10-03-2010, 12:29 PM
Eagles rock the Herd
The Herald-Dispatch
October 03, 2010 @ 12:58 AM
GRANT TRAYLOR
One word can sum up the 2010 Conference USA football opener for Marshall University.
Nightmare.
For the third consecutive road game, the Thundering Herd spotted its opposition a large lead en route to a humbling 41-16 loss Saturday night to Southern Miss in front of 27,518 fans at M.M. Roberts Stadium.
âI didnât think we played well in any phase. Special teams, we made too many mistakes,â Marshall head coach Doc Holliday said. âOffensively, too many penalties. We have to go back and get better as a football team.â
Southern Miss dominated the contest from start to finish, jumping out to a 31-0 lead early in the third quarter as Marshallâs offense was unable to find any rhythm.
When all was said and done Saturday night, the Herd ended with 180 yards of total offense and did not score on offense until Brian Anderson hit Aaron Dobson on a 6-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone with 5:45 remaining in the contest.
The touchdown came after Anderson had been pulled from the game at halftime in favor of A.J. Graham after going 4-of-13 for 16 yards in the first two quarters.
Graham was 10-of-12 for 98 yards in his time on the field, but left because of an ankle injury while driving Marshall (1-4, 0-1) down into the Southern Miss red zone. Graham was on crutches following the game and will be evaluated this week.
Prior to the late touchdown pass, special teams accounted for the Herdâs points as Troy Evans returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score in the third quarter and Marshall added a safety early in the fourth quarter when a snap went over the head of Southern Miss punter Peter Boehme and through the end zone.
Even with the plays made, the special teams unit still had a punt blocked and a punt that hit a blocker in the return unit â both of which resulted in short fields and 10 points for the Golden Eagles.
With four minutes left in the third quarter, the Herd had just 41 yards of total offense and four first downs, two of which had come as a result of penalty.
The lack of offense resulted in the defense being on the field for much of the first half.
Marshall linebacker Mario Harvey finished with a career-high 17 tackles, but the Herd allowed 40 points or more for the third time in three road contests this season. It was also the third time in three road games that the Herd had fallen behind at least 14-0.
âThey just had really good chemistry out there,â Marshall linebacker Mario Harvey said. âThey were connecting together and we couldnât get them off their game.â
The game was essentially over as soon as it began as Marshall continued its pattern of dismal first-quarter play.
A pre-game unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Southern Miss (4-1, 1-0) allowed Marshallâs Drew Stewart to kick the ball through the end zone for a touchback, but the Golden Eagles immediately took the ball and drove 80 yards for the game-opening score.
Quentin Pierce hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Austin Davis to cap the 14-play drive that featured three third-down conversions of seven yards or longer.
âI talked all week that our defense has to get their cleats in the ground and go play,â Holliday said.
âUnfortunately, they went 80 yards that first drive and we didnât get that done.â
Later in the quarter, Davis kept the football on a 6-yard rush up the middle to make it 14-0.
The Herdâs first five drives of the game resulted in just 30 yards of offense â 19 of which came on a run by
Martin Ward. During that span, Marshall ran 15 plays with 10 going for zero yards or negative yardage.
That lack of offensive production was compounded by second-quarter mistakes on special teams that pinned
Marshall deep in its own territory. All four of the Herdâs second-quarter drives started inside its own 10-yard line.
When the teams headed to the locker room at halftime, Southern Miss led 28-0 and had outgained the Herd 269-46.
Marshall had just three first downs in the first 30 minutes of play and the Golden Eagles had doubled the Herd in plays (50-23) and nearly done the same in time of possession (19:27 to 10:33).
Davis accounted for all four first-half touchdowns for Southern Miss, rushing for three and throwing for another.
He finished the contest 16-of-29 for 164 yards.
The Herd now has 10 days before its next game, a Wednesday, Oct. 13, home game against UCF. The game will be nationally-televised by ESPN.
The Herald-Dispatch
October 03, 2010 @ 12:58 AM
GRANT TRAYLOR
One word can sum up the 2010 Conference USA football opener for Marshall University.
Nightmare.
For the third consecutive road game, the Thundering Herd spotted its opposition a large lead en route to a humbling 41-16 loss Saturday night to Southern Miss in front of 27,518 fans at M.M. Roberts Stadium.
âI didnât think we played well in any phase. Special teams, we made too many mistakes,â Marshall head coach Doc Holliday said. âOffensively, too many penalties. We have to go back and get better as a football team.â
Southern Miss dominated the contest from start to finish, jumping out to a 31-0 lead early in the third quarter as Marshallâs offense was unable to find any rhythm.
When all was said and done Saturday night, the Herd ended with 180 yards of total offense and did not score on offense until Brian Anderson hit Aaron Dobson on a 6-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone with 5:45 remaining in the contest.
The touchdown came after Anderson had been pulled from the game at halftime in favor of A.J. Graham after going 4-of-13 for 16 yards in the first two quarters.
Graham was 10-of-12 for 98 yards in his time on the field, but left because of an ankle injury while driving Marshall (1-4, 0-1) down into the Southern Miss red zone. Graham was on crutches following the game and will be evaluated this week.
Prior to the late touchdown pass, special teams accounted for the Herdâs points as Troy Evans returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score in the third quarter and Marshall added a safety early in the fourth quarter when a snap went over the head of Southern Miss punter Peter Boehme and through the end zone.
Even with the plays made, the special teams unit still had a punt blocked and a punt that hit a blocker in the return unit â both of which resulted in short fields and 10 points for the Golden Eagles.
With four minutes left in the third quarter, the Herd had just 41 yards of total offense and four first downs, two of which had come as a result of penalty.
The lack of offense resulted in the defense being on the field for much of the first half.
Marshall linebacker Mario Harvey finished with a career-high 17 tackles, but the Herd allowed 40 points or more for the third time in three road contests this season. It was also the third time in three road games that the Herd had fallen behind at least 14-0.
âThey just had really good chemistry out there,â Marshall linebacker Mario Harvey said. âThey were connecting together and we couldnât get them off their game.â
The game was essentially over as soon as it began as Marshall continued its pattern of dismal first-quarter play.
A pre-game unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Southern Miss (4-1, 1-0) allowed Marshallâs Drew Stewart to kick the ball through the end zone for a touchback, but the Golden Eagles immediately took the ball and drove 80 yards for the game-opening score.
Quentin Pierce hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Austin Davis to cap the 14-play drive that featured three third-down conversions of seven yards or longer.
âI talked all week that our defense has to get their cleats in the ground and go play,â Holliday said.
âUnfortunately, they went 80 yards that first drive and we didnât get that done.â
Later in the quarter, Davis kept the football on a 6-yard rush up the middle to make it 14-0.
The Herdâs first five drives of the game resulted in just 30 yards of offense â 19 of which came on a run by
Martin Ward. During that span, Marshall ran 15 plays with 10 going for zero yards or negative yardage.
That lack of offensive production was compounded by second-quarter mistakes on special teams that pinned
Marshall deep in its own territory. All four of the Herdâs second-quarter drives started inside its own 10-yard line.
When the teams headed to the locker room at halftime, Southern Miss led 28-0 and had outgained the Herd 269-46.
Marshall had just three first downs in the first 30 minutes of play and the Golden Eagles had doubled the Herd in plays (50-23) and nearly done the same in time of possession (19:27 to 10:33).
Davis accounted for all four first-half touchdowns for Southern Miss, rushing for three and throwing for another.
He finished the contest 16-of-29 for 164 yards.
The Herd now has 10 days before its next game, a Wednesday, Oct. 13, home game against UCF. The game will be nationally-televised by ESPN.