Hello There, Guest! (LoginRegister)

Poll: Is the Marshall vs App State game the most important for CUSA and Sun Belt in decades?
Very Important
Not Important
Somewhat Important
Not Very Important
Neutral (no opinion)
[Show Results]
 
Post Reply 
POLL: How important is the Marshall vs App State game?
Author Message
Bookmark and Share
DogsWin1 Offline
1st String
*

Posts: 2,405
Joined: Apr 2013
Reputation: 341
I Root For: Louisiana Tech
Location:
Post: #261
RE: POLL: How important is the Marshall vs App State game?
Hey now, what just happened? Somebody changed some of the votes in the poll.
Did the Democrats take over this thread?
09-18-2020 10:42 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
ericsaid Offline
Heisman
*

Posts: 9,233
Joined: May 2013
Reputation: 227
I Root For: App. State/ECU
Location: High Point, NC
Post: #262
RE: POLL: How important is the Marshall vs App State game?
Important to App because they are ranked. Important to Marshall because if they win, they will be ranked. Perception of Marshall is sky high right now thanks to a win over the Mighty Colonels of Eastern Kentucky so it should be interesting.

I'd say the game is more important to App due to the increasing visibility of the program dating back to taking Penn State to overtime (erasing a 24-10 deficit to take a 38-31 lead with 52 seconds left) and vying for NY6 last season. As seen on this board, "App isn't a true Top 25 team" is a popular sentiment. AAC gives more credit to the Sun Belt and App than C-USA fans tend to which seems to define the issue as envy rather than anything else. I'm sure that thought process is pervasive.

For the Sun Belt, it's another opportunity after taking the Big 12 to task. If App blows Marshall up at their place on CBS, following the hype of last weekend, this season could be catalyst forcing the powers that be of the shift in power that we all know occurred in 2016. If App wins, both Louisiana and App will maintain rankings and likely continue to climb, should both continue to win, until their match-up on ESPN in October.

For Marshall, it's an opportunity to prove that beating EKU badly matters. I don't take much from FCS wins over a program playing for nothing this year while the media took a narrative and ran with it. However, that narrative has led to a situation where a Marshall win could enable Marshall to get back to the Top 25 for the first time since barely missing the NY6.
09-18-2020 12:00 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
CoachMaclid Offline
All American
*

Posts: 3,421
Joined: Oct 2006
Reputation: 341
I Root For: Marshall
Location:
Post: #263
RE: POLL: How important is the Marshall vs App State game?
(09-18-2020 12:00 PM)ericsaid Wrote:  For Marshall, it's an opportunity to prove that beating EKU badly matters. I don't take much from FCS wins over a program playing for nothing this year while the media took a narrative and ran with it. However, that narrative has led to a situation where a Marshall win could enable Marshall to get back to the Top 25 for the first time since barely missing the NY6.

The reason for that reaction is that Marshall has largely struggled at the QB position for the last five seasons. Our QB the past two seasons seemed to have some tools, but if EA Sports still made the NCAA Football series he'd have a pass accuracy rating of 40. The previous QB to him had zero chemistry with the lockerroom and in his three years as a starter I believe he was never voted to be a team captain (along with several stories about his lack of leadership on the team). Despite that, we've largely had a team and defense good enough to be an 8-4 "second place" type team and we had a 6-game bowl win streak before our QB completed three passes to UCF defenders in last year's bowl game before he found a connection with the first Herd player that game.

There were several throws Wells made against EKU we haven't seen since Cato graduated. If he can freeze defenders with his eyes and then drop it perfectly between defenders against other FBS competition like he has against EKU or in practice, the Marshall has a chance to emerge from this 5-year sleepwalk we've been in and start to resemble our former selves.
(This post was last modified: 09-18-2020 12:42 PM by CoachMaclid.)
09-18-2020 12:38 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
ericsaid Offline
Heisman
*

Posts: 9,233
Joined: May 2013
Reputation: 227
I Root For: App. State/ECU
Location: High Point, NC
Post: #264
RE: POLL: How important is the Marshall vs App State game?
(09-18-2020 12:38 PM)CoachMaclid Wrote:  
(09-18-2020 12:00 PM)ericsaid Wrote:  For Marshall, it's an opportunity to prove that beating EKU badly matters. I don't take much from FCS wins over a program playing for nothing this year while the media took a narrative and ran with it. However, that narrative has led to a situation where a Marshall win could enable Marshall to get back to the Top 25 for the first time since barely missing the NY6.

The reason for that reaction is that Marshall has largely struggled at the QB position for the last five seasons. Our QB the past two seasons seemed to have some tools, but if EA Sports still made the NCAA Football series he'd have a pass accuracy rating of 40. The previous QB to him had zero chemistry with the lockerroom and in his three years as a starter I believe he was never voted to be a team captain (along with several stories about his lack of leadership on the team). Despite that, we've largely had a team and defense good enough to be an 8-4 "second place" type team and we had a 6-game bowl win streak before our QB completed three passes to UCF defenders in last year's bowl game before he found a connection with the first Herd player that game.

There were several throws Wells made against EKU we haven't seen since Cato graduated. If he can freeze defenders with his eyes and then drop it perfectly between defenders against other FBS competition like he has against EKU or in practice, the Marshall has a chance to emerge from this 5-year sleepwalk we've been in and start to resemble our former selves.

I watched the Marshall - EKU game real time. There were a lot of things EKU did wrong that aided Wells in looking as good as he did. Many of his throws were downfield dimes that would be hard to defend for any one. However, he had all day to throw those balls and the receivers were able to get out into their routes without pause.

That won't happen against App very often. He will begin making these throws on the run, will have to come off his first read to a 2nd and 3rd, will have to make pre and post snap reads to diagnose pressure points from the defense. Stats, really since 2015 haven't dropped off for App's defense and it's about as consistent as you can be from year to year.

He looked good and like he will be a high quality guy for four years but a freshman going against an upperclassmen laden defense isn't a recipe for great success no matter who you are playing. If the roles were reversed and App had a freshman QB playing Marshall's defense I'd be a little wary for the same reasons.

I feel like everyone expecting a 38-34 type game are going to be sorely disappointed. This will devolve into a slugfest before it evolves into a shootout. Would expect the winner to have anywhere from 24 to 38 and the loser to have probably just over 20 points. Charlotte was the first C-USA team to score more than 3 TD's against App since 2014 when USM put up 21, as well. That includes MTSU's runner-up team, UAB's runner-up team, and ODU's runner-up team (9-3). Transitive property doesn't work well but Marshall's offense under Doc hasn't been one for shootouts, that I've seen.
09-18-2020 02:28 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
CoachMaclid Offline
All American
*

Posts: 3,421
Joined: Oct 2006
Reputation: 341
I Root For: Marshall
Location:
Post: #265
RE: POLL: How important is the Marshall vs App State game?
Acknowledged that EKU to App is more than just a step up in division. Heck, our OL only allowed EKU to violated 6-foot social distancing once on GrantWells last week! However, this line didn't falter last year against Boise, UCF, or anyone in our league. That OL is not my concern at all about this game. I'm worried about the receiving corp being able to answer the bell.

We lost our true deep WR1 deep threat who grad transferred to Oklahoma. We did get receivers in open space way too easy against EKU, and that's what's going to tighten against ASU. Our receivers didn't always win their individual matchups last year, and that's where we're still somewhat vulnerable. Our most athletic out is actually our TE, Xavier Gaines. He came here as a 4-star QB/ATH from Florida, but ultimately became a TE. We use him some in wildcat, as a receiver, as a blocker, as a rusher. I actually expect him to throw a pass tomorrow (FUN FACT: During spring, our backup TE Garet Morrell led all returners with 290 yards passing and 4 passing TD's. Our second leading returning passer was the starting TE!) Gaines is a playmaker, but we have to get our QB some space to deliver. That's what I'm looking for primarily in this game.
09-18-2020 11:10 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
mturn017 Offline
ODU Homer
*

Posts: 16,735
Joined: May 2012
Reputation: 1592
I Root For: Old Dominion
Location: Roanoke, VA
Post: #266
RE: POLL: How important is the Marshall vs App State game?
09-19-2020 05:56 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
12thmonarch Offline
Heisman
*

Posts: 7,893
Joined: Apr 2013
Reputation: 246
I Root For: ODU
Location: Buford, GA
Post: #267
RE: POLL: How important is the Marshall vs App State game?
(09-19-2020 05:56 PM)mturn017 Wrote:  [Image: 0-FEBB4-A0-45-F6-4-F8-A-AC7-A-ABFE091-C5-DA5.png]
50 sided dice

That's right, pay up time.
09-19-2020 05:58 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
rileylives Offline
Heisman
*

Posts: 8,703
Joined: Nov 2011
Reputation: 814
I Root For: Marshall
Location:
Post: #268
RE: POLL: How important is the Marshall vs App State game?
This is the kind of win on national tv which will definitely do wonders for all of us.

Proud to represent CUSA.

Now Judy, stop screwing us over in the conference race!

Thanks to all the great App State fans this week.
(This post was last modified: 09-19-2020 08:01 PM by rileylives.)
09-19-2020 08:00 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Post Reply 




User(s) browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)


Copyright © 2002-2024 Collegiate Sports Nation Bulletin Board System (CSNbbs), All Rights Reserved.
CSNbbs is an independent fan site and is in no way affiliated to the NCAA or any of the schools and conferences it represents.
This site monetizes links. FTC Disclosure.
We allow third-party companies to serve ads and/or collect certain anonymous information when you visit our web site. These companies may use non-personally identifiable information (e.g., click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over) during your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services likely to be of greater interest to you. These companies typically use a cookie or third party web beacon to collect this information. To learn more about this behavioral advertising practice or to opt-out of this type of advertising, you can visit http://www.networkadvertising.org.
Powered By MyBB, © 2002-2024 MyBB Group.