Burning questions heading in to UTSA
The Thundering Herd enters this weekend on what seems to be a roller coaster of emotions. Prior to last weekend’s victory over Western Kentucky, Marshall had essentially gifted two games away with turnovers. With all the importance of the events surrounding last weekend, Marshall now turns their attention to UTSA (5-4) as they hit the road. UTSA is coming off back-to-back conference losses to FIU and UAB. Led by Frank Wilson, who’s in his second season as the Roadrunners’ head coach, UTSA fields C-USA’s top scoring defense (17.8 points/game) and only allows a league best 293.7 yards/game. Here are my five burning questions to Marshall’s eleventh game of the 2017 season.
Q: Will Ty’re Brady and Marcel Williams be available this weekend?
A: The importance of these two can’t be overstated in my opinion. Brady and Williams are currently Marshall’s top two receivers and have combined for 96 receptions, 1,273 yards, and nine touchdowns. Beyond their statistics, their absences make the Marshall offense considerably easier to game plan against. Brady’s ability to stretch the field vertically and Williams’ ability to make plays on third down keeps the focus off Ryan Yurachek and Marshall’s rushing attack. Not much has been said on their statuses besides head coach Doc Holliday’s comments in this week’s press conference. “We’ll see on Ty’re Brady and Marcel William. We’ll see how they practice,” Holliday said on Tuesday. During last week’s game, the sideline reporter stated that Brady was dealing with a dislocation. His status will likely depend on how severe the separation was. I’d put his odds of playing somewhere around 50/50. Williams is a different story. He left last week’s game, but remained on the sidelines. Nothing was ever said in regards to the nature of his injury. I haven’t heard much on Williams, and for that reason, I expect we’ll see him in the lineup this weekend.
Q: Will Marshall be able to continue their strong play on the road?
A: Marshall’s road record currently sits at 3-2, but you could easily make the argument that Marshall could easily be 5-0 away from Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Take away a few mental errors in games against NC State and Florida Atlantic, and the outlook on the Thundering Herd’s season would be very different from many fans. Marshall has been able to get off to a fast start in two of their three wins on the road and will need to do the same this weekend. If Holliday’s team is able to protect the ball and take advantage of their chances in the red-zone, I think Marshall can return to Huntington with a win. If they don’t do those things, I don’t think Marshall’s offense is explosive enough to play from behind.
Q: Can Marshall slow down and/or contain UTSA quarterback Dalton Sturm?
A: Sturm is one of (if not the most) Conference USA’s most dynamic quarterbacks without question. Through nine games, Sturm has accounted for 2,329 yards (1,830 passing and 499 rushing) and 17 touchdowns. Sturm possesses the ability to make plays with his arm (62% completions) and with his feet (see video below). Marshall will have to try and keep Sturm inside the pocket, because he’s at his best when he gets the ball outside of the pocket. Look for someone like Artis Johnson to spy Sturm. Defensive coordinator Chuck Heater could even play more one-on-one (without safety help) on the outside so he could roll one safety down into the box on occasion. It’ll be interesting to see how Marshall defends what I consider to be the best quarterback in the league.
Q: Which team will be able to establish their rushing attack?
A: This week’s game will feature the top two rush defenses in the league. Marshall only allows a league best 121.6 yards/game while UTSA trails narrowly behind allowing 130.2 yards/game on the ground. Both teams’ offensive success relies heavily on their ability to run the ball. Marshall is led by red-shirt freshman Tyler King (662 yards and six touchdowns) although he missed two games due to injury. UTSA’s rushing attack currently ranks third (203.6 yards/game) in Conference USA and is basically ran by committee (Jalen Rhodes - 601 yards, Tyrell Clay – 523, Sturm – 499). You’d have to give the edge to UTSA here considering the numbers. Besides the turnover game, this is my biggest concern for Marshall heading into this weekend’s matchup. With Chase Litton’s recent struggles, it’ll be important for Marshall to establish a ground game to take some of the pressure off him.
Q: Which team will be able to win third down?
A: Much like their rush defenses, Marshall and UTSA both field two of the better third down teams in the conference. Marshall is converting 46.1% (2nd) of their third downs on offense and only allowing teams to convert 32.1% (2nd) of the time on third down. UTSA boasts the top third down defense in C-USA, allowing teams to convert only 30.9% of the time. On offense, UTSA is converting 41.5% of the time, which is good for sixth in the conference. As we stated earlier, Marshall’s ability to convert on third down will heavily be influenced by the statuses of Ty’re Brady and Marcel Williams. If those two aren’t able to go this weekend, Marshall may have a very hard time staying on the field for extended drives. First down will be key for Marshall in trying to stop the UTSA offense. The Roadrunner offense isn’t built for third down and long. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Heater make his primary focus stopping the run to keep UTSA in longer third downs.