Courtesy of @Zac Arrowood :
As you look at the numbers, here's a chart for reference to see how each grade would be categorized:
1-49 - poor
50-55 - below average
56-64 - average
65-70 - above average
71-79 - good
80-89 - very good
90-99 - outstanding
Each week, we will explore the PFF rankings for individual players as well as look at top performers across Conference USA. There are a multitude of words that I could use to describe Marshall’s loss to East Carolina including infuriating, nauseating, gut-wrenching, disappointing and quite simply, heartbreaking. With that said, I will set personal feelings aside, as we dive into the PFF grades for the offense during Week 3. Rasheen Ali, who had a stellar performance on the ground, was the Herd’s offensive MVP with a grade of 82.7 against ECU. I will dive more into Ali’s overall performance below. Now for a further look at how the Herd performed on offense according to PFF.
Quarterback:
Grant Wells finished Week 3 with an overall rating of 72.3 (slightly down from his Week 2 score of 75.9 vs. North Carolina Central). Statistically, Wells was 24 of 39 for 433 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Wells’ grades have been fairly consistent through the first three weeks of the season, however, there has been much discussion regarding his “gunslinger” mentality and decision making, especially when throwing into double and even triple coverage. Against East Carolina, PFF scored Wells with a 7.3% in the “Turnover Worthy Play” category after scoring 3.1% against Navy and 3.8% against North Carolina Central, respectively. With his two interceptions and several other questionable attempts, it is easy to see the notable increase in that percentage. Wells’ NFL Passer Rating against East Carolina was 86.6.
Running Back:
As noted above, Rasheen Ali was Marshall’s highest graded offensive player with an 82.7. That was a tremendous jump from his 64.0 against North Carolina Central. You cannot argue with Ali’s stats (24 carries, 189 yards, 3 touchdowns) and his performance was one that Herd fans had been waiting to see all season. In contrast, Sheldon Evans graded out at 65.2 according to PFF.
Wide Receiver:
For the third week in a row, Corey Gammage (eight receptions for 180 yards) was Marshall’s top graded receiver with an overall score of 67.7. This was nearly a ten-point grade drop from the 76.2 that he scored against North Carolina Central. Gammage continues to emerge at the top target for Grant Wells, however, will his fumble in the endzone during the fourth quarter on Saturday night forever live in infamy like the Tron Martinez mishandle against WVU in 2010? Willie Johnson received the second highest receiving score according to PFF with a 62.2. Shadeed Ahmed graded at 59.3 while Talik Keaton was a 54.6.
Tight End:
The Herd’s top graded tight end against East Carolina was Devin Miller at 68.5. Miller’s grade was due in large part to a strong receiving (74.5) and pass blocking (73.3) performance. Xavier Gaines followed Miller with a grade of 65.5.
Offensive Line:
Marshall’s offensive line saw no rotation on Saturday night as all five starters played the entire 77 snaps. Will Ulmer (LT) led the unit with a grade of 69.8 (64.5 run block, 75.6 pass block). Alex Salguero (LG) bounced back from an abysmal performance against North Carolina Central and had the second highest grade with a 61.5 (59.4 run block, 66.3 pass block. Kendrick Sartor (RT) was third at 61.3 (59.8 run block, 73.6 pass block) followed by Alex Mollette (C) who was graded 59.5 (57.0 run block, 67.0 pass block) and Logan Osburn (RG) at 58.7 (57.8 run block, 56.5 pass block).
A Look at CUSA’s Top Performers from Week 3:
Top Graded QB in CUSA Week 3: Austin Kendall from Louisiana Tech at 75.7
Top Graded WR in CUSA Week 3: Tre Harris from Louisiana Tech at 84.7
Top Graded RB in CUSA Week 3: Rasheen Ali from Marshall at 82.7
Top Graded TE in CUSA Week 3: Gerrit Prince from UAB at 89.9
Top Graded OL in CUSA Week 3: Nick Weber from FAU at 80.9
If you would like to know the grade for a specific offensive player during week three, do not hesitate to ask.
As you look at the numbers, here's a chart for reference to see how each grade would be categorized:
1-49 - poor
50-55 - below average
56-64 - average
65-70 - above average
71-79 - good
80-89 - very good
90-99 - outstanding
Each week, we will explore the PFF rankings for individual players as well as look at top performers across Conference USA. There are a multitude of words that I could use to describe Marshall’s loss to East Carolina including infuriating, nauseating, gut-wrenching, disappointing and quite simply, heartbreaking. With that said, I will set personal feelings aside, as we dive into the PFF grades for the offense during Week 3. Rasheen Ali, who had a stellar performance on the ground, was the Herd’s offensive MVP with a grade of 82.7 against ECU. I will dive more into Ali’s overall performance below. Now for a further look at how the Herd performed on offense according to PFF.
Quarterback:
Grant Wells finished Week 3 with an overall rating of 72.3 (slightly down from his Week 2 score of 75.9 vs. North Carolina Central). Statistically, Wells was 24 of 39 for 433 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Wells’ grades have been fairly consistent through the first three weeks of the season, however, there has been much discussion regarding his “gunslinger” mentality and decision making, especially when throwing into double and even triple coverage. Against East Carolina, PFF scored Wells with a 7.3% in the “Turnover Worthy Play” category after scoring 3.1% against Navy and 3.8% against North Carolina Central, respectively. With his two interceptions and several other questionable attempts, it is easy to see the notable increase in that percentage. Wells’ NFL Passer Rating against East Carolina was 86.6.
Running Back:
As noted above, Rasheen Ali was Marshall’s highest graded offensive player with an 82.7. That was a tremendous jump from his 64.0 against North Carolina Central. You cannot argue with Ali’s stats (24 carries, 189 yards, 3 touchdowns) and his performance was one that Herd fans had been waiting to see all season. In contrast, Sheldon Evans graded out at 65.2 according to PFF.
Wide Receiver:
For the third week in a row, Corey Gammage (eight receptions for 180 yards) was Marshall’s top graded receiver with an overall score of 67.7. This was nearly a ten-point grade drop from the 76.2 that he scored against North Carolina Central. Gammage continues to emerge at the top target for Grant Wells, however, will his fumble in the endzone during the fourth quarter on Saturday night forever live in infamy like the Tron Martinez mishandle against WVU in 2010? Willie Johnson received the second highest receiving score according to PFF with a 62.2. Shadeed Ahmed graded at 59.3 while Talik Keaton was a 54.6.
Tight End:
The Herd’s top graded tight end against East Carolina was Devin Miller at 68.5. Miller’s grade was due in large part to a strong receiving (74.5) and pass blocking (73.3) performance. Xavier Gaines followed Miller with a grade of 65.5.
Offensive Line:
Marshall’s offensive line saw no rotation on Saturday night as all five starters played the entire 77 snaps. Will Ulmer (LT) led the unit with a grade of 69.8 (64.5 run block, 75.6 pass block). Alex Salguero (LG) bounced back from an abysmal performance against North Carolina Central and had the second highest grade with a 61.5 (59.4 run block, 66.3 pass block. Kendrick Sartor (RT) was third at 61.3 (59.8 run block, 73.6 pass block) followed by Alex Mollette (C) who was graded 59.5 (57.0 run block, 67.0 pass block) and Logan Osburn (RG) at 58.7 (57.8 run block, 56.5 pass block).
A Look at CUSA’s Top Performers from Week 3:
Top Graded QB in CUSA Week 3: Austin Kendall from Louisiana Tech at 75.7
Top Graded WR in CUSA Week 3: Tre Harris from Louisiana Tech at 84.7
Top Graded RB in CUSA Week 3: Rasheen Ali from Marshall at 82.7
Top Graded TE in CUSA Week 3: Gerrit Prince from UAB at 89.9
Top Graded OL in CUSA Week 3: Nick Weber from FAU at 80.9
If you would like to know the grade for a specific offensive player during week three, do not hesitate to ask.
