Culled from Herdfans (if you sort through carefully, there are a few threads not related to whining about the CUSA tiebreakers or calling the conference a Texas Teacher's school Conference... that last one kind of irked me, but there may be a bit of truth to it if you consider how many Rice students go on to get PhDs).

Ross of Rice to be handful | The Herald-Dispatch

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/x1...-a-handful Wrote:"He's the biggest guy we've faced," Marshall defensive tackle James Rouse said. "The other big guy we faced was (Virginia Tech quarterback) Logan Thomas, but it's the same type of principles. We've got to tackle well and use good fundamentals to get him down."

Marshall's defense has been much improved in 2013, but if there has been one thing the Herd has had trouble with, it is stopping the straight-ahead rushing attack.

Heater said with Ross spearheading a power rushing attack, the charge facing Marshall is to stop that attack if it wants to claim the program's first conference championship since 2002. Heater challenged his team this week, saying they haven't shown they can do that, using examples of Middle Tennessee and Tulsa as teams that had success going straight ahead.

"It's not confusing what's going to happen," Heater said. "They're going to come at you and pound the ball with a big back.

"We haven't always done well with that."

Implicit in these comments, I fear that Marshall's strength may be stretching the option out, similar to Tulane. Given the relative strength and weaknesses, I fear that we will see Rice try to establish the option play.

It looks like Marshall faced the weaker teams in the conference late in the year last year, similar to Rice.

WV MetroNews – Last year vs. Rice was a starting point

http://wvmetronews.com/2013/12/03/last-y...ing-point/ Wrote:“That’s where our success started and we just had to build off of that and that success has carried into this season,” said Center Chris Jasperse.

And, it appears David Bailiff has been reading Herdfans.com, where they have a thread comparing Marshall to Texas A&M.

Rice coach compares Cato to Heisman winner | The Herald-Dispatch

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/x1...man-winner Wrote:"He's very similar to what Johnny Manziel can do at (Texas) A&M," Bailiff said. "When he comes out of the pocket, he extends the plays. He allows the receivers to get separation and he's very accurate throwing the ball when he runs, but his decision-making -- he's always been a great athlete, now he's a great quarterback."

Being compared to Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, is the ultimate compliment.

Cato has played his best football when the Herd needed it most -- down the stretch of the season in the month of November.

Since an Oct. 24 loss to Middle Tennessee, Cato has taken the team on his shoulders and led an offensive attack that has produced 53.8 points and 601.8 yards per game.

Perhaps the most telling aspect of Cato's maturation as a quarterback has been in his decision-making and getting the Herd into the right plays.

Offensive coordinator Bill Legg has given Cato more liberty to check at the line with run-pass options, based on what the defense is showing. While Cato's numbers have been down slightly from the 2012 season, the Herd's points per game and, more importantly, win total is up.

"A year ago we were kind of one-dimensional and throwing the ball all over the place," Marshall head coach Doc Holliday said. "We've become more balanced. We're a much better offense now than we were a year ago. We're averaging more points per game."

If anyone at Rice doubts that we'd have been screwed in a heartbeat if it were possible...

Also, there's more interesting information by way of comparison...

Chuck Landon: If C-USA got wish, Marshall would host | The Herald-Dispatch

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/x1...would-host Wrote:The truth of the matter is C-USA officials privately hoped the league championship game would be in Huntington. According to knowledgeable sources, C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky and senior associate commissioner Alfred White already had made a visit to Huntington for the purpose of scouting locations to host game-week events.

League officials wanted the game here.

Why wouldn't they?

Since C-USA receives all the ticket revenue, why wouldn't it want to reap the benefits of 30,000 fans in Edwards Stadium rather than 2,000 at Rice? Not to mention the public relations nightmare of ESPN2 nationally televising the championship game from a mostly empty venue.

The problem is C-USA didn't handle the tie-breaker situation well.

There was a disturbing lack of transparency in the process. The league did a poor job of keeping Marshall's officials in the informational loop.

That's why Marshall honestly thought it was going to host the game.

How sure were MU officials?

Sure enough that ticket manager Aaron Goebbel emailed a prominent Marshall booster in Charleston on Sunday afternoon, asking if he would spearhead a fund-raising attempt to raise $25,000. That would allow MU to distribute 5,000 free tickets to students rather than ask them to pay $5 per ducat. The booster pledged $500 and, then, texted some fellow boosters to help with contributions.

(12-04-2013 08:59 AM)I45owl Wrote:  It looks like Marshall faced the weaker teams in the conference late in the year last year, similar to Rice.

WV MetroNews – Last year vs. Rice was a starting point

http://wvmetronews.com/2013/12/03/last-y...ing-point/ Wrote:“That’s where our success started and we just had to build off of that and that success has carried into this season,” said Center Chris Jasperse.

I don't think there is any question that Marshall's defensive game plan will be to load the box, as well as have a "linebacker" spy responsible for covering McHargue. They will be daring us to pass downfield (anything but the bubble screens). If ever there was a game where the short passing game over the middle (Cella, slants to the wideouts) could be effective, it's this one...and when completed, with the box loaded, those passes could go for HUGE gains after the catch. I hope Reagan is listening. I'd play action right out of the gate, as we've done several times of late, but continue with it until Marshall makes the defensive adjustments. Don't just use it for a series or two.

Let's make sure everyone understands that Chuck Landon article.

That's not some irrational fan on a message board promising 2,000 fans Saturday - that is Marshall's lead beat writer.

Attendance is clearly not our strong suit - particularly the TV optics at HRS - but this is getting out of control. It's starting to have a negative PR impact.

The attendance comment is just a tad (sarcastic) hyperbolic.

While I uneratand the CUSA officials wanting Marshall to host more than us for game day atmosphere, and a better attendance, IMO making comments that use such hyperbole speak very poorly of the writer and his integrity. I know he is writing a column, but his point would have been made clearer and with less-douchebaginess if he simply used our reported attendance numbers. What a jack***.

(12-04-2013 09:18 AM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  The attendance comment is just a tad (sarcastic) hyperbolic.

While I uneratand the CUSA officials wanting Marshall to host more than us for game day atmosphere, and a better attendance, IMO making comments that use such hyperbole speak very poorly of the writer and his integrity. I know he is writing a column, but his point would have been made clearer and with less-douchebaginess if he simply used our reported attendance numbers. What a jack***.

Trust me, most Marshall fans don't really like Landon.

His information is usually wrong, and he exaggerates things to get people to read his column. I wholeheartedly agree that he's a jack***.

(12-04-2013 09:12 AM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  Let's make sure everyone understands that Chuck Landon article.

That's not some irrational fan on a message board promising 2,000 fans Saturday - that is Marshall's lead beat writer.

Attendance is clearly not our strong suit - particularly the TV optics at HRS - but this is getting out of control. It's starting to have a negative PR impact.

+1

and if this is true:

"The truth of the matter is C-USA officials privately hoped the league championship game would be in Huntington. According to knowledgeable sources, C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky and senior associate commissioner Alfred White already had made a visit to Huntington for the purpose of scouting locations to host game-week events.

Rice needs to get out of CUSA ASAP.

(12-04-2013 09:35 AM)WIowl Wrote:  +1

and if this is true:

"The truth of the matter is C-USA officials privately hoped the league championship game would be in Huntington. According to knowledgeable sources, C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky and senior associate commissioner Alfred White already had made a visit to Huntington for the purpose of scouting locations to host game-week events.

Rice needs to get out of CUSA ASAP.

Rice needs to get out of CUSA regardless.

However, if the conference soundbite is true - and given Landon's other irrational hyperbole, it's 50/50 - it does show the PR/perception uphill climb we face in attempting to upgrade.

Go where? To a conference that doesn't have an issue with low attendance?

"Wherever you go, there you are."

(12-04-2013 09:35 AM)WIowl Wrote:  

(12-04-2013 09:12 AM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  Let's make sure everyone understands that Chuck Landon article.

That's not some irrational fan on a message board promising 2,000 fans Saturday - that is Marshall's lead beat writer.

Attendance is clearly not our strong suit - particularly the TV optics at HRS - but this is getting out of control. It's starting to have a negative PR impact.

+1

and if this is true:

"The truth of the matter is C-USA officials privately hoped the league championship game would be in Huntington. According to knowledgeable sources, C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky and senior associate commissioner Alfred White already had made a visit to Huntington for the purpose of scouting locations to host game-week events.

Rice needs to get out of CUSA ASAP.

This is really the irony of the new CUSA, even setting aside the tiebreaker stupidity. Whoever wins the championship will *always* be looking to leverage success to get out of it, whether to the SEC, Big EastAAC, the MWC or wherever. If the CUSA is anything but invisible, they will almost always be perceived to have aggravated that problem.

(12-04-2013 09:35 AM)WIowl Wrote:  

(12-04-2013 09:12 AM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  Let's make sure everyone understands that Chuck Landon article.

That's not some irrational fan on a message board promising 2,000 fans Saturday - that is Marshall's lead beat writer.

Attendance is clearly not our strong suit - particularly the TV optics at HRS - but this is getting out of control. It's starting to have a negative PR impact.

+1

and if this is true:

"The truth of the matter is C-USA officials privately hoped the league championship game would be in Huntington. According to knowledgeable sources, C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky and senior associate commissioner Alfred White already had made a visit to Huntington for the purpose of scouting locations to host game-week events.

Rice needs to get out of CUSA ASAP.

Agree about getting out of CUSA, but I don't think CUSA officials hoping it was in Huntington is bad, especially since they showed that they were fair towards Rice.

Huntington is undoubtedly a better place to watch football than Rice at the moment, with a local fan base that it fairly rabid for Thundering Herd football. Until Rice proves that it can create a great game day atmosphere, we shouldn't be surprised to hear things like this.

And the odds are that they also scouted Greenville, Houston, Denton, and at the last minute New Orleans and San Antonio, to figure out what could be possible. It is the responsible thing to do, knowing who might host. That soundbite means almost nothing, particularly if you don't ask the obvious follow-up question to see if Huntington was the ONLY place they did that. If that were true, then maybe his contention is accurate.

But that doesn't advance his story, so why ask it. (And I know he's a columnist and deals in opinion - it's just such an obvious hole.)

(12-04-2013 11:28 AM)gsloth Wrote:  And the odds are that they also scouted Greenville, Houston, Denton, and at the last minute New Orleans and San Antonio, to figure out what could be possible. It is the responsible thing to do, knowing who might host. That soundbite means almost nothing, particularly if you don't ask the obvious follow-up question to see if Huntington was the ONLY place they did that. If that were true, then maybe his contention is accurate.

But that doesn't advance his story, so why ask it. (And I know he's a columnist and deals in opinion - it's just such an obvious hole.)

Agreed. The primary difference is the (asinine) media coverage moreso than any signal of actual intent.