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NCAA Football Betting Online: Last season was an eye opener for the Marshall Thundering Herd. From 2013-2015, the Thundering Herd won at least 10 games and a bowl game each season. In 2016, they came crashing back down to Earth. Coach Doc Holliday saw his team put up his worst record since he took over the job, going just 3-9. It was a stunning turn of events for a program that had long been one of the better teams in Conference USA and now Marshall has to prove it can return to form.
One of the few bright spots of last year was quarterback Chase Litton. Litton continued in the long line of solid Marshall quarterbacks, throwing for 24 touchdown passes against just nine interceptions.
He is back, but very few of his targets from last season are. His top four targets from last season are all gone, leaving tight end Ryan Yurachek as the option with which Litton has the most experience. The hope is that transfer wide receivers Tyre Brady and Obi Obialo can develop into good options, but that remains to be seen.
Marshall’s running game was atrocious last season. The Thundering Herd averaged just 3.3 yards a carry in 2016 and only had two runs of 30 yards or more. The offensive line has to be better this season, but the unit is paper thin. Four of the five back-ups on the two-deep are freshmen with the other being a sophomore.
The defense is another abysmal unit that needs to take a step forward. Marshall was bad all-around in 2016, but the pass defense should at least be better this season with three returning starters. That’s good news considering some of the passing attacks in this division.
This is a manageable schedule for Marshall. The Thundering Herd can beat both of the MAC schools on their non-conference docket and Cincinnati is going through some issues now too. If they can get four wins by mid-November, they could make a bowl with the last two games being very winnable.
2017 Marshall Thundering Herd Schedule
September 2: Marshall vs. Miami (Ohio)
September 9: Marshall at North Carolina State
September 16: Marshall vs. Kent State
September 30: Marshall at Cincinnati
October 7: Marshall at Charlotte
October 14: Marshall vs. Old Dominion
October 20: Marshall at Middle Tennessee State
October 28: Marshall vs. Florida International
November 3: Marshall at Florida Atlantic
November 11: Marshall vs. Western Kentucky
November 18: Marshall at UTSA
November 25: Marshall vs. Southern Miss
List of Marshall Thundering Herd Seasons
| Year |
Record |
Bowl Game |
| 2016 |
3-9 |
|
| 2015 |
10-3 |
W – St. Petersburg Bowl |
| 2014 |
13-1 |
W – Boca Raton Bowl |
| 2013 |
10-4 |
W – Military Bowl |
| 2012 |
5-7 |
|
| 2011 |
7-5 |
W – Beef O’Brady’s Bowl |
| 2010 |
5-7 |
|
| 2009 |
7-6 |
W – Little Caesars Bowl |
| 2008 |
4-8 |
|
| 2007 |
3-9 |
|
| 2006 |
5-7 |
|
| 2005 |
4-7 |
|
| 2004 |
6-6 |
L – Fort Worth Bowl |
| 2003 |
8-4 |
|
| 2002 |
11-2 |
W – GMAC Bowl |
| 2001 |
11-2 |
W – GMAC Bowl |
| 2000 |
8-5 |
W – Motor City Bowl |
| 1999 |
13-0 |
W – Motor City Bowl |
| 1998 |
12-1 |
W – Motor City Bowl |
| 1997 |
10-3 |
L – Motor City Bowl |
| 1981 |
2-9 |
|
| 1980 |
2-8-1 |
|
| 1979 |
1-10 |
|
| 1978 |
1-10 |
|
| 1977 |
2-9 |
|
| 1976 |
4-7 |
|
| 1975 |
2-9 |
|
| 1974 |
1-10 |
|
| 1973 |
4-7 |
|
| 1972 |
2-8 |
|
| 1971 |
2-8 |
|
| 1970 |
3-6 |
|
| 1969 |
3-7 |
|
| 1968 |
0-9-1 |
|
| 1967 |
0-10 |
|
| 1966 |
2-8 |
|
| 1965 |
5-5 |
|
| 1964 |
7-3 |
|
| 1963 |
5-4-1 |
|
| 1962 |
4-6 |
|
Marshall has played at the now-FBS level for two 20-year spans, performing markedly different.
From 1962 to 1981, the Thundering Herd just couldn’t win games. They posted only two winning records during that time frame, both in the first three seasons. It was considered a wise move when they took a step down to the I-AA level and made everyone pay for doubting them when they returned.
Marshall has had some exciting seasons since coming back to FBS. They went to six straight bowl games when they first came up thanks to stars like Randy Moss and Chad Pennington and quickly became a force to be reckoned with.
Holliday seemed to have revived that dominance with the help of Rakeem Cato, but things have cratered since Cato left campus. Last season was a huge drop off and there has been speculation that internal dynamics ruined the team’s chances last year.
This season, Marshall should improve, but not by much. There are just too many holes to fill and most of their competition got better.
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