- Sep 8, 2014
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How Marshall got back to its winning ways
https://theathletic.com/136823/2017/10/25/college-football-marshall-georgia-southern-colorado-state/
After a disastrous 3-9 season last year, Marshall head coach Doc Holliday issued a simple message to the program.
“They either had to get a hell of a lot better or be replaced,” Holliday told The All-American.
Some starters were replaced, and the team got a hell of a lot better. The Thundering Herd are back to their winning ways, now 6-1 on the season after a 38-10 win at Middle Tennessee last week, and it all starts with the defense, currently No. 8 in scoring at 14.3 points per game.
When defensive coordinator Chuck Heater arrived in Huntington in 2013, Marshall had been No. 123 in scoring defense the year before, allowing 43.1 points per game. Things changed immediately. As Marshall went 33-8 from 2013-15, the scoring defense improved to No. 31 to No. 18 to No. 10, allowing 17.8 points per game in that final year.
In 2016, the bottom fell out, dropping to No. 107 (35.3 ppg).
“Our mantra in January was either you’re going to improve, or we’re going to try really hard to replace you,” Heater told The All-American. “That’s what happened. Guys have improved, and enough new guys in the program could replace guys. We’ve got better players playing.”
Marshall brought back seven defensive starters from a year ago, but they didn’t all earn their starting jobs back. Only a handful did. This year’s starting defensive backs are all sophomores or redshirt freshman. Former walk-on safety Malik Gant is the team’s second-leading tackler.
Talented defensive end Ryan Bee was moved to defensive tackle. Linebacker Marquis Couch had played in one game in his first two seasons and moved to defensive end. The changes have worked.
“A year ago, I would have told you there’s no way he would play,” Heater said of Couch. “We changed a few things slightly. As a defensive end, we stood him up, and suddenly it was like a duck to water. He’s played really well. A lot of those types of things, good fortune, guys coming through.”
Last year’s rush defense was No. 98 nationally, allowing 4.96 yards per carry. The defense allowed 65 points in a Week 2 loss to Akron, followed by losses to Louisville and Pitt in which the Thundering Herd allowed more than six yards per carry.
Marshall never recovered from that punch.
“We weren’t as talented as we thought we were,” Heater said. “Early on, we didn’t get lined up the right way. We ran into a meat grinder. We played Akron, jumped ahead and lost that game. That was a major hit in the mouth. Then we ran into two of the best offenses I’ve been around, Pitt and Louisville. Then we never really got back. We were on the ropes and didn’t respond well. It was more a rebuilding year than we thought. … It was a failure in all respects.”
The schedule this season has undoubtedly helped. The six wins are all against teams outside the top 95 in scoring offense. But the advanced statistics are also buying Marshall’s defense, which is No. 17 nationally in FootballOutsiders’ defensive S&P ratings.
That rush defense is back up to No. 17 in the country, allowing 3.23 yards per carry.
“This program was built on playing great defense,” Holliday said. “The three years prior to last year, we had the top defense in our league and won 33 games. Took a step back last year, but we felt we had young players we had to develop, then added a couple pieces we needed.”
Did the Marshall coaches see this turnaround coming? Heater was hoping for a 2-2 record out of the first four games against Miami (Ohio), N.C. State, Kent State and Cincinnati. The Herd went 3-1. Now they’re thinking about a conference title again.
“We were one of the four or five winningest teams in college football for three years. It wasn’t like we didn’t know what we were doing,” Holliday said. “What we had to do was start over. For three years, you win so many games, you always talk about not getting complacent, always starting over, but you truly have to do that. You’ve got to go back.
“We’ve taken pride in that, if you’re not tough, you’re not going to make it here. Nowhere to hide. Starting in January, it was the toughest winter, spring, summer I’ve ever been associated with. The guys here are tough, and football is important to them.”
How Marshall got back to its winning ways
https://theathletic.com/136823/2017/10/25/college-football-marshall-georgia-southern-colorado-state/
After a disastrous 3-9 season last year, Marshall head coach Doc Holliday issued a simple message to the program.
“They either had to get a hell of a lot better or be replaced,” Holliday told The All-American.
Some starters were replaced, and the team got a hell of a lot better. The Thundering Herd are back to their winning ways, now 6-1 on the season after a 38-10 win at Middle Tennessee last week, and it all starts with the defense, currently No. 8 in scoring at 14.3 points per game.
When defensive coordinator Chuck Heater arrived in Huntington in 2013, Marshall had been No. 123 in scoring defense the year before, allowing 43.1 points per game. Things changed immediately. As Marshall went 33-8 from 2013-15, the scoring defense improved to No. 31 to No. 18 to No. 10, allowing 17.8 points per game in that final year.
In 2016, the bottom fell out, dropping to No. 107 (35.3 ppg).
“Our mantra in January was either you’re going to improve, or we’re going to try really hard to replace you,” Heater told The All-American. “That’s what happened. Guys have improved, and enough new guys in the program could replace guys. We’ve got better players playing.”
Marshall brought back seven defensive starters from a year ago, but they didn’t all earn their starting jobs back. Only a handful did. This year’s starting defensive backs are all sophomores or redshirt freshman. Former walk-on safety Malik Gant is the team’s second-leading tackler.
Talented defensive end Ryan Bee was moved to defensive tackle. Linebacker Marquis Couch had played in one game in his first two seasons and moved to defensive end. The changes have worked.
“A year ago, I would have told you there’s no way he would play,” Heater said of Couch. “We changed a few things slightly. As a defensive end, we stood him up, and suddenly it was like a duck to water. He’s played really well. A lot of those types of things, good fortune, guys coming through.”
Last year’s rush defense was No. 98 nationally, allowing 4.96 yards per carry. The defense allowed 65 points in a Week 2 loss to Akron, followed by losses to Louisville and Pitt in which the Thundering Herd allowed more than six yards per carry.
Marshall never recovered from that punch.
“We weren’t as talented as we thought we were,” Heater said. “Early on, we didn’t get lined up the right way. We ran into a meat grinder. We played Akron, jumped ahead and lost that game. That was a major hit in the mouth. Then we ran into two of the best offenses I’ve been around, Pitt and Louisville. Then we never really got back. We were on the ropes and didn’t respond well. It was more a rebuilding year than we thought. … It was a failure in all respects.”
The schedule this season has undoubtedly helped. The six wins are all against teams outside the top 95 in scoring offense. But the advanced statistics are also buying Marshall’s defense, which is No. 17 nationally in FootballOutsiders’ defensive S&P ratings.
That rush defense is back up to No. 17 in the country, allowing 3.23 yards per carry.
“This program was built on playing great defense,” Holliday said. “The three years prior to last year, we had the top defense in our league and won 33 games. Took a step back last year, but we felt we had young players we had to develop, then added a couple pieces we needed.”
Did the Marshall coaches see this turnaround coming? Heater was hoping for a 2-2 record out of the first four games against Miami (Ohio), N.C. State, Kent State and Cincinnati. The Herd went 3-1. Now they’re thinking about a conference title again.
“We were one of the four or five winningest teams in college football for three years. It wasn’t like we didn’t know what we were doing,” Holliday said. “What we had to do was start over. For three years, you win so many games, you always talk about not getting complacent, always starting over, but you truly have to do that. You’ve got to go back.
“We’ve taken pride in that, if you’re not tough, you’re not going to make it here. Nowhere to hide. Starting in January, it was the toughest winter, spring, summer I’ve ever been associated with. The guys here are tough, and football is important to them.”
<---Williston bumping this