Fall Camp Preview: Five bold predictions

Related: Five Players Who Need Big Fall Camps

With the 2018 season just around the corner for the Marshall Thundering Herd, HN Staffer Dick Ash goes out on a limb and brings you five bold predictions for the 2018 season.

Doc Holliday hates turnovers - unless it’s his defense that’s causing them. His teams used to cause a lot of them too. In Doc’s first six seasons, Marshall intercepted 80 passes in 78 games with at least nine each season, which is an average of 13 per season. In 2016 the number of picks fell to eight (in 12 games) and last season there were only six in 13 games. The good news in that department last year was that three of the six picks were returned for touchdowns.

However, 2018 should be a different situation. The Herd will have a veteran defense with experience in the defensive backfield and at the positions that will be putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Marshall will also be facing at least five QB’s who are new starters in 2018. That should add up to an increase in INT’s, and I think the Herd defense will pick off at least a baker’s dozen in 2018.

A few years ago, there were several games each season where players rushed for or caught passes for 100 or more yards.

In 2013 there were ten 100-yard rushers and in 2014 16 players did it. However, 2015 saw Devon Johnson get injured, and there were just six 100-yard rushers that season. Anthony Anderson had the only 100-yard rushing game in 2016, and there were only six in 2017. With an offensive line featuring a good mix of youth and experience and 800-yard backs Tyler King and Keion Davis returning, I’m predicting a return to double digit 100-yard rushing performances in 2018. King and Davis each ran for more than 100 yards in the New Mexico Bowl; I think that’s a good omen for 2018.

Similarly, the number of 100 yard receiving games has been down recently. In 2012 and 2013 seven Herd receivers had 100-yard receiving games and eight receivers hit the century mark in game yardage in 2014. QB Rakeem Cato left after 2014 and the last three seasons there have been two, five and four 100-yard receiving games. This number should increase in 2018, due to experience in the receiving corps. I’ll predict eight 100 yard receiving games for 2018. After all, how many DB’s in this league can cover Tyre Brady?

Bee has been a steady contributor in his three years for Marshall, ranking in the top eight in tackles and accumulating between four and five and a half sacks each season. If Bee repeats his 5.5 sacks from 2017, he’ll end up with 19.5 and tie Jamus Martin for 8th on the Herd’s all-time list. Six sacks this season would move Bee up to a tie for 7th with Albert McClellan. It should be noted that sacks have only been an official statistic since 1981.

Unlike Bee, Davis has had his ups and downs in his Marshall career. After being a dependable contributor in 2015, he had a good beginning to 2016 but ended the season in the doghouse and his return for 2017 was clearly in doubt even though he had led the team in all-purpose yards by a huge margin. Davis resurrected his Herd career with renewed effort and improved attitude, started 2017 with 2 kickoff return touchdowns against Miami and rushed for 812 yards and 6 touchdowns. Davis led the team in all purpose yards for the second year and has 2968 yards for his career. If he repeats his 2017 total of 1494 all-purpose yards, Davis will have 4462 career all-purpose yards and will rank 10th all time for the Herd, ahead of Josh Davis by 183 yards.

If Keion can get 1561 all-purpose yards in his senior season, he’d pass Mike Barber, Darius Watts, Troy Brown and Randy Moss and move into 6th place all time. Davis has 1612 yards rushing to rank 18th on the all time Herd list, just ahead of Essray Taliaferro. If he duplicates his 2017 number of 812 yards, he’d move all the way up to 10th place ahead of Devon Johnson by 51 yards and behind Franklin ‘Butchie’ Wallace by 270 yards.

The category Davis could own after 2018 is kickoff returns for touchdowns. He’s currently tied for the top spot with three with DeAndre Reaves and Troy Brown, so another one would give him sole possession of the Marshall career record.

I’ll predict that Bee ties or passes McClellan in sacks. If Davis stays healthy he’ll get his kickoff return TD and the career record. I also think he’ll get around 800 yards rushing, but I don’t think he’ll equal 2017’s kickoff return yardage. I’ll say it’ll be more like 1200 yards than 1500.

The biggest losses on Marshall’s offense were of course QB Chase Litton and TE Ryan Yurachek. Just as Litton threw every Herd pass in 2017, Yurachek was the only tight end to catch a pass last season. It will be hard to replace Yurachek’s leadership, but there is no shortage of quality athletes trying to replace his on-field production. Solid RS SO Cody Mitchell, athletic RS SO Xavier Gaines, physical RS JR Armani Levias and underrated RS FR Devin Miller are all possible contenders for time and catches at tight end. Each has their plusses and minuses, but the best mix of blocking, being a reliable target and chemistry with the new starting QB will determine who gets the most snaps and targets.

I’ll predict that Mitchell plays the most snaps and leads the TE group in catches and yardage, while Levias’s large frame will help him score the most TD’s. I think the quartet will combine for Yurachek-ian numbers of about 50 catches, 400 yards and seven TD’s.

When Marshall and FAU meet in Huntington on October 20 (game eight for the Herd, game seven for the Owls), FAU could easily be 2-4 and 1-1 in the league. FAU will be an underdog to Oklahoma and UCF and will beat Bethune-Cookman. They will also have hosted Air Force, an improved team which runs the triple option. Another option team (Navy) ran around and all over FAU in 2017. FAU will also have played at Middle Tennessee, where the Blue Raiders (with a healthy Brett Stockstill) hung 77 points on the Owls in 2016. After playing in Huntington, FAU still has three tough games: crossover games at North Texas and at home with LA Tech and their rivalry game at FIU. FAU 5-7 overall and 4-4 in C-USA? Possible, especially if there’s a demoralizing start to the season…….

Marshall has issues in their schedule also, with a tough G5 opponent in Miami, the two P5 teams, Middle Tennessee (Marshall hasn’t faced a healthy Brett Stockstill since 2015), a real trap game at ODU the week before FAU, FAU and trips to Southern Miss and FIU after both got wins in Huntington last season.

So, what’s going to happen?

My actual prediction: I think Marshall beats Miami, EKU, NC State, WKU, MTSU, ODU, Charlotte, UTSA and FIU to go 9-3 and 6-2 in the conference. FAU loses to Oklahoma, UCF, MTSU and either LA Tech or North Texas to go 8-4 and 6-2, but they lose the tiebreaker to the Herd. MTSU loses to ODU, UAB and Marshall to go 5-3 in the conference.

I won’t even begin to guess what might happen in the West, so ask me in November who Marshall will face in the C-USA title game….

Gambling isn’t quite legal in West Virginia yet, so these predictions are free – and worth every penny.