HERD HOT STREAK
Safe to say, Marshall is easily the best team in West Virginia
IS MARSHALL A TOP CONTENDER IN THE FBS?
In the 2020 season, Marshall has caught the eye of many analysts and fans. With their 5-0 start, the Thundering Herd have cruised through the top 25, currently placing at #16. Marshall has been firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball this season, highlighted by knocking off a ranked Appalachian State team earlier this year. The team's tempo is definitely different from when they went on a run in 2014. Rakeem Cato operated a dynamic, RPO style offense with his added rushing ability providing numerous threats. With a young quarterback Grant Wells at the helm, Marshall’s offense has shown no signs of slowing down however. While he is a capable runner, often elusively so, it has been his passing ability that has shown bright for Marshall. It is safe to say Conference USA has a new alpha emerging.
WILL MARSHALL CONTINUE TO ADVANCE?
Marshall, coming off of a 20-9 win against FIU, were the heavy favorites to win Saturday’s matchup against UMass. UMASS was coming off of a huge loss to Georgia Southern and hoped to turn things around on the road. With Marshall's fierce defense giving up only 9 points a game, UMass had a tough time getting the ball down field due to their lack of offensive productivity. The Minutemen have been absolutely abysmal and proved to be no obstacle as Marshall easily dispatched them 51-10 to improve to 7-0. Herd football is in the spotlight, delivering week after week. This week's game with Middle Tennessee will once again be an easy win and keep the Herd's streak alive. Each week is the ultimate test for Herd nation, can Marshall continue this hot streak? How far will they go? Marshall still stands the best odds of finishing the season undefeated per ESPN and could even challenge for a New Year's 6 Bowl bid. To do this however, Marshall must continue to hang high scores on pitiful teams because their overall strength of schedule will be looked upon very unfavorably by the Playoff committee. This year's schedule is even worse than the 2014 season and Marshall barely cracked the top 25 then. Maybe this year will be different thanks to covid and the Herd's unusually high ranking already!