep to extend its lead back to double digits.

The defensive pressure continued to influence the Herd as it trailed 57-39 at halftime. Through the first 20 minutes, Marshall had shot 58 percent from the field (14-of-24), but committed 17 turnovers which led to 20 Bulldog points.

Back out for the second half, LA Tech continued its mission for a victory by stretching its lead to the largest of the game, 25, with 16:20 remaining in the contest. A pair of long range jumpers chipped away at the deficit, but the Bulldogs capitalized on their possessions as well to keep the Herd at bay.

Despite continuing to battle for the remainder of the game, Marshall was unable to shrink the difference to single digits in the second half as LA Tech held on to win 98-77.

While the Herd shot an above average 51 percent from the field on the night (29-of-57) and out rebounded the Bulldogs (37-31), the category that did Marshall in was turnovers as the Herd’s 22 led directly to 29 LA Tech points.

Taylor collected the sixth double-double of his career on 17 points and 11 rebounds as he finished as the leading scorer for Marshall. Canty and Chris Thomas (Denver) rounded out the trio of double-figure scorer for the Herd as they recorded 16 and 13, respectively.

LA Tech displayed its bench depth as the Bulldogs recorded 44 points to 20 from the Herd. Bulldog point guard Kenneth “Speedy” Smith torched the Marshall defense in multiple ways as he finished with 17 points and 13 assists in 32 minutes of action to remain the C-USA leader in dimes.

The Herd will return home for two games in three days to continue C-USA play against FIU (Jan. 30) and Florida Atlantic (Feb. 1).

Gator Hoskins at the Senior Bowl: Day Four

Gator Hoskins and his North squad teammates took part in their final Senior Bowl practice Thursday. His position coach at Marshall, Todd Hartley posted an NFL Network clip of Hoskins catching a pass during one-on-one drills yesterday.

Also, Hoskins spoke with Andy Kent of the Charleston Daily Mail about his experience under the NFL microscope this week.

The Senior Bowl kickoffs on the NFL Network tomorrow at 4 p.m.

Gator Hoskins at the Senior Bowl

Day One

Day Two
Day Three

Marshall Basketball: Herd Cage Owls for Conference USA Road Win

From Marshall University's Sports Information Office.

HOUSTON, Texas – Having struggled away from home since the start of the 2012-13 season, the Marshall men’s basketball team bucked the trend Thursday night with a, 73-63, Conference USA win at Rice in Tudor Fieldhouse behind a pair of 18-point showings from members of the Thundering Herd.

With the win, the Herd improved to 7-13 overall and 1-4 in league play, while also collecting its first road win of the season. The Owls drop to 5-13 overall and 0-5 in conference. Marshall now leads the all-time series versus Rice 8-2, having won five straight and all four meetings against the Owls in Houston.

Coach Tom Herrion went with a different starting lineup for the second-straight game, this time having consisted of Shawn Smith (Sacramento, Calif.), DeVince Boykins (Forest City, N.C.), TyQuane Goard (Charleston, N.C.), Ryan Taylor (Indianapolis) and Tamron Manning (Georgetown, Ky.).

Marshall got off to a fast 7-0 start over the home team and its opening scoring flurry continued as a long-range bucket from freshman forward Taylor pushed it to 11-3, capping a strong start. Stingy defense was key for Marshall in forcing five early Rice turnovers, leading to numerous fast break opportunities.

The Herd’s first-half advantage grew largest when sophomore guard Chris Thomas (Denver) drained a three with 9:04 to play in the half, putting his side up 22-10. Even with the Owls settled in and trading buckets with the Herd, Marshall was not willing to relinquish its lead after its impressive start. At the final media timeout of the first half, 3:52 remained and a 29-20 lead was in place for the visitors.

At the half, the Herd led 33-22 courtesy of eight points and six rebounds from Taylor, paired with six points from sophomore forward Goard. Several categories had Marshall out front at the break, including bench points (14-2), second chance points (5-0) and points off turnovers (6-0).

With an added boost from its awakened crowd, the Owls opened the second half with a 9-1 run, bringing the score to 34-31 with 16:18 remaining in the contest. The difference would remain at three until a 12-2 run brought it to 50-37 after a pair of free throws from Goard. A lay-in from Boykins capped what ended as a 15-4 run to put the Herd out front 53-39 with 8:28 left.

Down the stretch, both sides exchanged buckets with Rice looking for a run to make a game of it late. With Marshall milking the shot clock through its point guard Canty, Taylor sank a mid-range jumper with little time remaining on the shot clock as 3:03 remained, making it 62-51.

The knockout blow was delivered by Canty as he grabbed a defensive rebound and was fouled, sending him to the line. After sinking both free-throws, the scoreboard read 66-53 with 56 seconds on the clock. As the clock ran out, Canty had scored eight of the Herd’s last 11, clinching a 73-63 road win.

Marshall got to the line often on the night and made its attempts count, finishing the game 22-of-29 from the stripe (75.9 percent). Canty finished the night with 18 points and seven assists, while having gone 8-of-8 from the charity stripe. Taylor recorded 18 as well, along with eight rebounds.

Marshall will continue its trip with a nationally-televised tilt at Louisiana Tech, Saturday on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Conference USA Football: Bill Clark Named UAB Head Coach

UAB officially introduced Bill Clark as its new football coach yesterday. Clark comes to the Blazers off a successful season as Jacksonville State’s head coach. In his single season with the Gamecock’s, Clark lead JSU to an 11-4 record and FCS Playoffs appearance.

Clark takes over for Garrick McGee, who resigned his position January 9^th to become offensive coordinator at Louisville. 

Gator Hoskins at the Senior Bowl: Day Three

Reading the tea leaves, it looks like Gator Hoskins had a breakout performance at Wednesday’s Senior Bowl practice. According to Jeff Risdon of RealGM Sports, Hoskins stood out during yesterday’s drills, impressing scouts with his long arms and strong hands. Risdon also mentioned that Hoskins possesses the quickest feet of any tight end at the Senior Bowl.

On Twitter, Shane P. Hallam of draftTV.com detailed a drill in which Hoskins beat Louisville linebacker Marcus Smith on a pass route.

Louisville Marcus Smith moved from DE to LB for this week. Gator Hoskins separated on the in route and smith looked dejected
— Shane P. Hallam (@ShanePHallam) January 22, 2014

Also, Hoskins conducted a short interview with edraft.com, you can listen to the audio by clicking here.

Thursday marks the final day of practice at the Senior Bowl. On Friday both the North and South squads will conduct walkthroughs before Saturday’s game.

Gator Hoskins at the Senior Bowl

Day One
Day Two

Marshall Football: Quantavious Knight Commits to Herd

Quantavious Knight, the seventh best junior college cornerback in the nation according to 247 Sports, gave Marshall a verbal commitment this evening.

Georgia Military DB Quintavious Knight confirms via text that he has committed to Marshall.
— Rob Cassidy (@Cassidy_Rob) January 23, 2014

At Georgia Military College this season Knight made 16 tackles and intercepted four passes. Periodically the six foot tall, 170 lbs., defensive back also returned punts and kicks. 

A consensus three star recruit, Knight committed to Mississippi in June of 2013 before re-opening his recruitment in October. Knight's commitment comes on the heels of his official visit to Marshall last week. His previously scheduled visit to Kansas State this weekend has been canceled.

Knight will have three years of eligibility remaining once enrolled at Marshall.

For more on Knight follow the links below.

1) Rivals profile

2) 247 Sports profile

3) Hudl profile (video)

Gator Hoskins at the Senior Bowl: Day Two

Gator Hoskins and the North squad took to Ladd-Peebles Stadium for their second day of Senior Bowl practice yesterday morning. Under the direction of the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff, Hoskins and his teammates worked out in front of numerous NFL talent evaluators.

Little was written about the North’s tight ends yesterday, but I stumbled across an article by David White of Rotoviz.com that focused exclusively on Hoskins. In the article, White compares Hoskins to current Philadelphia Eagle and former Rice tight end James Casey.

 Also, Shane Hallam of draftTV.com shared two pictures of Hoskins at practice yesterday via Twitter.

#Colts scout talking to Marshall TE Gator Hoskins with #Browns scout waiting pic.twitter.com/0a9PolesPG
— Shane P. Hallam (@ShanePHallam) January 21, 2014

North TE group. #Wisconsin Jacob Pederson #Marshall Gator Hoskins and #Iowa CJ Fiedorowicz pic.twitter.com/tmkJrDoAsw
— Shane P. Hallam (@ShanePHallam) January 21, 2014

Gator Hoskins at the Senior Bowl: Day One

Gator Hoskins Senior Bowl week started with weigh-ins Monday morning. The Marshall tight end was the shortest player at his position, measuring just over 6-foot-1 inches tall. Although Hoskins came up a bit short in the height department, his arm length (32 inch. & 5/8)  lead all tight ends. He also had the second longest wingspan (79 inch. & 3/8) among players at his position.

Al.com: Gator Hoskins weighs in at Senior Bowl

Hoskins is on the North squad which is being lead by the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff. Iowa's C.J. Fiedorowicz and Wisconsin's Jacob Pedersen round out the the North's tight ends group. They will catch passes from a trio of quarterbacks this week including Miami's Stephen Morris, Clemson's Tajh Boyd, and Virginia Tech's Logan Thomas.

The North squad practiced yesterday at Ladd-Peebels Stadium, the home of South Alabama's football program. They will return to Ladd-Peebles this morning for another practice from 9:30 a.m. CT  to 11:30 a.m. Later today, the NFL Network is broadcasting a Senior Bowl practice review running from 2 p.m. ET to 4 p.m.. 

We will  provide a daily summary of Hoskins Senior Bowl experience through Thursday's final practice. The actual Senior Bowl game kicks-off on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.

Marshall Football: Herd Adds Three Commitments

It was a big recruiting weekend at Marshall with a dozen football prospects on campus for official visits. Of the 12 players the Thundering Herd hosted, three made a verbal commitment before heading home.

Earlier this month, offensive line coach Alex Mirabal told the Huntington Herald Dispatch that he needed two junior college left tackles in this years recruiting class. Mirabal got half of his wish on Saturday when Pierce College (CA) offensive lineman Brandon Mitchell committed to the Herd. Mitchell stands 6-foot-3, 340 lbs., and Marshall appears to have been his only scholarship offer.

Watch Brandon Mitchell's highlight video

With seven verbal commitments from Georgia this year, the Peach State has been a recruiting hotbed for the Thundering Herd. Marshall added another one to the list this weekend when Washington High School defensive back Antavis Rowe committed to the Herd. Rowe wore a number of hats during his high school career, playing offense, defense, and special teams. In December he was named to the 2013 AAAA Georgia Sportswriters All-State football team as a kick/punt returner. 

Watch Antavis Rowe's highlight video

Marshall and UCF don't compete in the same conference anymore, but they still fight for the same Florida recruits. After committing to the Knight's last June, Maurice Hall had a change of heart during his official visit to Marshall and gave a verbal pledge to the Thundering Herd. Hall is measured at 6-foot-2, 186 lbs., and he played offense and defense at Gibbs High School. 

In September of his junior year, Hall was wounded during a drive by shooting in his native St. Petersburg. The injures sustained during the shooting cut his football season short, but he made a full recovery and returned to the gridiron as a senior.

A three start recruit according to Rivals, Hall is projected to play linebacker or defensive back in college. Besides Marshall and UCF, he also had scholarship offers from Oklahoma, WVU, and Kentucky among many other schools.

In addition to Mitchell, Rowe, and Hall, Georgia defensive end Rayjon Simes re-affirmed his October verbal commitment to Marshall while on campus this weekend.

Marshall Basketball: Second-Half Run Pushes Tulsa Past Herd

From Marshall University's Sports Information Office.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Despite receiving a boost from its home fans and a quick start, the Marshall men’s basketball team was still unable to secure its first Conference USA win of the season, falling 69-52 to Tulsa, Saturday afternoon in a contest that was televised on CBS Sports Network from the Cam Henderson Center.

Tulsa improves to 8-10 overall and 3-1 in league play with the win, while the Thundering Herd drops to 6-13 on the year, 0-4 against conference competition.

Marshall coach Tom Herrion shifted the starting line-up, giving junior forward Shawn Smith (Sacramento, Calif.) his first-career start for the Herd, while junior big man Cheikh Sane (Dakar, Senegal) was re-inserted into the starting five.

Marshall jumped on the visitors early on to take a 17-8 lead that was punctuated with an alley-oop from freshman guard Kareem Canty (Harlem, N.Y.) to sophomore guard Chris Thomas (Denver) as 7:34 remained in the first half.

The Golden Hurricane would hang around and take a 25-20 deficit into the halftime break, with 11 of its 20 points having come off the bench. At the half, Thomas led all scorers with seven points in 14 minutes of action.

After a defensive struggle in the first 20 minutes that led to little scoring, both sides became more at ease with scoring the basketball from the field. Tulsa knotted the game up at 36 after a 10-2 early run in the second half to close the gap.

With 10:31 left in the game, the Herd led 45-42 and Tulsa rallied furiously with eight points in 56 seconds to take a 50-45 lead with little over nine minutes left. The Golden Hurricane run snowballed, leaving Marshall scrambling to keep the score close.

Once Tulsa stretched its lead to double-digits, it would remain that way for the remainder of the afternoon as a 27-7 run took 10:17 off the clock. The scoring ended for the Golden Hurricane with 14 seconds left, which settled the score at a final, 69-52.

As the buzzer sounded, Thomas finished as the Herd’s leading scorer with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting, followed by 12 points from Canty. Once again, Marshall struggled from the field, only shooting 32.8 percent on 19-58 for the game.

The Herd will re-take the road to continue league play with contests at Rice (Jan. 23) and Louisiana Tech (Jan. 25), with both tip times set for 8 p.m. ET.

Marshall Football: Quarterback Frohnapfel to Transfer

Marshall backup quarterback Blake Fonnapfel announced via Twitter today that he will transfer.

To #herdnation, thank you for making my 3 years at Marshall extremely memorable. pic.twitter.com/1L1BRSjPvm
— Blake E. Frohnapfel (@FrostedBlakes15) January 17, 2014

In three seasons with the Thundering Herd, the rising redshirt junior quarterback threw for 306 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. Frohnapfel's most extensive action occurred during Marshall's 2012 season finale at East Carolina. Appearing in relief of starting quarterback Rakeem Cato, Frohnapfel completed 12 of 15 passes for 101 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also rushed for 62 yards, including a 51 yard touchdown scamper.

With Frohnapfel's exit, Marshall does not posses a quarterback besides Cato that has played a college snap. Backup options include rising redshirt sophomore Gunnar Holcombe, rising redshirt freshman Kevin Anderson, and Cole Garvin, who enrolled at Marshall on Monday after graduating from high school a semester early.

Equipped with an undergraduate degree, Frohapfel can transfer to a Football Bowl Subdivision school and play immediately, given that the institution offers a graduate program not available at Marshall.

Marshall Basketball: Pittman Sentenced, Not Enrolled for Spring Semester

Former Marshall basketball player Elijah Pittman pleaded no contest in court yesterday to a misdemeanor battery charge. Cable County Circuit Judge Alfred Ferguson sentenced Pittman to 12 months of jail time, but suspended that sentence for two years of unsupervised probation.

Pittman was indited last August in response to a 2012 physical incident with fellow Marshall student Mazen Younis. The Huntington Police Department incident report states that Younis suffered a concussion, broken nose, and facial fractures during an altercation with Pittman.

According to Derek Redd of the Charleston Daily Mail, Pittman did not enroll at Marshall for the spring semester. Huntington Herald Dispatch columnist Chuck Landon reported via Twitter that Pittman plans to play basketball professionally overseas.

Pittman is expected to head overseas to play pro ball ...
— Chuck Landon (@Chuckonsports) January 16, 2014

Marshall Basketball: North Texas Controls Herd in 80-65 Victory

From Marshall University's Sports Information Office.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Despite being prepared for the North Texas transition attack, the Marshall men’s basketball team was unable to slow the attack enough to avoid dropping the contest, 80-65, on Thursday night at Cam Henderson Center.

The win lifts the Mean Green to 10-7 on the year and 1-2 in Conference USA play, while the Thundering Herd drops to 6-12 overall and 0-3 in league play.

Out to a fast start, North Texas jumped on Marshall with an early 10-point lead, taking a 17-7 advantage with 11:44 to play until halftime. The Mean Green’s hot start continued as it extended its edge to 27-9 just over two and a half minutes later.

Looking to make a game of it, the Herd battled to work its way back into the game by bringing the score to 29-18 with 4:38 left until the break.

At the half, North Texas held a 39-27 lead after two late free throws from freshman forward Ryan Taylor (Indianapolis) brought the score within 12. Despite having recorded 15 offensive rebounds to four from the Mean Green, the Herd struggled from the field.

A three-point play from freshman guard Kareem Canty (Harlem, N.Y.) with 14:42 left in the game made it 49-39, bringing life to the Marshall hopes. After starting to once again pull away, North Texas was reeled back in by a three-point play from sophomore guard Chris Thomas (Denver) to put the Herd back within 10 points.

With 3:35 remaining, a layup from Taylor cut the deficit to eight, 69-61, but the Herd would draw no closer before the final buzzer sounded and the Mean Green collected the win, 80-65.

Canty’s game-high 26 points, along with Taylor’s 22 points combined for 48 of Marshall’s 65 total points on the night. Taylor was hard for North Texas to stop as he collected his fifth career double-double with 14 rebounds to pair with his 22 points.

From the field, North Texas finished 28-of-56 for a clean 50 percent, while Marshall ended 20-of-65 for 30.8 percent.

Marshall will conclude its brief two-game homestand with a noon tip against Tulsa at the Cam. The contest will be televised nationally by CBS Sports Network.

In-game Twitter updates @HerdMBB, results and a recap from the night’s action will be available at HerdZone.com.

Marshall Football: Hoskins Invited to 2014 Senior Bowl

From Marshall University's Sports Information Office.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va.-Marshall tight end Gator Hoskins has been invited to participate in the 2014 Senior Bowl in Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The game will be held on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT and will be televised on NFL Network.

This is Marshall’s third Senior Bowl invitation in as many years as Vinny Curry (Philadelphia Eagles) went to the 2012 Senior Bowl, while Aaron Dobson (New England Patriots) was named to last year’s game.

A two-time John Mackey Award Watch List honoree, Hoskins secured a spot on the award’s semifinalist list as a senior.

A third-team CollegeSportsMadness.com All-American and first-team All-Conference USA selection, the Gainesville, Fla. native finished his career with 28 touchdowns in 99 receptions (1,318 yards). The only player in Herd history to top Hoskins’ 28.3 percent touchdown-catches ratio was Randy Moss (31.5 percent on 168 receptions, 53 touchdown catches). Hoskins’ 28 touchdown catches rank third in Herd history (Moss 53, Darius Watts 47).

Hoskins finished with 15 touchdown catches as a senior (fifth-most at Marshall for a single season), a total that was tied for third nationally and the most among tight ends by seven.

Marshall Football: Recruiting Hits the Homestretch

In just under three weeks, Marshall will unveil it's 2014 recruiting class. With a few scholarships still available, we have compiled the Herd's current commitments and who head coach Doc Holliday and the football staff are pursuing.

First and foremost, two commitments from last year's recruiting class will not make their way to Huntington, offensive lineman Gerald Wright and wide receiver Shykeem Pitts. Wright enrolled at New York's Milford Academy in the fall, but did not stay through the semester. Pitts was arrested in April after stealing an ATV. He is attending Georgia Military College.

In addition to Wright and Pitts, two prospects we previously reported as committed are no longer part of this year's recruiting class. They are defensive tackle Ja'ree Tolbert and defensive end Traevon Sharp.

Lets shift focus to who is showing up. By last September the Herd picked up two transfers, former Miami defensive end Ricardo Williams and ex-Virginia Tech defensive back Donaldven Manning. They won't be eligible for spring practice, but should be good to go in August.

In addition to Manning and Williams, a couple high school prospects not previously associated with Marshall's 2013 recruiting class joined the team last August, wide receiver Rodney Allen, linebacker Raheim Huskey, and defensive end Jalen Stevenson. Those three join fellow academically ineligible players already enrolled at Marshall, running back Brandon Byrd, linebacker/running back Tony Pittman, and defensive back D'Andre Wilson, that will count against this years recruiting class.

Fourteen high school prospects have given Marshall a verbal commitment, they are...

1) Emanuel Beal, WR, Georgia
2) Ryan Bee, DE, Ohio
3) Alex Cason, WR, Georgia
4) Keion Davis, WR, Georgia
5) Jordan Dowrey, DT, Virginia
6) Stanley Dye. DB, Florida
7) Hyleck Foster, WR, South Carolina
8) Cole Garvin, QB, Georgia*
9) Nyquan Harris, DT, Virginia
10) LaDerrick Hammond, DB, Georgia
11) Frankie Hernandez, LB Florida
12) Tomell One, DE, Florida
13) Rayjon Simes, DE, Georgia
14) Reese Wooten, WR, Georgia
15) Ryan Yurachek, TE, South Carolina

* Enrolled at Marshall for the spring semester on Monday

The Herd also has also secured verbal commitments from five prep school recruits. Of the group, A.J. Addison, Malik Thompson, Matthew Santer, and Jason Smith enrolled at Marshall on Monday.

1) A.J. Addison, OL, Fork Union
2) Ryheem Lockley, WR, Fork Union
3) Malik Thompson, DE, Fork Union
4) Matthew Santer, DB, Fork Union
5) Jason Smith, DE, East Coast Prep

Less than three weeks away from national signing day, Marshall's biggest need is junior college offensive tackles. Offensive line coach Alex Mirabal told Chuck Landon of the Huntington Herald Dispatch that he needed at least two junior college left tackles in this years recruiting class. Without a single JUCO commitment, Mirabal will not get his wish before spring practice.

Marshall is targeting the following junior college offensive tackles.

1) Raul Martinez, Pasadena City, OT
2) Dominic Grando, Golden West, OT
3) Brandon Mitchell, Pierce College, OT

Marshall is also hosting 13 prospects on official visits this weekend. Three of them are...

1) Maurice Hall, ATH, Florida
2) Jamal Davis, LB, Ohio
3) Josh Black, LB, Florida

We will have all the answers on national signing day, February 5th. Until then, remember that verbal commitments are non-binding and a lot can change in the next few weeks.

Marshall Football: Emanuel Beal Gives Commitment to Herd

A highly coveted wide receiver, Emanuel Beal announced his commitment to Marshall via Twitter today.

Committed to Marshall University #HerdNa tion #GoHerd !!
— Emanuel Beal (@EmanuelBeal7) January 14, 2014

A three star recruit according to Rivals, Beal is listed at 6-foot-1, 210 lbs. During his junior season at Georgia's Wheeler High School, he caught 43 passes for 853 yards and seven touchdowns. Beal transferred to Hillgrove High School for his senior year and recorded 262 receiving yards on eight receptions and two touchdowns despite only playing in five games.

A participant in December's Cobb All-Star Senior Bowl, Beal caught three passes for 90 yards. According to various recruiting websites, he had scholarship offers from Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin, and Yale among many other schools.

For more on Beal, follow the links below.

1) Rivals profile
2) Scout profile
3) 247 Sports profile
4) Hudl profile (video)

Marshall Football: Military Bowl Ratings Increase

Marshall’s Military Bowl matchup against Maryland was a victory for the Thundering Herd and the games organizers. Held at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis Maryland, this year’s bowl drew 30,163 fans. In contrast, the 2012 Military Bowl, which was played at Washington D.C.’S RFK Stadium and pitted San Jose State against Bowling Green, was only witnessed by 17,835 people.

In addition to the increased gate, television ratings were also up 30% from last year’s game. Of the 36 bowl games played, only six experienced a greater year-to-year increase in T.V. viewership. Also, the Military Bowls 1.7 television rating among U.S. households was tied with the Liberty Bowl (Rice vs. Mississippi State) for most viewers in a game featuring a Conference USA school.

For a full list of this years bowl game T.V. ratings click here.  

Marshall Basketball: Loop Placed on Scholarship

According to the official Twitter account of Marshall's men's basketball program, walk-on Austin Loop was placed on scholarship today by head coach Tom Herrion.

BREAKING: @CoachTomHerrion just announced to the team that Austin Loop will be placed on scholarship for #TheHerd.
— Marshall Men's Hoops (@HerdMBB) January 12, 2014

A redshirt freshman from Ohio, Loop has appeared in 11 of the Herd's 17 games this season. He averages six minutes and three points per game. 

With the addition of Loop, Marshall is now at the NCAA limit of 13 scholarship players. 

Marshall Football: Myers Participates in Toughman Competition

Marshall defensive end Ra'Shawde Myers put down his football pads and picked up a pair of boxing gloves this weekend, participating in the Tri-State Original Toughman Contest at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena.

An amateur boxing competition, Toughman bouts consist of three, one minute rounds. The single elimination tournament was held over Friday and Saturday at the Big Sandy Arena.

Myers advanced to the events second day before running into eventual heavyweight division (185 - 400 lbs.) champion Dakota Taylor. Stranding 6-foot-4, 246 lbs., Myers is bigger than most humans, but the 331 lbs., Taylor proved up to the challenge, beating his college football playing foe via a decision.

A veteran of Toughman competitions, Myers was the heavyweight division runner-up in last years Huntington event.

Huntington Herald Dispatch

Gallery: Tri-State Original Toughman, Saturday

Taylor wins Toughman

Marshall Basketball: Second-Half Surge Too Much for Herd at UTEP

From Marshall University's Sports Information Office:

EL PASO, Texas – On the road before 7,551 fans, the Marshall men’s basketball team (6-11, 0-2 Confernece-USA) fell, 66-56, at UTEP (11-6, 1-1 C-USA) on Saturday night at Don Haskins Center as a 21-4 run by the Miners, put the Thundering Herd in an insurmountable hole.

With the game having got off to a scrappy start, both the Herd and Miners battled for every basket on every possession since Marshall controlled the opening tip.

With 6:17 remaining in the first half, the Herd trailed 18-17 as freshman forward Ryan Taylor (Indianapolis, Ind.) led the way for Marshall with eight points, shooting 2-of-2 from beyond the arc.

Marshall was prepared for the UTEP offense in the first half as the Herd forced multiple shot clock violations and had the Miners looking for shots late in the shot clock.

With 41 seconds remaining in the first half, Taylor sank a driving layup to knot the game up at 27 points apiece, with the score at halftime standing at 27-27. At the break, Taylor’s 10 points led Marshall in scoring.

John Bohannon was forced to be reckoned with for the Herd defense through the first 20 minutes as he had 11 points and nine rebounds in 17 first-half minutes in his starting role.

In a back and forth contest, 10 lead changes and six tie scores were seen in the first half alone. While Marshall’s points came from seven different players, UTEP’s came from just three.

Coming out of the locker room to a rejuvenated home crowd, UTEP jumped on the Herd with eight quick points in 1:43 to open the half, stretching its lead to 35-27 and forcing coach Tom Herrion to call a timeout. After another Miner bucket, sophomore forward TyQuane Goard (Charleston, W.Va.) snapped the Herd’s scoring drought with a mid-range jumper, bringing the score to 37-29, but the run would continue.

At the 12-minute media timeout, 11:35 remained in the second half and UTEP led 48-31 with assistance from its 21-4 scoring run that began at the start of the second half.

Bringing Marshall back to life, sophomore guard Chris Thomas (Denver) scored seven-straight points for the Herd to bring the score to 53-41 with 8:26 to play.

The rest of the Herd followed suit with Thomas to bring Marshall within striking distance after Taylor drained a wide-open three, making it 54-47 with 6:27 left in the contest. Despite exchanging baskets after the UTEP run ended, there was no quit in the Herd as a layup from Thomas brought it to 60-55 with 1:37 left.

Unfortunately for Marshall, the lead would get no smaller with UTEP taking the contest, 66-56. Taylor finished as the top scorer for the Herd with 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting, while Thomas followed with 13 after going 5-for-12.

The Marshall defense was successful in forcing 15 UTEP turnovers, while turning them into 18 points. Efficiency from the field was key for the Miners in being victorious as they went 22-for-47 (46.8 percent) to 19-of-61 for the Herd (31.1 percent).

The Herd will return home to take on its third-straight Texas team, North Texas on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.

In-game Twitter updates @HerdMBB, results and a recap from the night’s action will be available at HerdZone.com.

Marshall Football: Louisville Pulling Out of Away Date with Herd

According to Chuck Landon of the Huntington Herald Dispatch, Louisville intends to buyout the away game portion of its home-and-home football series against Marshall.

The game was previously moved from 2014 to 2016 in order to accommodate Louisville's transition into the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Cardinals hosted Marshall in 2011, a 17-13 win for the Thundering Herd.

C-USA Football: WKU Hires & UAB Losses Head Coach

Western Kentucky has promoted offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm to head football coach following the departure of Bobby Petrino. After leading the Hilltoppers football program for one season, Petrino accepted the head coaching position at Louisville earlier this week.

Brohm is a long time assistant coach, having worked at UAB, Illinios, Florida Atlantic, and Louisville. He will pilot WKU into its first year of Conference USA competition in 2014.

In a related story, Petrino hired UAB head coach Garrick McGee to be his offensive coordinator at Louisville. In two seasons with the Blazers, McGee recorded at overall record of 5-19.

According to various outlets, candidates to replace McGee include Jacksonville State head coach Bill Clark, former Mississippi head coach Houston Nut, and North Texas associate head coach Mike Canals.

Marshall Football: Legg not Selected for EIU Job

Following up from last week’s post, we reported that Marshall offensive coordinator Bill Legg was likely to interview for the head coaching vacancy at Eastern Illinois.  While we can’t confirm that an interview took place, various outlets are reporting that EIU has selected Louisiana Tech defensive coordinator Kim Dameron as their next football coach.

Marshall Basketball: Herd Stumbles at UTSA to Open League Play

From the Marshall University Sports Information office.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – With an opportunity to start off fresh with Conference USA play beginning, the Marshall men’s basketball team came up short and fell, 90-81, at conference newcomer UTSA on Thursday night at the Convocation Center.

The Roadrunners improved to 5-9 overall and 1-0 in C-USA play, while the Thundering Herd dropped to 6-10 on the year and 0-1 in league play. In a game that was back and forth from the start, when the final buzzer sounded there had been 13 ties and 16 lead changes in 40 minutes of play.

Marshall coach Tom Herrion started the same five as in the last five games; Kareem Canty (Harlem, N.Y.), Chris Thomas (Denver), DeVince Boykins (Forest City, N.C.), TyQuane Goard (Charleston, W.Va.) and Ryan Taylor (Indianapolis, Ind.). Marshall is now 2-4 in the six games with that starting lineup.

Taylor took over early as he had eight points with 10:44 until the half with UTSA holding serve, 19-16.

Smith entered off the bench and made an immediate impact as

At the half, the Herd found itself in a slim one-point deficit, 41-40. Canty’s nine points led Marshall through the first 20 minutes, to go along with eight each from Taylor and Thomas. The Herd’s full court press defense was successful in impacting the Roadrunner offensive flow by forcing nine first-half turnovers.

To open the second half, Canty scored the first seven Marshall points to keep the Herd within striking distance of UTSA.

With 4:02 remaining in the contest, the Roadrunners went up 79-67 on a three-point play for their largest lead of the game. The Herd would battle to bring the score within single digits, 87-79, with 1:03 remaining, but would get no closer. As the clock ran out, UTSA secured a 90-81 victory in its inaugural C-USA contest.

Marshall struggled to make a game of it late as Taylor, Goard and Thomas each fouled out of the contest in the waning minutes.

Off the bench, junior forward Shawn Smith (Sacramento, Calif.) made an impact with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting in his emerging role as the Herd’s sixth man. Finishing as the game’s leading scorer, Canty scored 26 for Marshall in a losing effort.

Thomas rounded out the trio of double-digit Herd scorers with 11 points. Marshall has now had three or more of its own score in double figures in all, but one contest this season.

Marshall will conclude its two-game Texas trip against UTEP, Saturday, Jan. 11 at 9:05 p.m. ET.

In-game Twitter updates @HerdMBB, results and a recap from the night’s action will be available at HerdZone.com.

---HerdZone.com---

Marshall Basketball: Herd Opens Conference Play with UTSA & UTEP

Marshall opens its Conference USA schedule this week with a Texas two step. The Herd is in San Antonio tonight for a match-up with UTSA before a Saturday night tilt at UTEP.

With ten newcomers on the roster, UTSA (4-9, 0-0) struggled during the non-conference portion of their schedule. Of the Road Runners four wins, only two came against division one competition.

UTSA leading scorer Keon Lewis (15.3 points per game) has missed the Road Runners last three games with concussion like symptoms. His status for tonight’s game in unknown. In Lewis’s absence, guard Devon Agusi has filled the scoring gap. Averaging 11.1 ppg., Agusi scored 20 points in a loss at Arkansas last week. Two other Road Runners, Hyjii Thomas (12.2 ppg) and Jordan Sims (11.2 ppg) also average double-digit points.

As a team, UTSA struggles on offense. They average 69.5 points per game and shoot a paltry .441% from the floor. The Road Runners also struggle sharing the ball, out of 345 division one basketball teams they rank 332^nd while only distributing 10.2 assist per game.

Tonight’s tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

UTEP (10-5, 0-0) host Marshall on Saturday amongst a swirl of controversy around its basketball program. On Tuesday the Miners dismissed three players, including leading scorer McKenzie Moore, from the team amid gambling allegations. In addition to Moore, little used reserves Jalen Ragland and Justin Crosgile were also shown the door.

Before this week’s dismissals, UTEP looked like one of C-USA’s better teams. They won ten games in non-conference play including victories over Tennessee, Colorado State, and Washington State.

Without Moore, the scoring burden will fall on swing forward Julian Washburn and freshman Vince Hunter. Last year against Marshall, Washburn started and played 33 minutes, scoring nine points in a 74-63 UTEP win. The Miners top remaining outside threat, Washburn is shooting .368% from three point range. Only 15 games into his college career, Hunter is averaging 10.5 ppg., good for third on the team.

Saturday’s game against the Miners is scheduled for 9:05 p.m. ET.

UTSA

roster

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UTEP

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Marshall Basketball: Plea Deal Reached in Pittman Case

Although the details are not known, a plea deal has been reached in the case of suspended Marshall basketball player Elijah Pittman. The court case stems from a misdemeanor battery charge levied against Pittman in August.

Attorneys will formally submit the plea agreement in Cabell County circuit court next week. During yesterday’s hearing, Pittman’s lawyer expressed a desire to have the case resolved by January 16^th, the same date as Marshall’s Conference USA home opener against North Texas. 

Marshall Football: Herd Reportedly Recivies Commitment from Nyquan Harris

According to Matthew Hatfield of VirginiaPreps.com, Lake Taylor High School defensive tackle Nyquan Harris has given a verbal commitment to Marshall University.

Breaking News: Lake Taylor 2014 DL Nyquan 'Big Money' Harris has committed to play his College Football at #Marshall. More later on #VaPreps
— Matthew Hatfield (@hatfieldsports) January 7, 2014

Named a first team, All-Group 4A South Region performer by the leagues coaches, Nyquan recorded 11 sacks during his senior season.

Various recruiting websites show Clemson, Mississippi, Michigan State, N.C. State, and West Virginia among the schools that have offered Nyquan a scholarship. Standing 6-foot-3, 285 lbs., Scout, 247 Sports, and ESPN list him as a three star prospect. The Virginia-Pilot ranked Nyquan the 6th best high school recruit in Virginia's tide water region.

For more on Nyquan, follow the links below:

1) Rivals profile
2) Scout profile
3) 247 Sports profile
4) ESPN profile
5) Hudl profile (video)

Marshall Football: The Conclusion, What Ever Happen to.....

Now that the season is officially over, we wanted to follow up on a October post about former Marshall football players that continued their playing careers at different schools.   

1) Marques Aiken, Defensive Tackle, Cincinnati

Marques Aiken appeared in all 13 of Cincinnati's games but did not record a start. For the year he tallied 24 tackles, four quarterback hurries, three tackles for loss, and a half sack. A senior, Aiken has exhausted his college eligibility. 

On a related note, Cincinnati will not retain the services of defensive line coach Fred Tate, a former Marshall assistant under Doc Holliday.

2) C.J. Crawford, Tight End, Charlotte

Playing for UNC Charlotte’s first football team since 1948, C.J. Crawford finished third on the 49ers with 31 receptions for 364 yards. He also tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions with six. 

3) A.J. Graham, Quarterback, University of Pikeville (Ky.)

He might have fallen a few rungs on the competition ladder, but A.J. Graham found a football home two hours away from Marshall in Pikeville Kentucky. Playing for the NAIA University of Pikeville Bears, Graham tossed a team high 272 pass attempts, completing 160 of them for 2,215 yards, 13 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also added 469 rushing yards and six additional scores on the ground.  

4) James Power, Long Snapper, TCU

Simply put, James Power was one of the least used players on Marshall's roster. Part of Holliday's first recruiting class in 2010, Power did not participate in a single snap over three years.. After transferring to TCU, he claimed the Horned Frogs long snapper job. Its hard to quantify a long snappers effectiveness, but TCU did not surrender a blocked kick all season. 

5) Eddie Sullivan, Quarterback, Western Carolina

In a time share situation, Western Carolina quarterback Eddie Sullivan appeared in 11 games, starting three while throwing for 1,041 yards, five touchdowns, and eight interceptions.  

6) Travon Van, Running Back , Montana

A familiar foe of Marshall's back in the Herds 1-AA days, running back Travon Van spent his junior season with the Montana Grizzles. The teams second leading rusher, Van rumbled for 556 yards on 106 carries while scoring six touchdowns. He also caught 13 passes for 136 yards and a additional score.