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MARSHALL SPORTS
Anthony Hanshew: UAB team similiar to 2006 Thundering Herd team
Marshall University's 2008 football team is closing in on a date with a version of the 2006 Thundering Herd.
UAB's roster is dotted with standout players at certain positions, but depth is more than lacking. Joe Webb ranks among the nation's top dual-threat quarterback and Frantrell Forrest is an offensive and special teams home-run threat.
Free safety Will Dunbar is All-Conference USA caliber performer on an otherwise faltering defense. Like Marshall two years ago, this UAB team features playmakers capable of producing upsets, but an undermanned two-deep roster that often wilts late.
The Thundering Herd (3-3, 2-0 Conference USA) and UAB (1-6, 0-3) kickoff at 4 p.m. Saturday at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. The game will not be televised.
"I think this is a dangerous team," Marshall head coach Mark Snyder said. "Obviously, they're down in numbers. It reminds me a little bit -- watching on film -- of us the last couple of years. But as we all know we jumped up and bit a couple of people and they're very capable of that.
"They have some outstanding individual talent. It seems right now they're not quite putting it together. We have a challenge in front of us. We have to start fast. We cannot allow what happened at Houston last week to happen to us."
What happened at Houston last week was a blink-of-an-eye 20-3 UAB lead. Houston's relentless offense rallied with 42 second-half points, cruising to a 45-20 victory.
"We need to start fast and it always comes down to special teams and turnovers," Snyder said. "We cannot go down there and turn the ball over and let them make any hay in special teams because they have good players."
Again, reminds you of, say, the 2006 Thundering Herd, Snyder's second team?
"It does a lot, a whole lot," Snyder said. "It seems watching the games they're doing pretty good in the first, second quarter. The fourth quarter they kind of wear down a little bit.
"And it shows on the films."
Webb, Forrest and Rashaud Slaughter present ample playmaking ability to dismiss any notion of Marshall over-confidence. Forrest has caught 33 passes for 419 yards and two touchdowns and scored on a 90-yard kickoff return. Slaughter has emerged as a needed complement, starting the past four games at tailback and totaling 278 rushing yards while averaging 5.1 yards a carry.
Slaughter wears No. 1, Webb is No. 5 and Forrest's jersey reads No. 7. And, yes, Snyder has taken notice.
"Slaughter's a good athlete, too," Snyder said. "The single-digit guys are the guys we have to know where they're at all the time. One, five and seven -- those are the cats that make it go for them.
"Those are their playmakers and we need to know where those three guys are at all times."
Considering Webb's scrambling ability, Marshall obviously will assign a spy to the 6-foot-4, 220-pound junior, right, coach?
"We've got to know where he's at all the time," Snyder said. "The problem is, Slaughter could be back there. And he throws the ball good enough to Forrest and the tight ends have made some plays, too. And the other wideouts have made some plays for them.
"When they get going it's usually No. 5 that gets them going."
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.
