2008 Marshall Thundering Herd Season

2008 Marshall Thundering Herd Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

2008 Marshall Thundering Herd

Nov. 29
Tulsa 38 … Marshall 35
Tarrion Adams ran for three short touchdowns and Jarod Tracy broke a 35-35 tie with a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to give Tulsa the win and a spot in the Conference USA title game. Marshall was able to keep pace on Darius Passmore touchdown catches from 42 and 12 yards out, and the running game came through with a 69-yard scoring run from Chubb Small and a 53-yard dash from Terrell Edwards. But the Tulsa offense kept on moving, finishing with 516 yards.
Player of the game: Tulsa RB Tarrion Adams ran 30 times for 123 yards and three touchdowns, and he caught a pass for 13 yards
Stat Leaders: Marshall - Passing: Brian Anderson, 14-19, 177 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Darius Marshall, 18-94. Receiving: Darius Passmore, 6-73, 2 TD
Tulsa - Passing: David Johnson, 21-33, 313 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Tarrion Adams, 30-123, 3 TD. Receiving: Damaris Johnson, 8-88, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... While Marshall’s disappointing season ended on a four-game losing streak, the team showed up for the loss to Tulsa. The defeat was the third this year by three points or less as the offense couldn’t come up with the key late drive to answer the Tulsa scores. Going into next year, the Herd has to find a stronger passing game. Brian Anderson was on against the Golden Hurricane, and the team was in it. When there was nothing through the air, the team struggled to move the ball.

- 2008 Marshall Preview
- 2007 Marshall Season

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 7-5
2008 Record: 4-8

Aug. 30 Illinois State W 35-10
Sept. 6 at Wisconsin L 51-14
Sept. 13 Memphis W 17-16
Sept. 20 at So Miss W 34-27
Sept. 27 at West Virginia L 27-3
Oct. 3 Cincinnati L 33-10
Oct. 11 OPEN DATE
Oct. 18 at UAB L 23-21
Oct. 28 Houston W 37-23
Nov. 1 OPEN DATE
Nov. 8 at E Carolina L 19-16 OT
Nov. 15 UCF L 30-14
Nov. 22 at Rice L 35-10
Nov. 29 Tulsa L 38-35

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2007 Record: 3-9

Sept. 1 at Miami  L 31-3
Sept. 8 West Virginia L 48-23
Sept. 15 N Hampshire L 48-35
Sept. 22 at Cincinnati L 40-14
Oct. 2 at Memphis L 24-21
Oct. 13 at Tulsa L 38-31
Oct. 21 So Miss L 33-24
Oct. 27 Rice W 34-21
Nov. 3 at UCF L 47-13
Nov. 10 East Carolina W 26-7
Nov. 17 at Houston L 35-28
Nov. 24 UAB W 46-39

Nov. 22
Rice 35 … Marshall 10
Chase Clement became the Conference USA all-time leader in touchdowns as he threw for four scores, including two to Jarett Dillard from 27 and 13 yards out, and he ran for a 12-yard score in the blowout. Marshall made it a 7-7 tie on a nine-yard Cody Slate catch, but that was it for making it competitive. Rice outgained the Herd 456 yards to 268, making the game a blowout on a 44-yard play from Corbin Smiter.
Player of the game: Rice QB Chase Clement completed 25-of-41 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns with an interception, and he ran 10 times for 53 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Marshall - Passing: Mark Cann, 13-24, 83 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Darius Marshall 24-118. Receiving: Cody Slate, 7-37, 1 TD
Rice - Passing: Chase Clement, 25-41, 315 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: C.J. Ugokwe, 19-79. Receiving: Jarett Dillard, 6-88, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Marshall’s season has gone in the tank with a streak of six losses in the last seven games hurt mainly by a lack of offensive scoring punch. The running game is fine, but if the defense isn’t coming up with stops, like it didn’t do against Rice, then it’s up to the passing game to try to make things happen. Mark Cann threw for 83 yards on 24 passes; that’s not going to get it done against a team playing as well as Rice. Uh oh … now Tulsa is coming up next. The passing attack had better be ready to produce.

Nov. 15
UCF 30 … Marshall 14
Sha'reff Rashad picked off two passes and Jamar Newsome recovered a fumble for a score as the UCF defense held Marshall to 229 yards and forced four turnovers. The UCF offense only completed 4-of-17 passes for 29 yards, but it got a big day from Brynn Harvey who ran for 150 yards with a 50-yard touchdown dash to put the game away. Marshall scored on a one-yard Chubb Small run and a 15-yard Cody Slate catch, but the turnovers and lack of run defense proved costly.
Player of the game: UCF RB Brynn Harvey ran 33 times for 150 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Marshall - Passing: Brian Anderson, 3-12, 52 yds
Rushing: Darius Marshall, 16-142. Receiving: Cody Slate, 2-46, 1 TD
UCF - Passing: Rob Calabrese, 4-17, 29 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Brynn Harvey, 33-150, 1 TD. Receiving: Khymest Williams, 2-12
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... What was that? Marshall’s secondary didn’t have to breathe hard against the awful UCF passing game, but the offense couldn’t stop turning the ball over and the run defense struggled way too much against a mediocre ground attack. Now the Herd is really in trouble. A bowl game was there for the taking a few weeks ago, but now the Herd has to beat Rice and Tulsa, two of the three best teams in the league, to be eligible. The offense has to be mistake-free to have a shot.  

Nov. 8
East Carolina 19 … Marshall 16 OT
Ben Hartman missed a 43-yard field goal with three seconds to play, but he made up for it by nailing a 27-yarder in overtime to give East Carolina the win. Tyler Warner missed a 42-yarder for Marshall in OT. Hartman had also connected on field goals from 31, 51 and 21 yards away, while Patrick Pinkney connected with Davon Drew for a five-yard touchdown pass late in the first half. Marshall got two Cody Slate touchdown catches from seven and 34 yards out, but the extra point was botched on the first one and it would later prove costly.
Player of the game: East Carolina QB Patrick Pinkney completed 26-of-37 passes for 287 yards and a touchdown and ran for 13 yards.
Stat Leaders: Marshall - Passing: Mark Cann, 13-29, 137 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Darius Marshall, 20-123. Receiving: Cody Slate, 5-62, 2 TD
East Carolina - Passing: Patrick Pinkney, 26-37, 287 yds,
Rushing: Norman Whitley, 23-68. Receiving: Dwayne Harris, 5-39
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Marshall has been extremely mediocre in all phases on offense, but the defense is doing a decent job. It bent, but didn’t break all that often against East Carolina, especially against the run. Offensively, Mark Cann couldn’t find his touch with way too many misfires and two interceptions, but he came up with the big drive needed late in the game that eventually forced overtime. Now the tough tasks are up. MU has to win two of its final three games against UCF, Rice and Tulsa to go bowling.

Oct. 28
Marshall 37 ... Houston 23
Marshall jumped out to a 30-3 lead with a stunning first three quarters. Mark Cann threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, with his five-yard throw to Emmanuel Spann coming off a fumble return on a goal line stand. Craig Rantanamorn added three field goals in the run. Houston made it interesting late with Bryce Beall running for a short score and catching a 14-yard touchdown pass, and Kierrie Johnson taking a pass 59 yard for a score. Houston's Kenneth Fontenette made 19 tackles.
Player of the game: Marshall DE Michael Janac made nine tackles with 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss with a forced fumble.
Stat Leaders: Marshall - Passing: Mark Cann, 15-25, 157 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Darius Marshall 15-102, 1 TD. Receiving: Emmanuel Spann, 5-33, 1 TD
Houston - Passing: Case Keenum, 22-41, 217 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Bryce Beall, 14-68, 1 TD. Receiving: Tyron Carrier, 6-104
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Just when it was needed the most, and after the disaster against UAB ten days ago, the Marshall defense came up with a tremendous performance in the win over Houston to turn the season around. Now, the Conference USA title dream is back on at 3-1 so far going into an off-week. The offense took advantage of every opportunity with Mark Cann coming up with a good, efficient game both with his leg and his arm, but this win was on the defense. It took its foot off the gas late, but it held the high-powered Cougars under wraps allowing just three points for most of the first three quarters. Could this be the win that turns around the program and the Mark Snyder era? It's possible, but that might only be true with a win at East Carolina coming up next.

Oct. 18
UAB 23 … Marshall 21
Joe Webb ran for 135 yards with a 28-yard touchdown dash to cap off a 93-yard drive to get up just enough to keep Marshall at bay. The Herd tried to mount a comeback attempt, and did it with the defense with a 62-yard fumble return for a score from Mario Harvey. The offense sputtered in the second half, failing to score with a missed field goal and turnovers. In the first half, Mark Cann hit Cody Slate with a 20-yard touchdown pass and Darius Passmore took a pass 71 yards for a score. For UAB, Webb accounted for 352 of the team’s 432 yards of offense.
Player of the game: UAB QB Joe Webb completed 15-of-28 passes for 217 yards and ran 20 times for 135 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Marshall - Passing: Mark Cann, 16-26, 237 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Chubb Small, 15-50. Receiving: Darius Passmore, 6-165, 1 TD
UAB - Passing: Joe Web, 15-28, 217 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Joe Webb, 20-135, 1 TD. Receiving: Mario Wright, 4-60
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Marshall is supposed to be in the hunt for the Conference USA title, but it isn’t playing like it with a three-game losing streak just when it needs to start rolling. Losing to UAB wasn’t a plus with Houston and East Carolina up next, and to get by those two, there can’t be the turnovers there were against the Blazers. More from the running game is a must after only coming up with 82 yards on 30 carries and no big plays.

Oct. 3
Cincinnati 33 ... Marshall 10
It took a little while, but the Cincinnati offense finally started to move under new starting quarterback Chazz Anderson. The Bearcats started off the scoring on a blocked punt for a safety, and then the offense kicked in with a 21-yard John Goebel scoring run and a 14-yard touchdown catch from Dominick Goodman. Marshall managed a 50-yard field goal from Craig Ratanamorn and a 57-yard touchdown catch from Cody Slate to pull within six, and then Anderson took over throwing a seven-yard scoring pass to Goodman and running for a one-yard score as the Bearcats scored the final 17 points. Marshall turned it over three times and was held to 90 yards on the ground.
Player of the game: Cincinnati QB Chazz Anderson completed 16-of-26 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for a score
Stat Leaders: Cincinnati - Passing: Chazz Anderson, 16-26, 158 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jacob Ramsey, 17-99. Receiving: Dominick Goodman, 6-51, 2 TD
Marshall - Passing: Mark Cann, 17-36, 178 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Chubb Small, 7-62. Receiving: Cody Slate, 7-95, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Alright, so the offense doesn't work against West Virginia, Cincinnati and Wisconsin. The defense generated a little bit of pressure into the Bearcat backfield, but it didn't generate enough big plays to overcome a lousy night from the offense. Take away the 57-yard touchdown play from Cody Slate, and the offense managed just 211 yards with little from the rushing attack and three interceptions thrown by Mark Cann. They weren't all Cann's fault, but the offense can't afford the turnovers when it's struggling.

Sept. 27
West Virginia 27 … Marshall 3
West Virginia had few problems disposing of its in-state rival as Noel Devine ran for a four-yard score and Pat White threw two touchdown passes hitting Dorrell Jalloh from 21 yards out and Jock Sanders from five yards away. However, White left the game with a thumb/hand injury and didn’t return. Pat McAfee hit two field goals and the Mountaineer defense did the rest. The Herd only managed a 34-yard Tyler Warner field goal and 158 yards of total offense.
Player of the game: West Virginia QB Pat White went 17-of-21 for 130 yards and two touchdown passes, running 11 times for 61 yards.
Stat Leaders: Marshall - Passing: Mark Cann, 15-36, 119 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Darius Marshall, 16-45. Receiving: Darius Passmore, 4-39
West Virginia - Passing: Pat White, 17-21, 130 yds, 2 TDs
Rushing: Noel Devine, 14-125, 1 TD. Receiving: Jock Sanders, 8-60, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The offense that made such tremendous strides in Conference USA play in wins over Memphis and Southern Miss went into the tank against West Virginia. The Mountaineers had a lot to do with that, but the running game went nowhere, netting just 39 yards, and the passing game fizzled. The problems began on a line that couldn’t handle the West Virginia defensive front, while the Herd defense couldn’t generate enough pressure to throw off the Mountaineer attack. Now comes a battle with Cincinnati before an off-week.

Sept. 20
Marshall 34 … Southern Miss 27
Marshall got a 27-yard touchdown catch and an 80-yard touchdown run from Darius Passmore, and Darius Marshall ran for an 18-yard score as Marshall held off Southern Miss. Austin Davis ran for a 12-yard score to pull the Golden Eagles within seven, but a late interception from Maurice Kitchens led to the Marshall score to put the game away. USM started the scoring with a 68-yard touchdown catch from DeAndre Brown, and ended it with a two-yard Damion Fletcher run, but penalties and problems against the run proved costly.
Player of the game: Marshall WR Darius Passmore caught nine passes for 139 yards and a touchdown, and ran twice for 76 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Marshall - Passing: Mark Cann, 16-25, 228 yds, 2 TDs
Rushing: Darius Marshall, 30-112, 1 TD. Receiving: Darius Passmore, 9-139, 1 TD
Southern Miss - Passing: Austin Davis, 27-49, 308 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Damion Fletcher, 21-82, 1 TD. Receiving: Gerald Baptiste, 5-59
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Marshall showed surprising offensive pop and a good, steady play from QB Mark Cann in the tough road win over Southern Miss. The defense did a great job of bottling up USM RB Damion Fletcher, but the game was about the Herd offensive weapons, Darius Marshall and Darius Passmore. Marshall was a steady runner who kept the attack on an even keel, while Passmore hit the home runs to pull the team away. At 2-0 in Conference USA play, it might be easy to overlook the rivalry game against West Virginia and the Big East battle with Cincinnati.

Sept. 13
Marshall 17 … Memphis 16
Darius Marshall ran for a  40-yard touchdown in the first minute of the game and Darius Passmore caught an 18-yard touchdown pass with three seconds to play in the third on the way to a 17-13 Marshall lead. Memphis got a four-yard Earnest Williams touchdown catch in the third quarter and three Matt Reagan field goals, including a 25-yarder midway through the fourth, but Marshall was able to hang on.
Player of the game: Marshall RB Darius Marshall ran 27 times for 140 yards and a touchdown, and caught a pass for 10 yards
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Arkelon Hall, 28-51, 364 yds
Rushing: Charlie Jones, 7-47. Receiving: Carlos Singleton, 11-158
Marshall - Passing: Mark Cann, 14-28, 224 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Darius Marshall, 27-140, 1 TD. Receiving: Darius Passmore, 6-128, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Marshall is 2-1 with the one loss to Wisconsin. That’s not bad. The defense did a nice job of generating pressure on Memphis, but it wasn’t able to do enough to slow down Arkelon Hall and the passing game until absolutely needed. Offensively, Mark Cann had a nice day throwing the ball, but the idea is to keep getting the ball to playmakers Darius Marshall and Darius Passmore. MU is going to have to win close games, and it’s doing it.

Sept. 6
Wisconsin 51 ... Marshall 14
With a near-perfect offensive balance, Wisconsin overcame a 14-0 deficit to reel off 51 unanswered points helped by six touchdown runs with P.J. Hill and John Clay each scoring twice. Allan Evridge found Garrett Graham for a 26-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter to all but seal the win,  while the defense helped the cause with three interceptions to turn the game around. Marshall got its scores on one-yard runs from Chubb Small in the first quarter and Darius Marshall in the second.
Player of the game: Wisconsin QB Allan Evridge finished 17-of-26 for 308 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Marshall - Passing: Mark Cann, 20-39, 211 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Darius Marshall, 18-50, 1 TD. Receiving: Darius Passmore, 7-95
Wisconsin - Passing: Allan Evridge, 17-26, 308 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 18-57, 2 TDs. Receiving: Garrett Graham, 4-73, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Despite the 51-14 final score, Marshall actually gave Wisconsin a battle for about 40 minutes. The defensive line was doing a great job against the run and was hitting UW QB Allan Evridge, but the offense turned into a liability. Key second half interceptions ended the fun, and while Mark Cann is still likely to be the main man, a bad performance against Memphis could mean more time for Brian Anderson.

Aug. 30
Marshall 35 ... Illinois State 10
Marshall got Darius Marshall touchdown catches from 88 and 13 yards out and a 10-yard scoring dash from Darius Marshall to get ahead 28-10. Terrell Edwards tore off a 49-yard scoring run with 33 seconds to play to close the scoring. ISU tied the game in the first quarter on a four-yard Eyad Salem catch, but the Redbirds committed seven penalties and managed 2.5 yards per carry. However, ISU held on to the ball for 39 minutes. The two teams combined to convert just eight of 30 third down chances.
Player of the game: Marshall RB Darius Marshall rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown, catching three passes for 19 yards.
Stat Leaders: Illinois State - Passing: Kevin Brockway, 20-38, 196 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Geno Blow, 17-60. Receiving: Eyad Salem, 7-77, 1 TD
Marshall - Passing: Mark Cann, 11-22, 161 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Darius Marshall, 20-115, 1 TD. Receiving: Darius Passmore, 4-111, 2 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... For the first time in three years, the Herd started the season with a win, beating Illinois State, 35-10. It was a chance for rookie QB Mark Cann to get his feet wet against a lesser opponent and DE Albert McClellan to rejoin his teammates after sitting out all of last year with a knee injury. McClellan’s presence was felt immediately, as he bagged Marshall’s only two sacks and helped open up the rushing lanes for the rest of the front seven.

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Jimmy Rogers OT 6-4 235 Jr. Cleveland, Miss./Mississippi Delta CC
Listed as a four-star offensive tackle by Scout.com ... possesses great footwork and tremendous power...played high school football at Cleveland East Side High...signed with Marshall over programs such as Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Kansas State, and Louisville...enrolled in January, 2008 and is viewed as a player who could make an instant impact.

Potential Instant Impact Players

O.J. Murdock WR 6-0 185 Jr. Tampa, Fla./Middleton/Pearl River CC
A four star prospect according to Scout.com...Originally signed with South Carolina out of high school ...timed with a 4.35-second time in the 40-yard dash...racked up over 1,700 yards and 18 touchdowns receiving in his final two seasons in high school...named first-team all-county and all-state...selected for the Florida-California Bowl and was selected to play in the US Army National All-Star game, but was unable to participate...rated as the 7th-best wide receiver in the country by Prep Star and the 26th-best player in the Southeast by Tom Lemming...also ran track and was fourth in the state in the 100 and 200 meters as a sophomore and won the state 100 meter dash as a senior... was a national champion sprinter at the age of 14.

Andre Portis OLB 6-3 240 Jr. Cleveland, Ohio/College of San Mateo (Calif.)
Named first-team all Northern California Conference... rated as a three star recruit by Scout.com...has three years to use his remaining two years of playing eligibility and enrolled in January 2008... San Mateo Head Coach Larry Owens said "Andre is the kind of player where as the game gets more competitive, the more he will make outstanding plays," "In many ways, he's our best defensive player."...chose Marshall over 10 other scholarship offers from schools such as California, Minnesota, Colorado State, and Temple.

Rest of the Class
Devin Arrington LB 6-2 205 Fr. Chesapeake, Va./Deep Creek
Brandon Burns S 6-4 215 Jr. Columbiana, Ala./Shelby County/Pearl River CC (Miss.)
Tyson Gale LB 6-3 230 Fr. Alva, Okla./Alva
Maurice Graham TE 6-5 270 Jr. Fresno, Calif./Washington Union/College of the Sequoias
Jamie Hatten TE 6-5 233 Fr. Hendersonville, N.C./Hendersonville
Leshawn Henderson CB 6-1 180 Fr. Okeechobee, Fla./Okeechobee
Cory McCutchen WR 6-4 178 Fr. Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson
Josh Miller CB 5-9 185 Jr. Fresno, Calif./College of the Sequoias
Ahmed Shakoor CB 5-11 189 Fr. Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson
Jordan Taylor RB 6-1 205 Fr. South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph’s
Zach Tenuta TE 6-3 230 Fr. Marietta, Ga./Walton
Demetrius Thomas RB 6-1 200 Fr. Theodore, Ala./Theodore
Charles "Chuck" Walker WR 5-10 185 Jr. Hayward, Calif./Laney College
Martin Ward RB 5-9 188 Fr. Jonesboro, Ga./Mount Zion
Kase Whitehead P 5-10 180 Fr. Maryville, Tenn./William Blount
Jamal Wilson WR 5-11 176 Fr. Chesapeake, Va./Oscar Smith
John Youboty DE 6-4 246 Fr. Klein, Texas/Klein

2007 Recap

Recap: With a third straight losing season, Marshall got even further away from the glory days when bowl games and league titles were annual events.  The Herd finished respectably, winning three of its final five games, but wasn’t able to dig out of an 0-6 hole to start the season.  Although Marshall showed a knack for moving the ball, the defense never recovered from the season-ending injury to its top performer, DE Albert McClellan.    

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Bernard Morris

Defensive Player of the Year: S C.J. Spillman

Biggest Surprise: Marshall was the reason UCF, and not East Carolina, won the Conference USA East Division.  The Herd shocked the front-running Pirates, 26-7, on Nov. 10, getting a terrific all-around game from Morris, and an unexpected effort from the weather-beaten defense.  The win propelled UCF into first place, a position the Knights would never relinquish.   

Biggest Disappointment: Playing New Hampshire in Week 3 was supposed to be the Herd’s get-well game after opening the season against West Virginia and Miami.  Nope.  Marshall got ambushed, 48-35, by QB Ricky Santos and a Wildcat offense that rung up more than 500 yards, freely moving the ball on the ground and through the air.  The Herd was obviously shell-shocked from the loss, needing more than a month before it finally broke into the win column.     

Looking Ahead: It’s make-or-break time in 2008 for Marshall head coach Mark Snyder, who’s been unsuccessful replacing Bob Pruett.  He needs to find a capable quarterback to replace Morris, but does welcome back a slew of returning starters, including McClellan, that’ll help push the program back toward the .500 mark.