HUNTINGTON -- Forecasted rain showers held off, a healthy crowd turned out and first-team players dictated play throughout.
Most importantly, Marshall University football exited Saturday's Green-White Game without additional injuries.
"My goal is to get out of here healthy," head coach Mark Snyder said 24 hours prior to the Green's 44-8 victory over the White before 6,107 fans Saturday afternoon at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
The Thundering Herd managed just that, while providing glimpses at the 2008 season. Redshirt freshman tailback Terrell Edwards continued to impress and Mark Cann was steady, if not spectacular, as the first-team quarterback, leading to a 484-yard Green team offensive total.
Cann completed 16 of 21 passes for 181 yards, including a 38-yard hookup with senior wide receiver E.J. Wynn. The 6-foot-4, 237-pound redshirt freshman earned a majority of first-team snaps throughout April, but a starting quarterback was not declared at the conclusion of spring practice.
"He's a little bit further along right now," Snyder said of Cann. "I don't think there's any secret about that. He's a little bit further along but that doesn't mean that those other guys can't come on and go right by him.
"He's got a lot of work to do still."
Splitting time between Green and White squads, junior quarterback Jonathan Garner completed 16 of 35 passes for 164 yards with an interception. Brian Anderson, who largely has shared second-team duties with Garner this spring, connected on seven of 15 passes for 42 yards with one pickoff.
"I thought Jonathan did a respectable job," Snyder said. "Brian struggled early when he got his chances. Mark took us down and put the ball in the end zone."
Through 15 practices, players and coaches constructed groundwork for voluntary summer workouts and August preseason camp. Depth was developed with numerous underclassmen seizing advantage of opportunities. Edwards capped a sound spring with 77 rushing yards on 14 carries and senior Kelvin Turner led all rushers with 85 yards on just five handoffs, including a long of 59 yards.
"I think a lot of the guys progressed," Snyder said, specifically referring to underclassmen. "All of those guys progressed, and they needed to to get where we need to be."
Most importantly, Snyder achieved goal No. 1.
"We got out of here healthy," he said in relief.
Experienced and established players such as Albert McClellan, Darius Marshall, Darius Marshall, Ian Hoskins and Maurice Kitchens will rejoin teammates full-time in August. Sidelined with injuries, they helped coach up teammates during spring and will enhance what will be a much different-looking team when preseason camp opens.
Still, spring wrapped with a crowd-pleaser; new placekicker Craig Ratanamorn easily cleared the crossbar from 47 yards, his third true field goal in as many attempts.
"A lot of guys in the scrimmages stepped up, Terrell, Chubb (Small) and a lot of other guys," Darius Marshall said. "I think the team as a whole, offense and defense, we're going (in the right direction).
"They came out here with a chip on their shoulders the last couple of weeks, wanting to get playing time. Everybody took to the coaching and did a wonderful job learning the new systems."
7-day Archive
