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MU Notebook: Coaches had good reason to replace Cann
Wisconsin defenders Matt Shaughnessy (92) and DeAndre Levy (11) put pressure on quarterback Mark Cann during the second half Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
Purchase this photoMADISON, Wis. -- Heads turned and second-guessing ran rampant in the press box when Mark Cann was lifted in the third quarter.
Yes, Marshall University was losing its grip of what was a competitive game, but win, lose or even blowout, this was a signature learning experience for the Thundering Herd's redshirt freshman quarterback. Two years from now -- heck, next week -- Cann could reflect and build on the good and not so much from his Camp Randall Stadium performance.
Instead, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound lefty -- the unquestioned future of Thundering Herd football -- was lifted for Brian Anderson following Cann's second third-quarter interception. Why do this, some wondered. Even with momentum obviously rolling south (No. 11 Wisconsin parlayed three turnovers into a 51-14 victory), Cann needs a day like this to deposit in his football memory account.
Not to worry, Marshall fans, this move was made medically more than for the strategic.
"The second interception we weren't sure if he was dinged a little bit," Thundering Herd head coach Mark Snyder said. "On that particular play, in his head the formation was flipped and he threw it to a route that's on the other side of the field.
"I think he might have got a little bit dinged so we let him cool off a little bit. Plus, we wanted to get Brian into the game at some point and time if we could anyway."
Cann was impressive early, leading his 21-point underdogs to a 14-0 lead and finished with 211 yards on 20-of-39 passing with two pickoffs. With an enthusiastic, involved, sellout crowd of 80,396 the first-year quarterback from a relatively small South Carolina town has an overwhelming college football atmosphere in his bank.
"It was a miscommunication on my part," Cann said of his second completion to the incorrect jersey. "I threw the wrong route. It just can't happen."
It's potentially inappropriate to start Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich comparisons, but win or lose, Cann is carrying himself with a maturity beyond his experience. He offered no excuses following a 34-0 Wisconsin second half, saying that the relative youth of his team factored but "you can say that but we can't let that happen," Cann said. "Wisconsin's defense got after it, but we've got to be better than that.
"That can't be an excuse and it won't be for the rest of the season."
Cann continued, saying that work toward a Conference USA East Division title begins Saturday against league rival Memphis, which allowed 29 fourth-quarter points in a 42-35 home loss to Rice Saturday.
"We have to take the good and the bad and get better from it and then move on," Cann said. "We'll watch film tomorrow (Sunday) and tomorrow evening and then Monday we'll start on Memphis.
"We're looking forward to getting started on that.
"The first half we protected the ball, played smart football and were down three. Second half we go out and don't protect the ball and everybody saw what happened.
"It's all a matter of protecting the football."
YOUTH NOT EXACTLY SERVED: Marshall's stunning 14-0 start was offset by three turnovers and 51 unanswered Wisconsin points. Momentum swayed in an instant -- particularly from an out-of-bounds kickoff that flipped momentum, setting up the Badgers' initial scoring drive at their 40-yard line.
Yes, Marshall is much improved talent-wise from a year ago, but so much of that talent wears redshirt freshman and sophomore labels. How much did that inexperience factor into a second half that simply got away from Marshall, resulting in a 34-0 shutout after halftime?
"They took our manhood at the end of the game and they're good at that," Snyder said. "I mean they started pounding us pretty good at the end of the game.
"Yes, you saw it."
Anthony Hanshew covers Marshall football for The Herald-Dispatch. He can be reached at 526-2766. His e-mail address is hanshew@herald-dispatch.com.
