University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Getting to Know...Marshall
7/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The countdown is on as your Golden Eagles prepare for the 2016 Football season! The Golden Eagles and the Thundering Herd will take the field on Oct. 29 at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Miss. The game marks the annual homecoming contest for the Golden Eagles.
Getting to know... Marshall
General Information
Location: Huntington, W.Va.
Founded: 1837
Enrollment: 14,000
Nickname: Thundering Herd or Herd
Stadium: Joan C. Edwards Stadium (38,019)
President: Dr. Jerome Gilbert
Athletics Director: Mike Hamrick
Colors: Green and White
Athletics Website: www.herdzone.com
Institution Website: www.marshall.edu
Twitter (Athletics): @HerdZone
Twitter (Football): @HerdFB
Football Information
Primary Offense: Multiple
Primary Defense: Multiple
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 48/15
Starters Returning/Lost: 12/14
Offense: 7/4
Defense: 4/7
Special Teams: 1/3
Head Coach: Doc Holliday attended West Virginia University from 1976-79 where he was a three-year letter-winning linebacker. He was on staff in various coaching roles at his alma mater from 1979-1999. He was an assistant head coach at NC State from 2000-04 and held the same position at Florida from 2005-07. He returned to West Virginia as an assistant head coach in 2008. On December 17, 2009, he was named head coach of the Thundering Herd. In four seasons at Marshall, he has amassed a 50-28 record, four bowl victories (streak of three), three consecutive 10-win seasons, two C-USA Eastern division titles, and one C-USA Championship (2014). In 2014, he was named the Conference USA head coach of the year after a 13-1 season record, a 26-23 victory over Louisiana Tech in the conference championship, and a 52-23 victory in the inaugural Boca Raton Bowl over Northern Illinois. In 2015, the Herd finished second in the Eastern Division going 10-3 on the year and 6-2 in conference play. The season concluded with a 16-10 over UConn in the St. Petersburg Bowl.
Impact Players to Watch:
Offense - Chase Litton (So.) QB is an imposing signal caller standing at 6'6'' and weighing 210 lbs. He had a breakout freshman campaign beginning with his first career start in the third game of 2015. He went on to start the remaining 11 games, passing for 2,605 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He led all true freshman quarterbacks in FBS and led the Herd to nine regular season victories. He has two talented wide receivers in Devonte Allen and Deandre Reaves who both racked up over 700 yards and 50 receptions each. He also has an effective tight end, Ryan Yurachek who led all FBS tight ends with 10 touchdowns, along with 44 receptions for 417 yards. Litton has all of the weapons at this disposal. The Herd's offense is poised to be even more explosive in 2016, but the burden is on the sophomore quarterback to make things happen. Pay attention to Litton; his decision-making will make or break the Herd.
Defense - Senior safety Tiquan Lang is the playmaker to watch on the defensive side of the ball. He was one of the few returning upperclassmen from last year's defense. In 2015, he was second on the team with 91 tackles including 40 solos and 51 assists. He also had two interceptions on the year. He will be a key factor in disrupting Nick Mullens and the Golden Eagle offense.
Football Stadium: Joan C. Edwards Stadium replaced Fairfield Stadium in 1991. It can hold 38,227 spectators and includes twenty deluxe, indoor suites, wheelchair-accessible seating, a state-of-the-art press-box, 14 concession areas, and 16 separate restrooms. On September 7, 1991, the new Marshall Stadium was unveiled before a crowd of 33,116.The opening game was against New Hampshire, which Marshall won, 24–23. One year later in July, Marshall football staff and administrators relocated into a new facilities structure at the north end of the stadium adjacent to 3rd Avenue.
In 2000, a bronze memorial to the 1970 plane crash that killed most of the football team was placed on the front of the stadium to the left of the main tower, and the road the stadium is on was renamed "Marshall Memorial Boulevard."
The expansion of the additional 2,000 seats was completed in July 1994. Six years later, in August 2000, another seating expansion brought the total number of seats to 38,019. The new expansion was completed before the 2000 season opener against SE Missouri St. In 2013, Marshall added four new skyboxes which raised the capacity to 38,227. Marshall has a 140-25 overall record at Joan C. Edwards stadium for a winning percentage of .848, which is the second highest home winning percentage of any FBS team at its current home venue.
About Huntington: Huntington is located in western West Virginia. It is the county seat of Cabell County and also stretches into Wayne County.
It is both a vibrant, energetic city and a place where heritage comes alive. Sitting on the Ohio River at the point where West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky meet, Huntington is part of the largest inland port in the United States. As of the 2010 Census, Huntington's population was 49,138. It is the second largest city in the state. However, it is the hub of the Huntington-Ashland-Ironton metropolitan area, which spans seven counties and three states and has a population of 365,419. Area retail is anchored by the Huntington Mall, the largest mall in West Virginia, and a healthy downtown retail sector including many boutique shops along 3rd and 4th avenues. The downtown area is once again a draw for shopping, dining and entertainment, including Pullman Square, a modern town square. In the hills above Ritter Park is the Huntington Museum of Art. It is the largest art museum between Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Richmond and contains numerous collections, exhibitions, education programs and nature trails on a sprawling, 52-acre campus.
Notable Alumni:
Randy Moss, five-time Pro Bowl receiver; holds the single-season record for receiving touchdowns by a rookie with 17; holds the single-season record for receiving touchdown with 23; second all-time in receiving TD's with 156, trailing only Jerry Rice;free agent
Billy Crystal, actor, comedian, was awarded and accepted a baseball scholarship at Marshall University.
Dustin Hazelett, professional mixed martial artist, formerly with the UFC.
Jeff Montgomery, former three-time All-Star closer, Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals, KC Hall of Fame member, with over 300 saves, Marshall Hall of Fame; led Herd to 1981 Southern Conference title, last conference title won by program, and tied MU record with four shutouts as freshman pitcher
Dan D'Antoni, professional NBA assistant coach, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and the Phoenix Suns; member of Marshall Hall of Fame; as point guard led Herd to back-to-back NIT appearances in 1967 and 1968, advancing to "Final Four" with wins over Villanova and Nebraska in '67; current MU head coach.
Mike D'Antoni, head coach, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets; former player, NBA Kansas City Royals, and Italian League, 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors (1998); Marshall Hall of Fame for leading Herd to NCAA Tournament in 1972 (23-4, No. 12 in nation in Associated Press and UPI polls) and to NIT in 1973.
Ahmad Bradshaw, NFL running back, New York Giants, Super Bowl champs for 2007 and 2011, cut in winter of 2013 and free agent, due to salary cap restrictions on Giants, also surgery on ankle this off-season; picked up by the Indianapolis Colts in the offseason of 2013.
