25 Questions Zane Grey Can Answer

What is their body of work?

Marshall left the MAC in 2004 (for the second time).  For eight seasons, it did not go great.  Starting with 2013, they went 63-40.  Most of that success came under Doc Holliday who was fired after going 7-3 in 2020, of all things and being the coach of the year in the conference.  Their new Coach was a Saban guy and was 7-6 last year.  This year is their first year in the Sun Belt and they are 2-0.  You might have heard they won in South Bend.

Steele had them second in their division behind App State.  BG leads the series 21-8 and 9-1 at the Doyt.  Remember, Marshall has been in the MAC twice.

The last meeting was a 44-28  BG won in 2010, a Clawson era game.

How experienced are they?

They have 27 juniors and seniors on the depth chart, which is a lot.

Who are their pre-season all-conference players?

RB| Rasheem Ali (1st)

LB | Abraham  Beauplan (1st)

WR| Corey Gammage (2nd)

OT | Kendrick Sartor (2nd)

LB | Eli Neal (2nd)

DB | Steven  Gilmore (2nd)

DT | Isaiah Gibson (3rd)

DB | Micah Abraham (3rd)

What is their turnover ratio? 

They are +5 so far this year.

Offense

How is their QB play?

He's good in their offense. His name is Henry Columbi, who played previously at Utah State and Texas Tech.  He leads the nation with 85% completions. That's only for 350 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT.  His efficiency rating is #35 in NCAA. He's not a big threat to run .

What is their scoring and yards per play

They are scoring 27 a game, but gaining at 6.4 yards per play, which is in the top 25.

Can they run the ball?

Yes they can.  Their top 2 backs average 6.5 yards per carry and their pre-season All-SBC back has not played yet and was back in practice this week.  Laborn was 31-163 in South Bend (Florida State transfer).

Do they pass the ball?

As mentioned, they are highly efficient with a high rate of completion, but 9 yards per reception. Their long pass play of the year is 20 yards.

How is their run/pass balance?

They have run on 68% of their plays.

Do they convert on 3rd Down?

They are not great at 44%, which is about average.

Do they score in the red zone?

They are not great, 4.5 points per trip.

Do they protect the quarterback?

Not really.  They have been sacked 5 times in 52 attempts.

Defense:

Topline: Scoring and yards per play

This is their real strength.  Their DC is Lance Guidry, who was head coach at McNeese State and a noted defensive coach.  (He was interim coach for Miami in the 2010 GoDaddy Bowl).  Each position group was #1 or #2 in Sun Belt, according to Steele. They have allowed 13.5 PPG and allow 3.9 yards per play, #13 in the country.

Do they defend the run effectively?

Marshall was founded so long ago that it pre-dates 
the founding of West Virginia itself.

They do.  They allow 2.3 yards per rush, #20 in the country,

Can they be passed on?

No.  They are #20 in team pass defense. They allow 52% completions, 11 yards per completion and 1 TD over 4 INT. 

Do they get off the field on 3rd down?

They do.  Opponents are 5-25 on 3rd down, #8 in the country.

Do they defend in the red zone?

They have no red zone stops...but they have allowed only 4, which is the best red zone defense.

Do they pressure the QB?

They get sacks on 7.7% of pass attempts, which is pretty good.

Special Teams:

Punting?

Their punting is not good.  He's new and #122 in the country--9 spots behind  BG.  He has been blocked once.

Punt Return?

They have returned only 2 for negative yards.  No blocks.

Placekicking? 

He's new.  4-4 for so far, long of 30.  No blocks.

The Marshall nickname came from this
1925 Zane Grey novel.

Kickoff? 

Good.  Teams start on the 22.  7 TBs.

Kickoff Return?

Nothing great here.  No TDs.

Intangible Miscellany

Well, if this is going to be a happy homecoming, BG is going to need one of those Minnesota-UT
miracle performances.  On paper, this is a tough game and a way-worse matchup.  Our offense has struggled mightily and Marshall has a shut down defense.  That alone is an issue.  Then, Marshall has a great running attack and will keep our defense on the field, which would lead to fatigue/depth problems in the second half. 

BG is a 16.5 point underdog.  We've  blown through bigger spreads than that.  This one would be every bit as improbable.  

One thing:  could Marshall have a little bit of a hangover? Yes, they could.  Whether it's enough--and BG raises its game enough--would be seriously in doubt.