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MARSHALL SPORTS
Momentum for Memphis
Marshall head coach Mark Snyder speaks during his weekly press conference on Tuesday, September 22, 2009, in the Big Green Room at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
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HUNTINGTON -- Marshall University's regular weekly football press conference Tuesday initially focused on reflection. Attention naturally then flipped to this week's opponent.
Last week proved special for Marshall's football family on numerous fronts. A fundraising golf tournament benefiting the family of the late Johnathan Goddard, an All-American Thundering Herd defensive end, was conducted, along with a concert by Nashville recording artist Ricky Huckaby honoring his late father and raising funds for the Rick Huckabay Scholarship Endowment fund. Huckabay, Marshall men's basketball head coach during a successful 1980s run, ranks among the more popular Thundering Herd coaches in school history.
"It was an exciting weekend and I want to take our hats off to our boosters and our fans for the Johnathan Goddard golf outing that we had," Thundering Herd head coach Mark Snyder said. "It was a great success. We had a chance to meet his family and we have some ties there that we didn't even know. Between John's father, his son, my brother and nephew, it was a pretty neat weekend.
"I heard the concert for coach Huck went well."
Snyder then reflected on last week's 17-10 non-conference victory over visiting Bowling Green and previewed Saturday's Conference USA matchup at Memphis. Marshall (2-1, 0-0 C-USA) and the Tigers (1-2, 0-0) kick off at 1 p.m. at the Liberty Bowl. CSS will televise the game.
Spurred by tailback Darius Marshall's 80-yard touchdown run, the Thundering Herd rallied past its former Mid-American Conference foe at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
"On Saturday, we played in a very exciting football game against a very good MAC team," Snyder said." They will not be fifth in their division (as predicted). I can promise you that.
"That was a good football team that we played. Our kids came to play and now we have a little momentum going in to conference play as we head down to the Liberty Bowl."
Containing a pair of rangy, play making Memphis wide receivers will prove key in continuing the Marshall momentum. Duke Calhoun leads Memphis with 18 catches and 254 yards, including a touchdown. Carlos Singleton, a 6-foot-9 senior, ranks fourth all-time in school history with 1,970 receiving yards.
Singleton has caught eight passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns this season.
"We are going to have to rise to the occasion; excuse the pun because they are tall and explosive," Snyder said. "Singleton is the guy that they go to and he is very effective in the red zone.
"The other two guys (Calhoun and Steven Joachim -- six catches, for 74 yards and a touchdown) are their speed guys, who also create mismatches.
"They have done a great job with their wide receivers. That has been their forte. They will be some of the best that we play and very challenging for us."
