Revealing

[bbneutralfan]

The NC State game revealed the fact that with two weeks to prepare we were the team least prepared. Our secondary needs a lot of work - especially our corners - beaten all evening. Guess we can begin readying ourselves for conference play which is not going to be as easy as many thought. CUSA Championship? Well anything is possible but we will see what happens moving forward.

 

[caliherd]

Yes it will be CUSA is horrible and the fluke of a win ODU had changes nothing. They were 0-3 before their miracle win. It was similar to our sub 500 team almost beating WVU at the Joan. Pumped up team playing at home against a non emotional team P5 team that didn’t want to be there.

Our bellweather team that everyone is in love with in CUSA, in FAU has been crushed in 2 of their OOC games. Before anybody gives me the but one of them was Oklahoma. Army just took Oklahoma to OT at Oklahoma.

NC State is a good team not a great team. They dominated us the whole game at our stadium. We laid an egg against a beatable power 5 team at home. We showed that the first 2 games that we played against two lousy teams and didn’t dominate either, weren’t flukes, we are mediocre. Which in this conference will probably be enough to win at least the East.

La Tech and North Texas look pretty good in the West. Im thinking we will finish 8-3 and get thumped on the road in the CUSA championship game. Then we will play a mediocre MAC or Sunbelt team in a meaningless December 19th bowl game and then we will get to hear how 2019 will be our year. It’s the same thing every year.

 

[W-S HerdFan]

Cali nails it. This is why us die-hard fans go through the emotional rollercoaster every season, along with the coaches & players!
Still, with conference games the rest of the way, we should be more than competitive. Hope for D to improve vs less talented O-lines. Green will get better! Where was Bee? Saw him in on some plays, but when he played, I noticed he always tried to go wide around his man, vs bull-rushing straight ahead. AND - Finley was always going the other direction setting up a throw. Me thinks Ryan is still injured......

 

[mlblack16.]

Where was Bee? Saw him in on some plays, but when he played, I noticed he always tried to go wide around his man, vs bull-rushing straight ahead. AND - Finley was always going the other direction setting up a throw. Me thinks Ryan is still injured.....

You'd better consult with @sistersville on this

 

[HerdFan1971]

I dont know. I just think that NC State was the better team. That happens from time to time - you play teams that are just better. I didn't think our players were flat and i believe that they played hard - I saw some of the hardest hitting I have ever seen a Marshall team deliver and the NC State players still hung onto the ball.

Hate watching a loss, but i dont think it was for lack of trying or preparation. I really dont. Now if they come out and lay an egg against WKU - a team that I think is either evenly matched talent-wise or Marshall has a slight edge, then I will be quite upset.

 

[AllEers6]

I dont know. I just think that NC State was the better team. That happens from time to time - you play teams that are just better. I didn't think our players were flat and i believe that they played hard - I saw some of the hardest hitting I have ever seen a Marshall team deliver and the NC State players still hung onto the ball.

Hate watching a loss, but i dont think it was for lack of trying or preparation. I really dont. Now if they come out and lay an egg against WKU - a team that I think is either evenly matched talent-wise or Marshall has a slight edge, then I will be quite upset.

This team is young with new OC and DC. I think this team gets better. I know there is no Bill Legg to beat on any longer

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

NC State was bigger, faster and wanted it more. Just the better team. But with all our starters back and playing at home, you would think we would be more competitive. Green was shaky but was far from the reason we lost. Just not good all the way around.
Right now, we are about the 4th best team in CUSA.
NT
FAU
La Tech.

 

[31Herd55]

This team is young with new OC and DC. I think this team gets better. I know there is no Bill Legg to beat on any longer

18 returning starters (9 on each side of the ball) takes us out of the "young team" category.

That excuse will have to wait until next season.

How about losing the war in the trenches & can't cover receivers.

 

[beefcake0520]

Doesnt matter how veteran out team is supposed to be. That oline has displayed the same issues over and over in last few years.......no running lanes, no holding ground/contain. I can't say thats because it was NSTU, I saw the same thing against EKU and Miami. Unless they learn to run block, we arent going to do better as an offense.

 

[bbneutralfan]

THIS TEAM IS NOT A YOUNG TEAM

 

[oldeherd]

but . . . but . . . but . . . Unprepared? How can that be, bbneutralfan? Especially when Doc Holliday flat out assured EVERYBODY that the HERD began preparing for NC State the MINUTE the South Carolina game was cancelled!!

 

[ilmherdfan]

It’s been said multiple times and I can’t agree more. We haven’t been able to pressure the QB in 3 games. Some of that makes our secondary look worse than it is. We also haven’t been able to run the ball.

We were supposed to be strong on both lines this year and we haven’t seen it.

I don’t know what to expect with the WKU game. If we can’t rush the passer again we may be in a shootout and I don’t like our chances with a young QB.

 

[jrod64]

No excitement. No passion. Everything so secretive. Doc has no people skills. No one in the community likes him. He has woefully underperformed in a shitty conference. Attendance is down. Time for him to go

 

[sistersville]

Bee is and will be a non factor all year. So far I have told you all the truth. I just hope he doesn't end up missing out playing on Sunday's. I am talking after the board. Never saw him as a NFL tackle. Thanks for being my biggest fan Mr black

 

[goherdorgohome2]

This team is young with new OC and DC. I think this team gets better. I know there is no Bill Legg to beat on any longer

People say Marshall is young every year...


Cramsey is billlegg2.0 only difference is Cramsey has about 15 plays legg had 3... still same crap run plays that get us nowhere we rush Tyler king on 3rd and 1 handing him the ball 6 yards deep with nowhere to go... stupid......


Cramsey has better play calling and actually runs slant routes and post routes which really is the only huge difference between Him and Bill Legg

 

[AllEers6]

People say Marshall is young every year...


Cramsey is billlegg2.0 only difference is Cramsey has about 15 plays legg had 3... still same crap run plays that get us nowhere we rush Tyler king on 3rd and 1 handing him the ball 6 yards deep with nowhere to go... stupid......


Cramsey has better play calling and actually runs slant routes and post routes which really is the only huge difference between Him and Bill Legg

As I told everyone when Legg left you were not going to see anything really different because Doc has Don Nehlens idea of winning football games. I also think once the Gov went after Doc he was going to coach scared which is what I think he is doing. Run the ball to run clock and play good defense. Its simple football and it wins games but it can be boring. Add in the fact he has a freshman QB and the season was going to look like what you have now. As for Doc talking to alums and media. Doc has always been the king of coach speak. He talks a lot but says nothing, and he is very good at doing coach speak. Having said that he is winning games.

 

[marshallisqbu]

I dont know. I just think that NC State was the better team. That happens from time to time - you play teams that are just better. I didn't think our players were flat and i believe that they played hard - I saw some of the hardest hitting I have ever seen a Marshall team deliver and the NC State players still hung onto the ball.

Hate watching a loss, but i dont think it was for lack of trying or preparation. I really dont. Now if they come out and lay an egg against WKU - a team that I think is either evenly matched talent-wise or Marshall has a slight edge, then I will be quite upset.

Agreed. It wasn’t due to effort, but execution and a a talent gap.

 

[TeenWolfChubby]

No excitement. No passion. Everything so secretive. Doc has no people skills. No one in the community likes him. He has woefully underperformed in a shitty conference. Attendance is down. Time for him to go

My buddy was telling me that DD was very community oriented and a genuine person and that Doc is just a complete arrogant asshole...

 

[jrod64]

As I told everyone when Legg left you were not going to see anything really different because Doc has Don Nehlens idea of winning football games. I also think once the Gov went after Doc he was going to coach scared which is what I think he is doing. Run the ball to run clock and play good defense. Its simple football and it wins games but it can be boring. Add in the fact he has a freshman QB and the season was going to look like what you have now. As for Doc talking to alums and media. Doc has always been the king of coach speak. He talks a lot but says nothing, and he is very good at doing coach speak. Having said that he is winning games.

Doc wins against piss poor competition

 

[beefcake0520]

He does win though, sometimes as a G5 you have to weigh things, do you gamble and end up with another Snyder or be content with mostly winning seasons and occasional championship? I think as much as we didn't want to believe that new coordinators would impact negatively for a bit, we may have been dead wrong about that. Its doesn't appear chaotic but it does seem that certain positions are not in synch

 

[AllEers6]

He does win though, sometimes as a G5 you have to weigh things, do you gamble and end up with another Snyder or be content with mostly winning seasons and occasional championship? I think as much as we didn't want to believe that new coordinators would impact negatively for a bit, we may have been dead wrong about that. Its doesn't appear chaotic but it does seem that certain positions are not in synch

changing coaches has a risk. Just look at East Carolina.

Everyone was dead set on running Legg off and I was the one telling everyone that the style of offense is Doc's not Legg's

 

[beefcake0520]

Honestly the style of offense was leggs, I think cramsey is trying the blend it, I'm seeing both sides on that one, maybe he wanted to slowly build up to what he wants. What blew my mind the other night is not having our pounder in on short yardage situations, we didnt do it not one time, hell king, the smallest, was in there for that task a few times, not sure who thought that was a good idea.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

Cramsey won't stay here if Doc is dictating the O that much, why would he? Many schools can pay more for an OC.

 

[Sash19]

Talent needs coaching to win.....without it, it’s just talent with no direction.

 

[TeenWolfChubby]

changing coaches has a risk. Just look at East Carolina.

Everyone was dead set on running Legg off and I was the one telling everyone that the style of offense is Doc's not Legg's

Look at Florida State too.. it's not like they wanted a change, but sometimes a change is legendarily bad..

 

[herdalicious]

So Cramsey's genius lasted a whopping three games, and people are talking about firing Doc Holliday. It truly is Message Board Season.

 

[beefcake0520]

LOL I think we will progress and get better, this team my yet surprise us. I think we handle WKU, beat MT, how many will still complain at 4-1? Board won't change unless we beat FAU, win at USM and FIU that's my opinion.

 

[mlblack16.]

Everyone was dead set on running Legg off and I was the one telling everyone that the style of offense is Doc's not Legg's

If true, that would make Doc the biggest idiot on the planet. I'm not trying to make Doc out to be a genius by any means, but I'm not sure if even he is that dumb.

 

[UKphotoman]

With both lines struggling it’s hard to defeat a team with better talent. Unfortunately for Doc to win he has to have far superior talent. It still shocks me that fans got behind him after he won ten games after being a .500 level coach the years before that. The only reason he started winning was that the best teams all went to a new conference. The Herds schedule became a million times easier.

Anyway, the back breaker turnover just before the half was a killer. Drive that on in and it’s a one score game at the half, and Marshall has a real shot at winning the game. Instead it became a three score game, and the home field advantage couldn’t overcome the hole made by the fumble.

There’s some really good skill players, and Marshall may just have to win some shootouts in conference, unless they can develop both lines.

 

[beefcake0520]

With both lines struggling it’s hard to defeat a team with better talent. Unfortunately for Doc to win he has to have far superior talent. It still shocks me that fans got behind him after he won ten games after being a .500 level coach the years before that. The only reason he started winning was that the best teams all went to a new conference. The Herds schedule became a million times easier.

Anyway, the back breaker turnover just before the half was a killer. Drive that on in and it’s a one score game at the half, and Marshall has a real shot at winning the game. Instead it became a three score game, and the home field advantage couldn’t overcome the hole made by the fumble.

There’s some really good skill players, and Marshall may just have to win some shootouts in conference, unless they can develop both lines.

That isn't entirely correct, in 2013 we still had ECU and Tulsa, with ECU being one of the better old foes of CUSA. We beat Tulsa at Tulsa for the first time, still played USM and UAB, we were cheated out of the win in Blacksburg that same year. Some of what u say is correct, a lot of CUSA schools were gone, but not all of them were the backbone of old CUSA. Final record that year 10-4, pummeling a 10 win ECU team at home.. After 2013 your point applies, but then again WKU entered the league and did a nice job replacing ECU in performance

 

[TeenWolfChubby]

"Cheated out of the win in Blacksburg"

Explain?

I am not disagreeing, I just don't remember.

 

[mlblack16.]

"Cheated out of the win in Blacksburg"

Explain?

I am not disagreeing, I just don't remember.

The only thing I recall is that when we went into hurry up offense, they couldn't stop us, so they starting to fake injuries to slow us down.

 

[The Real SamC]

Good Lord.

Hey, Marshall lost a "step up" game against one of the upper-middle teams in the ACC.

There are five or six wins by G5 teams in true "step up" games every year. Plus one whopping upset like ODU-VPI every decade. MU has had its share of true "step up" wins and plenty of near misses.

It is what being a fan of a G5 team, or for that matter, the bottom teams in a P5 league, is all about. If you cannot deal with that, this isn't for you.

 

[herdalicious]

If you cannot deal with that, this isn't for you.

No doubt. We have people who go watch Marshall play a P5 team with a senior-soon-to-be-NFL QB, lose, and then say this is the worst, fire everybody, all of our players are trash, etc. and that's our fans.

The casual observers - like the guy who sat beside me at the game in a blue shirt and black hat and proceeded to tell me everything Doc, Cramsey, and Isaiah Green were doing wrong, until leaving at half never to return - are even worse.

People shouldn't be surprised that Marshall can't draw 25k+ a game when the expectations within the community are so absurdly high you wonder if they have ever watched a college football game all the way through before.

 

[caliherd]

No doubt. We have people who go watch Marshall play a P5 team with a senior-soon-to-be-NFL QB, lose, and then say this is the worst, fire everybody, all of our players are trash, etc. and that's our fans.

The casual observers - like the guy who sat beside me at the game in a blue shirt and black hat and proceeded to tell me everything Doc, Cramsey, and Isaiah Green were doing wrong, until leaving at half never to return - are even worse.

People shouldn't be surprised that Marshall can't draw 25k+ a game when the expectations within the community are so absurdly high you wonder if they have ever watched a college football game all the way through before.

We have zero expectations as a fan base. Literally for a school that actually cares about football I think we have the lowest expectations of any fan base I’ve ever seen.
The majority of our fan base sans a few people on these message boards view P5 games as unwinnable no matter the opponent, are completely content with winning 7-8 games, going to a crap bowl as long as it’s in Florida so they can vacation.

We literally are an orange slice and Juice box fan base. Play teams that are close so I can go watch. It’s ok they have more money than us. They are in the P5 we can’t expect to beat them. Our expectations as a fan base absolutely sucks.

 

[herdalicious]

Holy smokes that makes my point better than my OP.

 

[Herdfan1986]

This team is young with new OC and DC. I think this team gets better. I know there is no Bill Legg to beat on any longer

This team is not young, probably one of the most veteran teams overall under Doc

 

[caliherd]

Holy smokes that makes my point better than my OP.

How does what I posted say that our fans have unrealistic expectations?

 

[31Herd55]

9 starters back on Offense & 9 starters back on Defense = VETERAN team both sides of the ball.


All 5 OL back + Devers (a starter until he went nuts), yet they can't open a running lane if their lives depended on it.

 

[The Real SamC]

Most of our fans are among the best in the country. Then there are people with vastly delusional expectations who have football anhedonia. NOTHING Marshall is ever going to accomplish is EVER going to please that minority. All they can do is belittle whoever we play and attack the coach for not winning every game, every year. Then they top this off with a zap at our bowl game. Which, under the current system means every bowl game is what it is. Every one.

Memo:

Marshall plays in CUSA. Marshall is probably in the upper third of CUSA in level of commitment to football, but it is by no means automatic that we should win every game every year. This is not the 90s MAC where we boatraced outmatched programs.

G5 (and, YES there are five conferences in the G5, despite ignorant statements to the contrary) football means you have, subject to the one "access bowl" loophole, a schedule that will be other G5s, plus one or two step up games and will yield a bowl versus either another G5 or a 6-6 8th or 9th place team from the Big 10, which will be a lesser team than the G5.

If that is not for you, then you need to move on.

MU lost a game to a very good team.