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MARSHALL SPORTS
MU Notebook: Special teams practice pays off
Marshall punter Kase Whitehead had a good day for the Herd in its season-opening win over Illinois State on Saturday at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
Purchase this photoImpromptu smiles were elicited each time the statement was offered.
Albert McClellan's return, Mark Cann's debut and unveiling of two new coordinators certainly ranked as top storylines entering Saturday's Marshall University football season opener against Illinois State. Postgame, much of the talk surrounded the game's third phase.
So, players were asked, guess you conduct those special teams scrimmages for a reason.
Insert smile.
"Absolutely, and that's the reason right there to put us in (positive) situations," said Thundering Herd punt returner Emmanuel Spann, who set up several scores. "It gave us opportunities and I took advantage of them."
Spann averaged 17 yards on four returns with a long of 26. Kase Whitehead further dictated field position, placing four of six punts inside the 20, including a roller that was downed by Chubb Small at the 1. The true freshman averaged 41.2 yards on six kicks in his debut.
Like Spann, he credited head coach Mark Snyder's special teams scrimmages with sparking a 35-10 victory over ISU. Snyder devotes a full practice during spring drills and preseason camp to the kicking game.
"Special teams is a key role in football and we do the special teams scrimmage to work all the little minor things out," Whitehead said. "We work on getting down the field and stopping the ball before it gets into the end zone.
"The special teams scrimmage is very important, especially I think for the kickers to get a feel."
Marshall's field position dominance proved the difference in the second half. A 24-yard Spann return set the Herd offense up at ISU's 39-yard line to begin the third quarter. Four plays later, Cann and Darius Passmore connected on 14-yard touchdown screen pass for a 21-7 lead.
Three of five Thundering Herd touchdown drives started in Illinois State territory.
"We were backed up and they were always kind of rolling down hill on us there," ISU head coach Denver Johnson said, adding that he considered kicking off to start the second half to avoid a potential field position disadvantage. "But that would have been hard to justify too, giving up a possession.
"When you're playing a level up and on the road, the depth that Marshall has the advantage of having (is a factor). We brought 68 players and many of those are guys we're intent on redshirting. They weren't intended to play. We just bring them along to break them in on traveling.
"They were rolling a lot of guys and having to man our special teams mostly with our starting players, so I think particularly in the second half - again it was a hot (day), pretty soupy out there, pretty sticky - I think the depth starts to show up a little bit.
"And usually the first place that depth shows up is in special teams."
While ISU was forced to trim its offensive playbook and max protect on punts from its end zone, allowing Spann room to roam, Cann and the offense enjoyed short fields. The redshirt freshman quarterback also grinned when the impact of special teams scrimmages was mentioned.
"We had great field position," Cann said. "Field position is huge in football, and they did a really good job with that.
"Special teams is very important. It's emphasized every day, and they did a great job today."
SPECIAL FOR SPANN: Remember it like it was a lot less than four-plus years ago.
Houston was the scene, a friend's apartment in particular. Technically, I was off the clock, enjoying vacation in the host city of Super XXXVIII (New England-Carolina), but decided to make a few Marshall football recruiting calls with signing day looming.
Quite a surprise when a source informed that Marshall had locked down a commitment from a prospect who originally verballed to Wisconsin. The prep standout from Atlanta was Emmanuel Spann, and nearly five years later, he'll play at Camp Randall Stadium.
Marshall (1-0) and nationally-ranked Wisconsin (1-0) kick off at noon Saturday in Madison, Wisc.
"I came up here and absolutely loved it and got the opportunity to play as a freshman and I've been here ever since," Spann said. "It's a game that I found out when we were playing I've been looking forward to ever since."
RIPPING OFF REDSHIRTS: Four Thundering Herd true freshmen played Saturday, shedding their redshirts.
Whitehead was a given, and was joined by fellow newcomers Omar Brown, George Carpenter and Ahmed Shakoor. Carpenter, a 5-foot-10, 207-pound linebacker, lined up on special teams; Brown, a 5-10, 178-pound free safety, and Shakoor, a 5-11, 205-pound cornerback, each earned reserve defensive duty.
QB CLUB: Marshall athletic director Bob Marcum will serve as guest speaker at Tuesday's weekly Quarterback Club luncheon at Pullman Plaza Hotel. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. and the event, which also features Snyder, begins at noon.
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.
