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MARSHALL SPORTS
Slate out for the year
Marshall tight end Cody Slate smiles following their 27-7 victory over UAB on Saturday, October 24, 2009, at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
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HUNTINGTON -- Teammates lamented the inevitable on Monday. A day later, Marshall University's head football coach confirmed the news.
Senior tight end Cody Slate, team captain and the Thundering Herd's leading receiver, will miss the remainder of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Slate, an All-American and John Mackey Award semifinalist, suffered the injury during last week's game against Southern Miss.
A helmet-to-knee hit ended Slate's college career early against Southern Miss.
The Chipley, Fla., native, who arrived at Marshall from Hargrave Academy, leads Marshall with 50 receptions, 607 yards and four touchdowns this season.
"Cody does have an ACL (tear), so he's out for the year," Marshall head coach Mark Snyder said. "He's such a great kid, such a great player. He told his mom yesterday, 'I'm the captain of this team. I'm sticking around with this team to see it through.'"
Lee Smith, who caught six passes for 77 yards in Slate's absence, takes over as the Herd's No. 1 tight end, teaming with redshirt freshman Jamie Hatten. On Monday, Hatten already was referring to the speedy senior as 'Coach Slate.'
"His fortitude has been unbelievable and I'm sure you'll see him out there coaching today," Snyder said, referencing Tuesday's afternoon practice. "He's very important in bringing those guys along.
"Lee's kind of been waiting his turn. He and Cody are best friends. He's a big guy and he has big, soft hands. He's a nice, big target and he can run people over."
Smith, a 6-foot-6, 267-pound junior, has caught 13 passes for 161 yards this season. Hatten's two receptions last week were his first of the year.
Hatten (6-5, 231) primarily has played in three tight end formations, serving as a blocker. That role now shifts to No. 2 tight end, responsible for pass-catching and blocking duties.
"He's definitely going to have to focus a lot more than he has in the past," Thundering Herd quarterback Brian Anderson said of Hatten. "He's going to have to focus in on a lot more plays than when we're just in three tight end sets and most likely running the ball.
"He's going to run a lot more plays. He's obviously been running them and learning them all season but it's going to mean a little more than it has in the past."
Marshall's other top offensive playmaker, tailback Darius Marshall, also suffered a leg injury against Southern Miss. The two-time 1,000-yard rusher was sidelined with an ankle sprain; his status for Saturday's game will be determined later this week.
The Thundering Herd (5-5, 3-3 Conference USA) hosts C-USA West Division leader SMU (6-4, 5-1) at 4:30 p.m. at Edwards Stadium.
Despite significant personnel shifts, Anderson anticipates a similar offensive approach. Should Darius Marshall also miss Saturday's game, sophomore Terrell Edwards-Maye and redshirt freshman Martin Ward would line up behind Anderson, who sat out Tuesday's practice following last week's physical matchup. Edwards-Maye and Ward have combined for 175 rushing yards and two touchdowns this season.
"I don't think it will change much at all as far as play-calling," Anderson said. "People get hurt and people have to step in for their production. I think Lee had a great game Saturday, being a receiving tight end as well as always being a blocking tight end.
"Martin and Terrell didn't get to run a lot, but they definitely showed that they can protect. They did a great job of it. When they did get the ball, they did well."
