Topic: Team's biggest concern: getting healthy

[pdunn]

How many are out?--I've lost count.  And on top of that how many are playing hurt and not 100%?

We really need an open week now but we don't get one until just before the WKU game.

[herdfan429]

Yeah I don't know why we are so banged up. I don't know if it's a conditioning issue or just bad luck football injuries or a combination of both

[herdadreh]

We are a pretty bad football team. If we get all our guys back, then we will just be a half-bad football team.

[jocktalker]

Yeah I don't know why we are so banged up. I don't know if it's a conditioning issue or just bad luck football injuries or a combination of both

I've seen a lot over the years. Doc seems to have confidence in his strength and conditioning program but he's been known to spread the hyperbole around when it comes to his program.

Sometimes certain teams just seem snake bitten but most of the time it comes down to either conditioning and/ or lack of quality depth.

[goherd24]

Playing a couple very physical football teams in Purdue and Kent State doesn't  help. Say ehat you will about both of them, but they hit hard and were very physical football games. ODU is basically a bye week, and if it isn't,  then it doesn't  matter anymore

[ought-three]

Playing a couple very physical football teams in Purdue and Kent State doesn't  help. Say ehat you will about both of them, but they hit hard and were very physical football games. ODU is basically a bye week, and if it isn't,  then it doesn't  matter anymore

That's a good assessment. I agree.

[banker]

And OU, while not physically gifted, is also physical. Both the MAC teams we played are also primarily cut block teams, which takes a toll.

[svherd]

On paper, other than Charlotte, ODU will be the weakest team we play. Good game to rest DJ, Van Horn and others to get them healthy for USM. We'll need them 100% against the Eagles.

[jocktalker]

Playing a couple very physical football teams in Purdue and Kent State doesn't  help. Say ehat you will about both of them, but they hit hard and were very physical football games. ODU is basically a bye week, and if it isn't,  then it doesn't  matter anymore

Excellent point.  Playing physical teams requires quality depth which was my  .  Point.

[goherd24]

On paper, other than Charlotte, ODU will be the weakest team we play. Good game to rest DJ, Van Horn and others to get them healthy for USM. We'll need them 100% against the Eagles.

I agree 110%. Id treat it like an FCS game, because it is. Not saying overlook them completely, but could easily rest our hurt players and handle them comfortably. Our defense is honestly surprisingly good considering what we lost, i feel confident with them om the field, rven though the stats say otherwise, but they are very skewed by a struggling offense.

[Big City]

We are a pretty bad football team. If we get all our guys back, then we will just be a half-bad football team.

And yet somehow this bad football team found a way to win Saturday. This bad football team made a ton of mistakes in Athens and they were in the game the entire time right down to the end.

The thing I like is they keep fighting. I haven't seen anyone quit or give up. Get these guys back and playing and I think Marshall will be just fine. It may not be what we all want ( or what any of us envisioned) but I'll take a win any which way it comes.

If they were bad they'd be 1-3.

[IM4DHERD]

Birdsong
Van Horn
Johnson
Petty
Lang?

Plus non-injury - Butler, Leggett, AJL

Five listed injured are in pretty much the 4 most important positions on the field - QB, Middle LB, RB, Left Tackle, Safety.  3-1 with these guys out or dinged isn't bad. 

Reminds me a bit of a couple/few years back when we lost all 4 starting DBs from end of spring to first game due to injury or being kicked off the team and people wondered why we weren't playing press coverage.

[herdman]

Good thing is our next opponent has been outscored 87 to 14 in their last two games both of which were at their home field.

They are ugly bad.

[Thunders77]

Birdsong
Van Horn
Johnson
Petty
Lang?

Plus non-injury - Butler, Leggett, AJL

Five listed injured are in pretty much the 4 most important positions on the field - QB, Middle LB, RB, Left Tackle, Safety.  3-1 with these guys out or dinged isn't bad.  

Reminds me a bit of a couple/few years back when we lost all 4 starting DBs from end of spring to first game due to injury or being kicked off the team and people wondered why we weren't playing press coverage.

Don't forget your backup RB Remi Watson is also out. Basically the top three backs heading into the season are out (Johnson, He who shall not be named for being not so smart and getting kicked off, and Watson.)

The offensive line has been patch work since the opener. You have two guys out on the line at any given time it seems and Marshall has had issues blocking some better than most people realize LBs and DEs from Ohio and Kent.

The starter at QB is out and we are playing a freshman.

The top returning receiver had poor work ethic and was dismissed from the team prior to the start of the season.

So...basically, you have a very young offense, with serious injury issues, that is making due with what it has and has managed to win three out of four.

[IM4DHERD]

Forgot about Remi.  Not excuses, but hopefully a lot of good reasons for what is happening.   If they are the reasons, then healing might be all we need.  I imagine we would have had a much better showing vs. the KSU defense if Van Horn was in and Johnson was healthy.

OSU and Alabama can plug and play.  We, for the most part, have serious drop-off from 1st team to 2nd and worse to 3rd.

[jt]

Having the weakest schedule in all of D-1 football has advantages. It is a good time to heal injuries and get our (many) younger players some experience, even though the experience is at a much lower level. Under the circumstances, we seem to have enough depth to (mostly) get the job done. But, definitely tougher times are coming for us later in the year.
The real key - QB - is getting much needed experience and hopefully the game keeps slowing down for him, regardless of the opposition.