Offensively, it's a night-and-day difference between what we just saw in Hattiesburg on Saturday and what we're facing this weekend. In fact, I would say this is the best offense we've faced since Ohio State (WMU is also in the discussion). They run the ball well and are efficient in the passing game. No, this isn't the surgical Grayson McCall/Jamey Chadwell offense that we saw in 2020-2022. However, it is a good solid offense with Head Coach Tim Beck also the playcaller since dismissing OC Travis Trickett after the Louisiana loss. QB Ethan Vasko was one of the three QBs we saw last year and actually led Coastal in rushing yards that game.
Defensively, this is one of the worst units we'll face this year....right there with App State, Georgia Southern and Southern Miss. 106th in Points Allowed, 113th Total Defense, 128th Against the Run, 105th Pass Efficiency, and 109th on 3rd Down.
With that defense, how is this team even 5-4? There are a few reasons:
Their turnover margin is 21st best in the country (7 giveaways and 14 takeaways) and their Red Zone offense is 21st in the country (34 trips to the Red Zone and 31 scores) - by comparison we are 109th in the Red Zone scoring. Plus the aforementioned offense is very solid.
If I'm Tim Beck, I'd be giving us a very heavy dose of the run game with a few play action passes sprinkled in. Something like 50 runs and 15 passes. What Southern Miss did Saturday was unconscionable. Their top 3 RBs had 24 carries for 129 yards (5.4 ypc --- and it wasn't one or two big chunk plays) but they interrupted almost every drive with letting Crawford drop back and either getting sacked or throwing us the ball.
All things equal, we should win this one. We're better on both sides of the ball. We just can't puke the ball up multiple times and give them short fields. We've given it up 7 times in the past two games against Coastal.
Last week we broke our away game losing streak. This week we have a chance to beat the only team from the East that we haven't beaten yet in SBC. Let's do it.
Defensively, this is one of the worst units we'll face this year....right there with App State, Georgia Southern and Southern Miss. 106th in Points Allowed, 113th Total Defense, 128th Against the Run, 105th Pass Efficiency, and 109th on 3rd Down.
With that defense, how is this team even 5-4? There are a few reasons:
Their turnover margin is 21st best in the country (7 giveaways and 14 takeaways) and their Red Zone offense is 21st in the country (34 trips to the Red Zone and 31 scores) - by comparison we are 109th in the Red Zone scoring. Plus the aforementioned offense is very solid.
If I'm Tim Beck, I'd be giving us a very heavy dose of the run game with a few play action passes sprinkled in. Something like 50 runs and 15 passes. What Southern Miss did Saturday was unconscionable. Their top 3 RBs had 24 carries for 129 yards (5.4 ypc --- and it wasn't one or two big chunk plays) but they interrupted almost every drive with letting Crawford drop back and either getting sacked or throwing us the ball.
All things equal, we should win this one. We're better on both sides of the ball. We just can't puke the ball up multiple times and give them short fields. We've given it up 7 times in the past two games against Coastal.
Last week we broke our away game losing streak. This week we have a chance to beat the only team from the East that we haven't beaten yet in SBC. Let's do it.
| Marshall (6-3) | Coastal Carolina (5-4) | |
| PPG | 30.6 (48th) | 31.7 (39th) |
| Points Allowed | 23.3 (60th) | 31.4 (106th) |
| Total Offense | 398.0 (62nd) | 382.3 (73rd) |
| Rush Offense | 218.9 (11th) | 175.8 (49th) |
| Pass Offense | 179.1 (113th) | 206.6 (86th) |
| Offensive Pass Effic | 139.56 (54th) | 136.97 (64th) |
| 3rd Down Offense | 40.5% (65th) | 36.0% (107th) |
| Total Defense | 374.4 (75th) | 422.0 (113th) |
| Rush Defense | 179.7 (104th) | 225.8 (128th) |
| Pass Defense | 194.8 (34th) | 218.4 (67th) |
| Defensive Pass Effic | 122.14 (45th) | 142.96 (105th) |
| 3rd Down Defense | 28.6% (5th) | 44.2% (109th) |
| Turnover Margin Per Game | +0.44 (37th) | +0.78 (21st) |
| Penalty Yards Per Game | 46.22 (37th) | 65.11 (109th) |
| Net Punting | 36.84 (107th) | 39.03 (70th) |
