ACCESS BOWL ROULETTE: MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD

Over the next  few weeks we will be looking at G5 teams that stand the best chance to be the G5 representative to the "Access Bowl". We begin the series by looking at Marshall.

OVERVIEW
Let's begin with a quiz shall we? Which of the following statements about Marshall are false? A. Marshall has a tremendous pedigree in football. B. Marshall has won a National Championship in football. C. Marshall has recruited the best classes in Conf. USA for several years D. Marshall has more  3 star players on its roster than any other school in Conference USA. E. None of the above

Tic, tock, tic, tock. Okay, if you answered E, you answered correctly. Marshall is one of the few schools in the G5 that has a national brand. Marshall has, at times, struggled  to cash in on that national brand and make it work for them in ways that can propel their program to higher levels.

COACHING
In Dec of 2009, when AD Mike Hamrick announced that he was replacing  Mark Snyder with the excellent recruiter, but untested as yet West Virginia Assistant  Coach, Doc Holiday, the passionate and proud Thundering Herd fan base was ready for some good news.  The previous 5 years had seen Marshall  post a lackluster 22-37 record under Coach Snyder.  The fan base had also struggled through   an uneventful showing in Conf USA and felt the sting of NCAA sanctions that had been  placed on the Marshall program for the "mops for props"  scandal. These very real  drains on the Marshall program meant that Doc  Holiday was greeted by the somewhat weary and unsettled Herd family.

AD Mike Hamrick however, a son of Marshall himself , believed that Doc Holiday, would be able to bring his considerable recruiting skills and background to Huntington. Hamrick, must have believed, that since Marshal had a history of convincing gifted athletes to come to the small West Virginia town in the past, that history  might repeat itself  under Holiday. Hamrick's hunch  it turns out, was a good one, as Holiday and his deep relationships in places like Florida, have payed handsomely for the Thundering Herd program. Not only has Doc delivered on the recruiting front , but he has also managed to reinvigorate the Marshall fan base. In fact, if the recent star studded  2014 Marshall Spring Game held in Huntington is any indication of how excited people are right now, then this year could prove to be a banner year in terms of fan support for the team.

WHY MARSHALL WILL BE THE G5 REPRESENTATIVE TO THE ACCESS BOWL:

Many inside and outside  the Marshall camp believe that this is the year that all of the pieces of the program will come together. Marshall's schedule provides the Thundering Herd with a real opportunity to run the tables this year. An undefeated Marshall team would be hard to keep out of the Access Bowl, especially if some of the other contenders, UCF, ECU, CINCY, BOISE STATE ,FRESNO STATE , and HOUSTON have at least one loss in their respective schedules.

Additionally, Marshall  has some of the best athletes in the G5 world. Examples  of  this talent can be found in players like All Conference QB, Rakeem Cato, an OL with 3 returning all Conf USA players, and a  stellar back field( Kevin Grooms, the talented back will need to stay out of trouble to give Marshall their best shot at winning) . These three components on their own will  provide Def Coordinators with some very real and difficult challenges to deal with. Cato in fact, should be a top 5 Heisman  candidate . Only his G5 status is keeping him  from this honor right now. The Thundering Herd will have to replace NFL bound star  Gator Hoskins, but with players  like Devon Johnson(TE)(correction from earlier post) , waiting to show what they can do, the Herd should be more than capable on the offensive side of the ball.

If offensive has been the golden ticket  for Marshall, then their defense has been the ticket no one wants to buy  . This, however,  began to change last year , as 1st  year Def Cord. Chuck Heater helped the Thundering Herd  defense make a substantial turn around. Chuck has done a phenomenal job at Marshall. He has taken  an undisciplined  but talented unit, and shaped them into a cohesive bunch. Heater also does  a good job mixing up play  calls, taking advantage of the athletes he has on the D line. Finally,  4 star Va Tech transfer Donaldven Manning, should make a very good secondary even better.


WHY MARSHALL WILL NOT BE THE G5 REPRESENTATIVE TO THE ACCESS BOWL

With all of the  superlatives Marshall possess, why are they not the favorite to represent the  G5 in the  ACCESS BOWL? In a word, inconsistency. Marshall, in spite of the talent it has recruited, has struggled with staying consistent   since Doc has been head coach.

These inconsistencies are sometimes found in clock management, game management and the inability to win away games when they matter. The losses to OHIO, MTSU  in last years regular season and the loss to RICE in the Conference USA Championship game, seem to suggest that Marshall still has some work to do before they can be considered the front runner for the G5 access spot.

CONCLUSION
 Cato and company will have to transcend their away game blues  and the coaching staff will have to work hard to transform the talented Marshall players from simply  individuals on the football field to a cohesive, community minded team.  If these two things happen during the regular season, then  Thundering Herd fans have a very good shot at watching their team play in the Access Bowl.