HUNTINGTON — Jerseys differ, but schemes and talent are very much the same when scouting Marshall-Southern Miss.

Both teams boast a top-shelf tight end, the tailbacks rank among Conference USA’s elite and both defenses are quarterbacked by future NFL players — USM linebacker Gerald McRath and Marshall free safety C.J. Spillman.

Southern Miss certainly is more established and experienced overall, but similar programs clash Saturday when Marshall (2-1, 1-0 C-USA) and the Golden Eagles (2-1, 0-0) match up at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Kickoff at “The Rock” is 3:30 p.m. and CSS will televise the game.

“I think the only difference is the quarterbacks, the type of quarterbacks,” Thundering Herd head coach Mark Snyder said. “This kid kind of reminds me of the kid at South Florida (Matt Groethe) a little bit, where our guy reminds me a little bit more of like a (Ben) Roethlisberger kind of guy.

“But after that I think we are mirrored teams in a lot of ways. And I can’t say we’ve been mirrored in the last three years since we’ve been here.”

Comparisons begin on offense with each unit armed with built-in mismatches at tight end. USM’s Shawn Nelson, athletic and sizeable (6-foot-5, 239 pounds), has caught 22 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Cody Slate’s 2008 numbers are dwarfed (two catches for 22 yards), but Marshall’s speedy playmaker has missed the past two games rehabbing an injured knee.

Slate, the Herd’s leading receiver the past two seasons, practiced in full pads Tuesday and will play Saturday.

Nelson’s combined stats from 2005-07 total 104 receptions, 1,497 yards and 13 touchdowns; Slate’s numbers from the last two years are strikingly similar — 109 catches, 1,502 and 11 TDs.

“Having Cody back is definitely going to help him,” Snyder said, referring to Marshall quarterback Mark Cann. “It gives him somebody else to go to; not that (No. 2 tight end) Lee Smith is doing a bad job. Lee Smith is doing a good job. He’s a big ol’ target.

“But it helps some.”

As for Nelson, Southern Miss’ leading receiver, Snyder wished he still was operating in former coach Jeff Bower’s offense.

“We kind of liked that old offense because he wasn’t getting the touches he should,” said Snyder. “He’s getting them now.”

Marshall and Southern Miss operate no-huddle, spread offenses featuring big-play tight ends and speedy tailbacks. Golden Eagles standout Damion Fletcher has rushed for 353 yards and two touchdowns on 57 carries (5.9 yards per attempt). Marshall’s Darius Marshall is averaging 4.9 yards a carry, totaling 305 yards and three TDs on 62 handoffs.

Fletcher ground out 152 yards and three touchdowns in last year’s 33-24 victory over the Herd. The 5-foot-10, 177-pound junior enjoyed similar success in his previous meeting with Marshall.

“Some of that’s been us,” Snyder said. “He’s been better than us. And he’s a different-style runner. He’s a guy that doesn’t go down.

“He’s rubbery. I can’t even explain it. He’s double-jointed or something. They had him bottled up on one of the films I was watching over on the sideline … he leaped one guy and turned and put his hand down and something, something, something and the next thing you know he’s in the end zone.

“I think he’s double-jointed and he’s got tremendous speed.”

Fletcher also serves as a go-to receiver in first-year coach Larry Fedora’s system, ranking second behind Nelson with 13 catches for 132 yards and a score. Fedora stresses balance and his offensive coordinator has delivered, calling 129 runs against 103 pass attempts, making for a tricky week of preparation.

“There’s going to be some adjusting because we really don’t know what we’re going to get,” Snyder said. “Are they going to come out and try to establish the run against us? Are they going to come out and try to throw the ball?

“What are they doing? And that’s what’s going to make this game very interesting because there’s going to be a chess match being played with two teams that are very similar in a lot of ways.”

 

National Video