Topic: WV MetroNews: Herd has figured out 1st quarter

[ZackUSAF82]

By Dave Wilson in Marshall Sports

HUNTINGTON, W.Va.—Remember several weeks ago when the anxiety of Herd fans had reached critical levels over Marshall’s sluggish starts?  The Herd’s offense had been sputtering out of the gate against most of the season and it was taking well into the second quarter before it found its rhythm.  In games against FAU and Middle Tennessee State, The Herd’s offense came out of the lockerroom resembling a Ford Fiesta stuck on a snowy West Virginia hillside.

Since then, Marshall’s offense has performed like a fine tuned Ferrari, blowing by opposing defenses leaving opponents heads’ spinning trying to figure out what just happened.  On the flip side the defense has created turnovers on the first drive of two of the last three games and has forced the opposition out of their gameplans.

The Herd’s numbers in the first quarter of the last three games are down right scary if you’re an opposing defensive coordinator.  Marshall is outscoring opponents 70-7 in the opening quarter of the last three games and gained 575 total yards.  Quarterback Rakeem Cato is 22-for-36 passing for 426 yards and eight touchdowns.

Link: http://wvmetronews.com/2013/11/20/herd-has-figured-out-1st-quarter/