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SPORTS
Herd tries to maintain an even keel
Marshall football coach Mark Snyder talks about Marshall's upcoming game against UCF, Tuesday, November 11, 2008, during his weekly press conference at the Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
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HUNTINGTON -- Fans and media are allowed the luxury of riding high-and-low extremes throughout a college football season.
Players and coaches? Not so much.
Maintaining even keel is key, whether after a resounding victory over Houston or overtime disappointment at East Carolina. Marshall University (4-5, 3-2 Conference USA) returned to work with Tuesday's practice, preparing to sustain its season Saturday against the University of Central Florida (2-7, 1-4). Homecoming kickoff is 4:30 p.m. at Joan C. Edwards Stadium and CSS will televise the game.
"We'll see today," Thundering Herd head coach Mark Snyder said of his team's collective psyche entering the afternoon practice. "This will be our first day back, kind of. I thought Sunday they responded very well in our team meeting and took some coaching.
"We're so close. We're right on the edge right now of being a very, very good football team. I think the kids know that. I would be shocked if they didn't come out today and have a fantastic practice.
"We still have a lot to play for. I have to credit our players. They have a lot of belief and a bunch of will and want-to in them. I think that showed last Saturday and will continue through this season."
Saturday figures to mirror last week's defensive slugfest against ECU, a 19-16 setback. Marshall is allowing 25.4 points a game, compared to 26.6 for UCF, respectable stats within pass-happy Conference USA.
The Herd's defense is predicated on an active, deep front seven; UCF boasts the league's top secondary.
"I said going into the end of that game, the three best defenses in the league were probably East Carolina, Marshall and UCF," Snyder said. "I got that down to two now. That would be Marshall and UCF.
"The challenge again is right there up front. Very veteran secondary we're going against. Four starters, 134 starts, 35 career interceptions between those guys. There's going to be no tricking them. So, we're going to have to establish some running game.
"I'm not going to take any credit away from our defense. Let me say this. ... East Carolina ran the football at our defense 40 times Saturday for 100 yards rushing. That is outstanding."
The Golden Knights start redshirt freshman Rob Calabrese at quarterback, underscoring Marshall's need to again contain the run first. Ronnie Weaver leads UCF with 348 rushing yards and Brynn Harvey has added 208; four underclassmen start along UCF's offensive front and the Knights average just 3.0 yards a carry.
"Anytime you can stop the run, you're going to have a chance to win the football game," Snyder said.
Conversely, establishing ball control against a stingy UCF defense allowing just 343 yards a game (122.9 rushing, 220.1 passing) equally is pivotal.
"They're not as deep up front as they were last year, but they still have four or five guys up front who are pretty good," Snyder said. "They have big linebackers just like we do, big, thumping type of linebackers. They don't do as much subbing as we do.
"We have a. ... we can get small if we have to get small. They kind of just stay big and do what they do, and they do it very well, especially getting after the quarterback. We have to stay out of third-and-longs."
