Topic: Daily Mail: Herd 'D' shows signs of maturity

[ZackUSAF82]

by Derek Redd
Sports writer

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall defense came off the field late in the second quarter of its game versus Miami University the victim of its second big play of the game, a 47-yard completion from Austin Boucher to Rokeem Williams that put the RedHawks in Marshall's red zone and led to a touchdown that tied the game at 14-14.

Marshall's defense allowing the more-than-occasional big play was nothing new following last year's nightmarish season. The Herd allowed 31 plays of 30 yards or more through 12 games of 2012. So when that 47-yarder, and a 45-yard first-quarter strike from Boucher to Dawan Scott, popped up against Marshall last Saturday, no one could have been blamed for wondering if the new Herd 'D' could shake old habits.

After the second touchdown, senior defensive end Jeremiah Taylor walked the sideline ready to offer encouraging words to any fellow defender whose shoulders had slumped in disappointment. There were times last year, he later admitted, that those big plays began to wear on the defense's psyche. When an opponent struck for a long gain, that here-we-go-again feeling would return.

Link: http://www.dailymail.com/Sports/MUSports/201309050215