Pruett, staff prepare for team arrival
Herd football coaches face a few question marks as season nears
By ANTHONY HANSHEW - The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON -- Monday morning, the buzz returns to the Marshall University football offices.
Fresh off their respective vacations, Thundering Herd coaches begin final preparations for August two-a-day practices. Marshall players report on Aug. 8.
The opening weeks of August will go a long way toward identifying this season’s potential. Fourteen starters and numerous experienced backups return from last season’s 8-4 team, but several questions face Bobby Pruett’s coaching staff.
Offensive line, wide receiver and special teams present the top unknowns entering the Sept. 4 season opener against Troy. Settling any question marks will be crucial before Marshall faces its toughest-ever September stretch.
Following the Trojans, who upset Marshall last season, are national powers Ohio State and Georgia and defending Mid-American Conference champion Miami (Ohio).
n Offensive line: Tackle Nate Griffin and guard Toby Bullock are the lone returning starters, but offensive line coach Mark McHale does have added experience. Transfer Zac Elcess was a starter at Miami and Seth Cook saw extended action as a backup tackle last season.
Griffin and Bullock likely will switch to left of center to protect quarterback Stan Hill’s blind side. Elcess will play both center and guard, according to Pruett, and the right side will be revamped.
Josh Blakey has regained his academic eligibility and will compete for playing time along with Ryan Baynes, John Inman, Nate Howard, Jesse Saito, David Zeigler and true freshman Doug Legursky.
"I think we have good linemen," Pruett said. "We’ll just have to keep banging in there and see how they fit."
n Wide receiver: More than any season in recent history, depth is an issue. Senior Josh Davis is a proven playmaker and one of the nation’s top returning receivers with 2,975 career yards.
Beyond Davis, returning receivers accounted for just 35 receptions and 340 yards (excluding returning running back Earl Charles, who had 26 catches for 204 yards).
Hiram Moore and Tremel Guillory displayed flashes of promise. Moore caught five passes for 96 yards as a true freshman last year, and Guillory added 91 yards on seven receptions.
Brad Bates is the second leading returning receiver with 12 catches for 77 yards. He was suspended for the year at midseason, however.
The wild card among Thundering Herd receivers is junior college transfer Mandell Smith. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior is an immediate impact projection.
Shawn Lauzon, the most physically imposing wideout at 6-6 and 195 pounds, also could earn playing time with a solid August performance. The redshirt freshman was named one of Marshall’s most improved players during spring practice.
n Special teams: Both punter Klint Rose and placekicker Ben Lewis are gone, leading to open competition in August. True freshman Marty Biagi is the leading contender for punting duties, and Nick Kelly and Ian O’Connor will compete for the placekicking job. Kelly made four of seven field goals last season.
O’Connor again will handle kickoff duties.
When asked to identify his team’s biggest concern, Pruett pointed to none of the above. Talent, at every position, is abundant, Pruett said, but that alone won’t be enough for the Herd to reclaim the MAC championship.
"I think the biggest question mark is the attitude of the players, to be honest," Pruett said. "I think we have good players but last year we didn’t play well as a team. We didn’t handle success well.
"I’m more concerned with how well we handle adversity and success than with our ability. We need to play well as a team and not complain about things. ... We’ve got a good group of seniors but do they have the intangibles to come back from 38-8 (in the 2001 GMAC Bowl), to come back like we did in the Western Michigan game (in the 1999 MAC championship game)?
"If we have that type of drive and enthusiasm we’ll do well. If we can muster that then all the other stuff is immaterial."
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