Expect a big game atmosphere

[IE]

There's virtually nothing not to like surrounding today's Cincinnati-Marshall football clash.

Playmakers are prevalent on both sidelines, ESPN provides a national stage and Marshall fans are set to deliver a 'White Out' with approximately 30,000 involved on-lookers producing an electric Joan C. Edwards Stadium vibe.

The Bearcats (3-1, 0-0 Big East) and Thundering Herd (3-2, 2-0 Conference USA) both cap non-conference play today. Kickoff is 8 p.m.

"When we come out of that tunnel and all that going, I would love to see everybody up making as much noise as they can with their white on and waving the towels and the kickoff comes out and they play that song ('Thunderstruck'). Have the whole stadium rocking," Marshall head coach Mark Snyder said. "That's kind of what I envision. And when they go on offense, constant noise."

As for the game, Cincinnati enters as a 3.5-point favorite, despite uncertainty at quarterback. Redshirt freshmen Zach Collaros and Chazz Anderson likely will share time under center, taking over an offense that already has lost two starters to injury.

"Chazz is a very cerebral kid," Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly said. "He understands the offense very well. Generally he will not get us into bad plays. But he's a red-shirt freshman.

"Zach Collaros is extremely athletic, very mobile and can make plays down the field. But sometimes you'd like to slow him down a little bit. He gets a little too anxious at times.

"Zach is a guy who can do some things outside the pocket. He's very athletic. He has quick feet. He keeps his eyes downfield."

Collaros and/or Anderson own the luxury of a deep, big-play receiving corps. Dominick Goodman leads the Bearcats with 28 receptions for 389 yards and three touchdowns, but Mardy Gilyard is the difference-making home run threat.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound junior totals 435 yards and five touchdowns on 26 catches and leads the nation in kickoff returns, averaging 36.3 yards a runback. Marshall counters with Darius Marshall ranked No. 3 nationally with a 35.4-yard kickoff return average.

"Fans are going to get to see the No. 1 kickoff returner in the country and the No. 3 kickoff returner in the country in Gilyard and Marshall," Snyder said. "(Gilyard) is explosive. He can bust the game wide open. Again, we're going to have to play superior special teams, not turn the ball over and put points on the board. We can't let them manufacture points in the kicking game, which he has done."

Gilyard boasts a 97-yard touchdown return on his resume; Darius Marshall sprinted downfield on a pair of scoring near-misses totaling 77 and 64 yards last week at West Virginia. Snyder couldn't resist a jab at his talented returner in comparison to Gilyard.

"The only difference is, Gilyard outruns the kickers and our guy doesn't or else he might be No. 1 in the country. He's going to kill me," Snyder said of Marshall with a laugh. "... If we can just get him past the kicker, we'll be in great shape. I think (WVU placekicker Pat) McAfee has tackled him five times now in two years. That's bad."

Marshall is coming off a lackluster effort in last week's 27-3 loss at West Virginia. The Thundering Herd similarly was uninspired -- and decidedly less talented -- in last season's 40-14 lopsided setback at Cincinnati.

Like virtually every 2008 opponent, UC players and coaches have dismissed last year's Marshall film.

"Oh, much improved football team," Kelly said. "I think the first thing that stands out is the defense. They've really done a nice job of mixing things up.

"They've still got some young players on that team. But I think (Marshall defensive coordinator and former UC head coach)Rick (Minter) has done a very nice job of putting them in good positions to succeed.

"I think when we look at it as coaches, we look at, 'Are you putting your kids in a good position?' I think he has done a great job of putting his kids in position to be successful.

"Offensively, I think they're still trying to search and find themselves. I think they have some big-play players. (Wide receiver Darius) Passmore, obviously, has shown himself to be a big-time player.

"I think they're probably wanting a little more consistency from the quarterback position.

"But I think the big picture here is Marshall is a much improved team over the one that we played last year."

 

[IE]

Herd looks to bounce back


Collectively, Marshall University's largely youthful football team looked the part of a youth football team a week ago in Morgantown.

Execution lacked at best in a 27-3 loss to West Virginia, a disappointing performance players and coaches immediately set aside, shifting full attention to today's opponent. Taking on a second consecutive Big East opponent, Cincinnati, affords an atonement opportunity on a national stage.

The Thundering Herd (3-2, 2-0 Conference USA) and the UC Bearcats (3-1, 0-0 Big East) kick off at 8 p.m. at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. ESPN will televise Marshall's non-conference finale, and fans are encouraged to wear white Marshall apparel in the much-hyped 'White Out.'

In particular, Marshall quarterback Mark Cann struggled a week ago, overthrowing open receivers early. Continuing the theme of eyes locked forward, reflection largely was waved off concerning Cann's first real struggles.

"Who knows?" Thundering Herd coach Mark Snyder said. "Was it the crown on the field? Was he too pumped? Was he throwing off his back foot? There's a whole lot of issues that could be there.

"Hopefully, we learn from them."

Returns through this week's practice are promising. Cann, lauded often and understandably as a coach's son, rarely repeats miscues and the Shewey Building's film room serves as a second home.

Fans throughout this week sought answers for offensive shortcomings overall and Cann specifically. Excuses haven't been offered from the Herd, but a week-long consensus from press box chatter (for whatever that might be worth), concluded that youth finally showed in Game 5.

Regardless, this week's approach has been turn the page, burn the film and recognize the opportunity of tonight's 'White Out."

"That's what practice is for," Snyder said of Cann's progress during a short week. "We'll have some things for him. He has to go to the right place with the right reads and all those kinds of things. That's part of the maturation process."

AS FOR CANN'S OPPOSITION: Cincinnati lists 12 senior starters on defense, but consistency has evaded the unit. UC has locked down the run, allowing just 103 yards a game, but opposing quarterbacks are finding gaps, throwing for more than 257 a game.

Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith are regarded among the nation's elite cornerback tandems, but Smith has split time at free safety while defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs pieces together a workable secondary.

"They're a veteran defense," Cann said. "They've got a lot of seniors on defense, especially in the secondary who have been playing for a while.

"They're fast and their corners are big."

Those corners undoubtedly will greet dynamic Marshall receiver Darius Passmore at the line in press coverage. Passmore, the nation's No. 12 leading receiver, welcomes the opportunity and Cann will scan toward the senior's direction, regardless of schemes.

"They'll have some guys that they think catch match up with Darius," Cann said. "We feel very confident in all of our guys to get open."

Connor Barwin's charge tonight is to pressure Cann into a repeat subpar performance. Cincinnati's high-motor defensive end, a converted tight end, has accounted for half of UC's six sacks.

"As the games have gone on, I'm becoming more comfortable, knowing the tendencies of the offense, knowing when to pin your ears backs or play the run first," Barwin said.

"It's fun, exciting playing a different position. It's basically you and the defensive tackle."

 

[TontoKowalski]

from collegefootballnews.com:

Friday, October 3

Cincinnati (3-1) at Marshall (3-2), 8:00 EST, ESPN
Why to watch: Marshall gets a rare opportunity to strut in front of a national TV audience and a shot at a Big East opponent for a second straight week. Last Saturday didn?t go so well. The Herd was shut down by West Virginia, 27-3, managing just 158 yards in a sloppy effort. It?ll be looking to recapture the form that led to back-to-back Conference USA wins over Memphis and Southern Miss. Cincinnati is coming off a narrow escape at Akron, pulling out a 17-15 win on a Jake Rogers field goal in the final quarter. Whatever problems the Bearcats are having, no one can place them at the feet of new starting QB Tony Pike who completed 74% of his passes and thrown five touchdowns without an interception before breaking his arm. The lack of a proven starting quarterback should keep this close.
Why Cincinnati might win: Marshall folded like a tent when it faced a solid Big East defense a week ago. It?ll do so again this Friday. Save for the game with Oklahoma, which is in a different league, the Bearcats have been air-tight on defense, creating turnovers, stopping the run, and getting to the quarterback. This group will be a tall order for Marshall QB Mark Cann, a freshman that?s still prone to making rookie mistakes. DT Terrill Byrd will get in his face, and defensive backs Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith will make him pay for staring down receivers and telegraphing passes.
Why Marshall might win: Marshall is unbeaten in Huntington. Cincinnati has not played well away from home. Expect to see a different Herd team than the one that hardly showed up at West Virginia. It?ll get after a one-dimensional Bearcat offense that?s had problems moving the ball on the ground. LB Mario Harvey and DE Albert McClellan have the speed to get after Pike and flush him out of the pocket. On offense, RB Darius Marshall, WR Darius Passmore, and TE Cody Slate are playmakers who?ll support Cann in his quest to beat a quality defense.
Who to watch: The young Herd cornerbacks are going to be tested by the best set of receivers they faced all year. Mardy Gilyard and Dominick Goodman are the Big East?s top two receivers, combining for 54 receptions and eight touchdowns through the first four games. Even better, last year?s star, Marcus Barnett, is coming off his best game since breaking his leg last year. He had a season-high six catches for 66 yards, flashing some of his pre-injury form.
What will happen: Having already faced Wisconsin and West Virginia, Marshall won?t be intimidated by a visit from Cincinnati, especially with a backup quarterback like redshirt freshman Zach Collaros at the helm. The Herd will battle for four quarters and threaten to pull the upset before fading late. Mark Snyder has the program headed in a positive direction for a change, but until it can make a few key stops, especially in pass defense, it?s going to fall short against quality opponents.
CFN Prediction: Cincinnati 27 ? Marshall 20 ... Line: Cincinnati -3.5
Must See Rating: (5 Palin vs. Biden - 1 Beverly Hills Chihuahua) ? 2

 

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Either QB gets Bearcats' OK
Offense confident with either Collaros or Anderson in role





You'd never know from talking to the other players on the University of Cincinnati's offensive unit that the Bearcats face a precarious situation Friday, having to play at Marshall with two untested redshirt freshman quarterbacks.


Either they have the utmost confidence in Zach Collaros and Chazz Anderson, or they're doing a remarkably convincing job of parroting the company line.

"These guys were awesome in high school," running back John Goebel said. "They're here for a reason. They'll do their job."

Said wide receiver Mardy Gilyard: "It doesn't matter who's under the center. We trust all the guys that go under there. Both of those guys are highly capable of doing the job."

UC head coach Brian Kelly wasn't surprised to hear that his players seem so unfazed after having lost two quarterbacks - first Dustin Grutza and then Tony Pike - to injury. They've seen a lot of both Collaros and Anderson in practice, first during the spring and then during the preseason.

Goebel worked extensively with Collaros and Anderson last year when all three of them were redshirted, so he saw first-hand what each can do.

"When my parents would ask me who's good, I could never choose," Goebel said. "I didn't know who I liked better, Zach or Chazz. On the scout team last year they would throw passes that I didn't know were possible. They'd be running back to the right and throw it back to the left on a dime.

"Zach is such a good scrambler. He kind of reminds me a little bit of (former UC quarterback) Ben Mauk in that he has the escapability and can still throw it downfield really far. He's got a great arm. Chazz, he's so smart. He's always in the playbook and Chazz can do a lot with his arm, too."

Goebel isn't the only player to have recognized similarities between Mauk, last year's starter, and Collaros. Mauk himself made the same comparison last year, and Gilyard also said he sees shades of Mauk in the raw freshman.

"I hate to put that tag on him like that, but I love him when he rolls out of the pocket," Gilyard said. "It's just so beautiful when the ball comes out of his hands when he rolls out. It's like pin-point accuracy with tight spirals. Chazz, he has a strong cannon for an arm. He likes to drop back and trust the pocket."

Kelly has not tipped his hand about which quarterback will start and has played along with questions from reporters about the competition between Collaros and Anderson, encouraging the notion that he doesn't know whom to choose, that he won't decide until just before the game Friday night, and that he probably will play both of them.

"My sense right now is that I want Marshall to prepare for multiple quarterbacks," he said Monday, "and I think each one of them brings something different to the table."

Still, neither has any meaningful experience in a game. Collaros threw four passes in relief of Pike at Akron last Saturday, and Anderson has yet to play in a college game.

No matter how good they might have looked in practice, no matter how impressively they might have run the scout team last year, it's not the same as playing on the road in a hostile environment when it really counts.

Sure, it's possible that whoever starts will play well and the offense won't skip a beat, but that won't happen without a lot of help from the rest of the offense.

Right guard Trevor Canfield says the offensive line is up to the task.

"We haven't given up a sack in two games," Canfield said. "No offense to Coach Kelly, but you could put him back there and we'd be all right. We've got confidence in Zach, Chazz, Pike, Demetrius (Jones), Grutza. Our offensive line is so strong that it really doesn't matter."