Topic: Can UConn, the poor man's Iowa, force Marshall to play the Huskies' game...

[biggreenarms]

There's definitely been a drop-off, though, not necessarily in team ceiling but in team floor. Seven of Marshall's nine wins came by at least 16 points, and the Herd were occasionally dominant -- 31-10 over Southern Miss, 52-0 over FIU. But a younger team usually has trouble maintaining, and Marshall was a pretty young team. After beating Purdue by 10, the Herd lost to Ohio by 11. After handling Charlotte, they lost to MTSU. After crushing FIU, they lost to WKU by three touchdowns. An experienced defense has remained steady (Marshall ranks 36th in Def. S&P+), but the offense hasn't been reliable.

This was predictable. Quarterback Chase Litton is a freshman, senior running back Devon Johnson has missed half the season with a back injury, the leading non-Johnson rusher is a converted receiver and the offensive line features three freshman or sophomore starters.

The up-and-down nature of the Herd's performance makes this a tricky game to project. At their best, they have an efficient offense (if one lacking in big-play potential) and a defense that specializes in defending the pass and shutting drives down in the red zone. That team could be a nightmare matchup for a UConn team that is dreadful in the red zone and doesn't have the offensive efficiency necessary to score without big plays.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/12/22/10625958/st-petersburg-bowl-preview-marshall-connecticut

[wasbarryb]

Not trying to high-jack the thread, but as I read the first paragraph in the quote I found myself frequently thinking with only slight changes they could have been writing about the bball team.

Both teams could be described as young with a lot of upside into the future.


Barryb

[Green Dog]

I think that article is pretty much spot on.

One added thing I think will determine the outcome is how we start the game.
Our first few offensive possessions. Confidence plays a huge role in the college
game. Even more on a young team.

If we go three plays and a punt on our first two possessions, I'll be worried.

[svherd]

One things for sure. Litton has to play well. This will be his 10th game starting, the freshmen label came off a while ago. OL has to play well and we have to be efficient and score points. No TO's.