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Burning questions heading in to MTSU

It’s hard to believe we’re already talking about the seventh game on Marshall’s 2017 schedule, but here we are. There’s a lot of confidence surrounding the Thundering Herd program right now after starting off the season with five wins in their first six games. Friday night, Marshall travels to Murfreesboro, TN to face a Middle Tennessee squad that’s seen their fair share of struggles this season. Currently sitting at 3-4 overall (1-2 in C-USA), MTSU is coming off a 23-25 loss to @ UAB. With the return of all-everything Richie James, MTSU looks to revenge a 42-17 defeat at the hands of Marshall in 2016. Here are the five burning questions I have going into Friday night’s matchup.

Q: Will Marshall face the same John Uruza they saw in 2016 or has a year’s experience helped him improve?

A: Last season Marshall caught Uruza in a surprise start following an injury to Brent Stockstill in the previous week and Uruza struggled. Marshall pressured Uruza all night and forced him into throwing two key interceptions. This season is a completely different situation. Uruza will be starting his sixth consecutive game in place of injured Brent Stockstill, but the outcome hasn’t been much different. MTSU has had a problem protecting Uruza and it’s forced him into some bad throws (eight interceptions in five games). Uruza has improved, but his offensive line doesn’t help keep him upright then there’s not much he can do. If Marshall’s front seven is able to produce a pass rush, it could be a long night for Mr. Uruza again.

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Q: Is the 2017 version of Marshall’s defense for real?

A: The short answer is yes! Through six games, Marshall’s defense is performing well at all three levels. Ryan Bee’s move inside and the revamped line backing corps has made this defense the best during Doc’s tenure in my opinion. Chase Hancock has been as consistent as any other defensive player I can think of and the debut of Juwon Young has been pretty much what we all thought it would be. I realize a lot of people want to talk about the level of play the defense has faced early on, but that could be said for a lot of other teams in the NCAA. A quick look at the defensive statistics will help support my opinion. Marshall has the #2 (#1 in C-USA) red zone defense in the country. Marshall has the #9 (#1 in C-USA) scoring defense in the country. Marshall’s defense is ranked 23rd (#2 in C-USA) in the country in 3rd down defense. Marshall’s defense is ranked 25th (#3 in C-USA) in the country in total defense. It’ll be interesting to see how the defense responds going forward, but I truly believe they’ll continue to improve as they build chemistry.

Q: Will the real Marshall offense please stand up?

A: At times this season, the Marshall offense has looked damn near unstoppable. Other times, it has looked like the Huntington High junior varsity could possibly shut them down. The entire first half against NC State was like poetry in motion for Thundering Herd fans, whereas the first halves of the Charlotte and Old Dominion games were sluggish and unentertaining for most fans. So what’s the problem? Personally, I think the biggest problem is the lack of consistency across the board. Pair that with an offensive line that’s been forced to play three freshmen at times and you have the recipe for struggles. With that said, Tarik Adams, Will Ulmer, and Alex Mollette have played well despite their youth. To be honest, I think there are other factors in play here, such as the lack of depth at the quarterback and offensive line positions, but we still need to find an identity on offense. I have no problem being a ball control offense as long as we’re doing it effectively. I don’t think this will be the week the Herd offense makes their mark on the 2017 season though. I think this will be a 12-round fight and we’ll have to win by “decision.”

Q: Where does Marshall stand in terms of team health?

A: Last week, Marshall was without the services of Sandley Jean-Felix, AJ Addison, Jaylon McClain-Sapp, Marquis Couch, and NyQuanHarris. During last week’s game, Aaron Dopson and Juwon Young went down with injuries. As it stands now, Addison, Couch, and Harris look like they’re good to go. Jean-Felix’s, McClain-Sapp’s, Dopson’s, and Young’s statues are all questionable it seems. Juwon Youngwould be the biggest blow considering how well he’s played the last two weeks. My gut tells me that he’ll play though because of his will to be great.

Q: Are they back to “Marshall” football?

A: Tonight is a HUGE game in my opinion. Murfreesboro hasn’t been too kind to the Thundering Herd so if they can go down there and bring home their 3rd win in conference play it’ll be a big step. My prediction is that Marshall scores a 4th quarter touchdown and a defensive stop to finish it off 24-20.

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