Another week where our secondary SHOULD be very competitive at the line of scrimmage and have a good game in coverage. If you look at the offensive passing efficiency national rankings you'll see that after this weekend we'll have played 3 teams in the bottom 11 (Navy is #128, ODU is #125, North Texas is #120). However, QB Austin Aune found magic on Saturday in Columbia, MO throwing for 305 yards and 4 TDs on only 26 attempts (he did also throw 2 picks including a pick-6).
We have a couple of bad matchups this weekend of strengths vs. weaknesses. Marshall brings in it's 8th ranked pass offense against the Mean Green's 116th ranked pass efficiency defense. North Texas will get behind their 33rd rank rush offense (over 200 yards per game on the ground) and attempt to bludgeon Marshall's 119th ranked rush defense (ouch).
Historically traveling to Texas has been a house of horrors going all the way back to the 2004 Fort Worth Bowl. And playing on the road in mostly empty stadiums has been a bugaboo since Coach Snyder was on the sidelines. Over our last 12 games in Texas we are 2-10.
2004 vs Cincinnati......................Loss 14-32
2006 at SMU................................Loss 21-31
2007 at Houston.........................Loss 28-35
2008 at Rice.................................Loss 10-35
2009 at UTEP...............................Loss 21-52
2010 at SMU.................................Loss 17-31
2011 at Houston...........................Loss 28-63
2012 at Rice...................................Won 54-51
2013 at Rice...................................Loss 24-41
2016 at North Texas....................Loss 21-38
2017 at UTSA.................................Loss 7-9
2019 at Rice...................................Won 20-7
Hopefully this weekend we start a new streak of wins after beating Rice in Houston 2 years ago.
The elephant in the room.....
We now lead the country in turnovers with 16 through 6 games and is only one of three teams in the country with double-digit interceptions (UConn and Southern Miss also have 10 INTs thrown).
We used to giggle when Coach Holliday used to say in every Monday presser before going on the road that week, "We've got to take our leadership with us...." Well, there's a lot of truth in that. How well we come out Saturday and look prepared and enthusiastic to play will say a lot about our leadership - both inside the helmets and inside the headsets. If we come out and sleepwalk through the first half and keep puking the ball up, we will get beat in Denton on Friday night. If we come out crisp and technically sound, we should win.
We have a couple of bad matchups this weekend of strengths vs. weaknesses. Marshall brings in it's 8th ranked pass offense against the Mean Green's 116th ranked pass efficiency defense. North Texas will get behind their 33rd rank rush offense (over 200 yards per game on the ground) and attempt to bludgeon Marshall's 119th ranked rush defense (ouch).
Historically traveling to Texas has been a house of horrors going all the way back to the 2004 Fort Worth Bowl. And playing on the road in mostly empty stadiums has been a bugaboo since Coach Snyder was on the sidelines. Over our last 12 games in Texas we are 2-10.
2004 vs Cincinnati......................Loss 14-32
2006 at SMU................................Loss 21-31
2007 at Houston.........................Loss 28-35
2008 at Rice.................................Loss 10-35
2009 at UTEP...............................Loss 21-52
2010 at SMU.................................Loss 17-31
2011 at Houston...........................Loss 28-63
2012 at Rice...................................Won 54-51
2013 at Rice...................................Loss 24-41
2016 at North Texas....................Loss 21-38
2017 at UTSA.................................Loss 7-9
2019 at Rice...................................Won 20-7
Hopefully this weekend we start a new streak of wins after beating Rice in Houston 2 years ago.
The elephant in the room.....
We now lead the country in turnovers with 16 through 6 games and is only one of three teams in the country with double-digit interceptions (UConn and Southern Miss also have 10 INTs thrown).
We used to giggle when Coach Holliday used to say in every Monday presser before going on the road that week, "We've got to take our leadership with us...." Well, there's a lot of truth in that. How well we come out Saturday and look prepared and enthusiastic to play will say a lot about our leadership - both inside the helmets and inside the headsets. If we come out and sleepwalk through the first half and keep puking the ball up, we will get beat in Denton on Friday night. If we come out crisp and technically sound, we should win.
| Marshall (3-3) | North Texas (1-4) | |
| PPG | 34.8 (32nd) | 22.8 (106th) |
| Points Allowed | 22.83 (51st) | 32.2 (105th) |
| Total Offense | 514.3 (8th) | 415.8 (56th) |
| Rush Offense | 170.2 (54th) | 203.4 (33rd) |
| Pass Offense | 356.3 (8th) | 212.4 (88th) |
| Offensive Pass Effic | 138.4 (64th) | 108.21 (120th) |
| 3rd Down Offense | 45% (39th) | 35% (98th) |
| Total Defense | 389.8 (77th) | 424.8 (95th) |
| Rush Defense | 211.7 (119th) | 200.0 (111th) |
| Pass Defense | 178.2 (20th) | 224.8 (62nd) |
| Defensive Pass Effic | 111.75 (21st) | 155.35 (116th) |
| 3rd Down Defense | 35% (41st) | 45% (114th) |
| Turnover Margin Per Game | -0.83 (114th) | -0.20 (89th) |
| Penalty Yards Per Game | 71.83 (115th) | 63.2 (94th) |
