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SPORTS
Landon: It's been a rough ride for Herd this season
I used to think the "Big Dipper" was the only roller-coaster ride in town.
But not anymore.
Move over Camden Park, here comes the Marshall University football program.
The Herd has been up, down and all around with its game performances. That's why this season should be labeled, "The Beast."
So, fasten your seat belt. Pull down the safety bar. And let's review this roller-coaster ride of a season.
It all started with a soaring tram-wheel climb to the top via a stunningly impressive win at Southern Miss.
But, then, came "The Vortex" ... twisted, cork-screwy losses to West Virginia University and Cincinnati featuring self-inflicted mistakes.
Next came a hurtling ride to the bottom during an incomprehensible loss to UAB.
That was followed by a heart-stopping ride to the summit during a stupefying victory over Houston.
But as any "Big Dipper" veteran knows, what goes up must come down.
And did it ever.
The soaring Houston win was followed by a somewhat stable -- by roller-coaster standards -- performance at East Carolina.
But from there, it was an all-downhill, stomach-dropping ride of a Homecoming loss to UCF.
Phew.
Dramamine anybody?
"It does feel like a roller-coaster," said standout linebacker Mario Harvey. "Sometimes we'll be up and sometimes we'll be down. We've got to be consistent.
"We're trying to get there right now."
Next ride? It could be a Six Flags Over Texas adventure when Marshall visits favored Rice at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Houston.
Unless, of course, the Herd suddenly discovers the elusive consistency that has been missing all season.
"It's kind of hard to find," said Harvey, who leads Marshall in tackles with 83. "You've got to get everybody as a unit to jump on the cart.
"One day, the defense might have a bad game and the offense might do good. Everybody has to play as one. "And, right now, we can't find that. So, we're working on it."
Which means trying to duplicate the Houston performance.
"We're just killing ourselves," admitted Harvey. "We're shooting ourselves in the foot and making mistakes. We've just got to endure it and play how we did against Houston."
So, does that mean a continuation of this roller-coaster ride of a season? A climb this week after a free-fall last game?
"Everybody needs to get on the same page and stop making mistakes," said Harvey. "There are too many mistakes. And not just offense and special teams ... the defensive side of the ball, too.
"There was a key play (in the UCF loss) that we made a mistake on. We could have avoided it and stopped the whole drive. But we didn't.
"We could have gotten off the field after third down and given the offense good field position. But we didn't get the job done.
"So, I mean, everybody is part of the roller-coaster ride."
Defense clearly has been the most consistent of the three phases, but there are still things the defensive unit could do better.
"There's always room for improvement," said Harvey. "I just want to get off that roller-coaster. I want to get on that smooth ride, so we can get to a bowl game."
Sounds like Harvey isn't fond of roller-coaster rides, either figuratively or literally.
"No, I don't like roller-coasters," said Harvey.
It's no fun riding the "Big Dipper" during football season.
Maybe that's why nobody is confusing Edwards Stadium with an amusement park.
Chuck Landon is a sports columnist for The Herald-Dispatch. Call him at 526-2827. E-mail him at clandon@herald-dispatch.com.
