Preview - Q&A with Marshall Beat Writer Chuck McGill - Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

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Preview - Q&A with Marshall Beat Writer Chuck McGill

10/1/2021 3:30:00 PM | Football

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HerdZone.com writer breaks down Middle Tennessee’s third straight C-USA opponent

By: Sam Doughton

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Through the first month of the 2021 season, Middle Tennessee has shown flashes of the team head coach Rick Stockstill wants them to be during their three road games, but never all at once.

Go on the road to the Alamodome and have the defense play it's tail off? Sure, but with little offense to write home about until it was too late. Have a career day for a new starting quarterback in Charlotte? Also comes with a defense that could not stop the 49ers quarterback. Even the trip to Blacksburg, where both offense and defense held serve against an ACC opponent through most of the game, saw special teams miscues lead to the game being pushed out of reach.

"We just need to put a complete game together where all three phases play together," Stockstill said.

A return home for their first of four conference home games certainly will help with that after three straight weekends on the road, as Middle Tennessee will battle Marshall in the annual Blackout game on Saturday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Stadium.

Preseason favorites to take the East Division crown, the Thundering Herd enter their fifth game of the year 2-2 and on a two-game losing streak, most recently dropping a heart breaker to Appalachian State on the road, 31-30. Led by first year head coach Charles Huff, Stockstill said the Marshall offense, led by redshirt freshman duo Grant Wells and Rasheen Ali (quarterback and running back, respectively), still does a lot of the same things they did under former head coach Doc Holliday, mixed in with a few concepts Huff brought over from the Alabama spread offenses he helped run the past few seasons, namely taking shots down field with max protection.

They also bring in a fast pace of play, being on the top teams in the country in plays per minute while they're in possession of the ball. Something the defensive coaching staff has been drilling this week during scout team reps.

"We preach a lot about running to the ball," linebacker coach Siriki Diabate said. "Every single play, you want to make it as hard as possible in practice. So once that ball is snapped, and run to the ball, you've got to jog back, get your eyes on the sideline fast enough so you're getting that call and going through that progression in your mind.

"Because during game time, you've got about 10 to 15 seconds from when the call comes in from the sidelines."

That fast pace of play can expose the Herd defense at times, particularly late in the game: Marshall has been outscored 31-0 in the fourth quarter during the team's two game losing streak. But it's the number of plays, rather than the talent on an upperclassmen heavy defense, that has led to those results, offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon said.

"Both of those offenses ran 90-100 plays against them," Dearmon said. "So late in the game, you could see 90 plays, you could see 100 plays, and it's tough for anybody to be really good on the 100th play being out there. They're really physical, they run really well, they're sound at what they do."

To learn more about Marshall this season, GoBlueRaiders.com staff writer Sam Doughton chatted with the HerdZone.com's Chuck McGill about the Thundering Herd and this week's matchup.

1) Marshall started the season strong with two blowout wins over Navy and NC Central, but lost the next two games against East Carolina and Appalachian State by just a combined five points. Heading into C-USA play, what are the current expectations for the Thundering Herd after non-conference play has wrapped up?

Expectations shouldn't change after those four games. This team was a preseason pick atop the C-USA East Division a year after playing for a conference championship and spending a huge chunk of the season in the Top 25. The offensive numbers are staggering but first-year head coach Charles Huff has preached ball protection and finishing strong. If the Herd can clean up those areas then the season has all of the promise it did a month ago.

2) Charles Huff is in his first year as head coach in Huntington after serving as Alabama's running backs coach prior to taking the job. Rick Stockstill highlighted in his weekly press conference how he's brought a lot of the same concepts the Crimson Tide offense ran to Marshall, specifically taking shots down field under max protection. What are some more subtle changes Huff has brought to the program since he was hired in the offseason?

I'm a fan of his detail-oriented approach. Coach Huff genuinely cares about all aspects of the program, from what happens on the field to the gameday experience for our fans to whether or not players' shirts are tucked in. He wants to play a fun brand of football and that's evident in the first four games, but behind the scenes he has really invested in all aspects of the program. It makes work fun.

3) Rasheen Ali has clearly established himself as one of the conference's top backs through four games, and Grant Wells has earned a lot of praise for his play at quarterback, both this year and last year. What are some of the redshirt freshmen's best traits as players, and who are some other playmakers on the offense that help them out?

They're a little different in their development given Grant Wells' Freshman of the Year campaign a year ago. Rasheen Ali is in his first year as a starter and just scratching the surface of his potential. Grant has all of the physical tools you look for in a QB, but he's also a tremendous leader and ambassador for Marshall football. He's not a loud, in-your-face type, but he says and does all of the right things. Rasheen is a complete back – he has breakaway speed; he can catch passes out of the backfield; he's dangerous on kickoff returns. He will run over people and juke them out of their cleats. Marshall is in good hands with those two for years.

4) Blue Raider running back Amir Rasul praised the Front Seven of Marshall's defense in this week's presser, while Stockstill highlighted the plethora of upperclassmen dotting all levels of the unit. Who are some of the impact guys Middle Tennessee should keep an eye on when the Herd's defense is on the field?

Marshall was No. 2 nationally in total defense a year ago and so many players from that team returned this season. Entering this game, the Herd is tied for the national lead in sacks. Those front four can really get after the quarterback and a guy like Eli Neal at linebacker is a star in the making. Of teams that have played four games, no defensive unit has been on the field more than the Herd's 336 plays. That contributes to some of the drop in defensive numbers.

5) This will be the third week MT will serve as their opponent's C-USA opener, with both teams desperate for a win after coming in on multi-game losing streaks. Additionally, these two teams seem to play each other close more often than not, with each team holding a 4-4 record against each other since MT joined C-USA in 2013. What do you think will be the keys for Marshall to take an overall lead in the conference series between the two teams?

This is not going to be a revelation, but: protect the football; convert in the red zone; finish in the fourth quarter. Marshall has been outscored 31-0 in the past two fourth quarters after entering the final period with the lead. That can't happen again, especially on the road at a place like Middle Tennessee. It should be a fun conference game under the lights.