No. 1. Will Marshall University muster a superior effort despite the lack of postseason possibilities?

Tulsa is playing for a repeat Conference USA West Division title; Marshall is shut out of bowl contention for a fourth straight season.

Conference USA is all about the unexpected, however, evidenced by Tulsa's 70-30 loss to Houston. Golden Hurricane head coach Todd Graham anticipates Marshall's best shot today.

"Last year, it was the same situation. They beat East Carolina to eliminate East Carolina from the Conference USA championship game," Graham said. "They play very well at home. They beat Houston soundly at home. They play very good defensive football. They rush the football extremely well."

No. 2. What lessons were learned from last week's second half at Rice?

The Thundering Herd, a 7.5-point underdog, was knotted with Rice, 7-7, at halftime. Offensive tempo was amped in the final two quarters, leading to 35-10 Owls victory.

"That's been our focus in our talk," Marshall head coach Mark Snyder said. "That's hard to emulate at practice. It's just so hard to emulate, kind of like playing an option team.

"It's hard to get that look because you're reading off cards. It's hard to pick up that pace, now typically what happens when you get into a game.

"You get in the flow of it and start figuring it out. Rice did a good job in the second half on us; we were not prepared for it. They hit us with two explosive plays because we were not lined up properly technique wise, taking away proper leverage, and it's a quick 14 points."

No. 3. Tulsa quarterback David Johnson has thrown for more than 3,000 yards, but what is Marshall No. 1 defensive priority?

Opposed to most C-USA West Division offensive attacks, Tulsa boasts a legitimate running game. Tailback Tarrion Adams has rushed for 1,073 yards and six touchdowns and is averaging 6.3 yards a carry. Overall, Tulsa rushers are gaining 5.8 yards an attempt.

"Yes it is a lot more balanced because they can run the football, yet still spread the field and again, the quarterback is doing a good job delivering the football for them," Snyder said. "That's the reason they are so explosive right now."

No. 4. Will weather factor into today's game?

Houston appeared frozen by frigid conditions in a 37-23 Marshall upset victory at Edwards Stadium on Oct. 28. Travel and weather have proven factors within a conference spanning from El Paso, Texas to Huntington.

Snyder, however, isn't leaning on today's bluster for an advantage.

"It gets a little windy and cold in Oklahoma, too," Snyder said.

No. 5. Forget about a Tulsa offense averaging 50.4 yards a game. How about the Golden Hurricanes' defense?

Lost in a program featuring an attack averaging PlayStation statistics is a playmaking defense. Tulsa has totaled 68 tackles for loss, including 35 sacks from its 3-3-5 stack defense Graham shipped from West Virginia University to Oklahoma.

"If you look at their sack numbers and their negative yardage plays, it's because everybody is playing from behind and you have to get away from your game plan," Snyder said. "They are West Virginia, accelerated. They are 3-3; you never know where the fourth rusher is coming from."

-- Anthony Hanshew

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