VS.

A new coach will lead Marshall in this bowl game after Mark Snyder resigned following the final game of the regular season. Ohio is susceptible to the run, which will play into Marshall’s offense and star RB Darius Marshall, but the Bobcats’ offense started to click late in the year with QB Theo Scott and WR Taylor Price.

1:00 PM ET, December 26, 2009
Ford Field , DETROIT, MI
ESPN

Marshall Thundering Herd finished the season with an overall record of 6-6 and 4th place at the C-USA East. Marshall’s offensive line is doing a good job of getting into position to cut off defenders and RB Darius Marshall possesses above-average top-end speed to turn the corner and is elusive when hitting the open field. The Thundering Herd are playing in their first bowl game since a 32-14 loss to Cincinnati in the 2004 Fort Worth Bowl. Marshall dropped three of four to end this regular season, falling 52-21 at UTEP in its finale Nov. 28. A day after that defeat, coach Mark Snyder resigned after going 21-37 in five seasons.Minter, the defensive coordinator, will serve as the interim coach for the bowl game, while athletic director Mike Hamrick said the Thundering Herd’s other coaches will be retained for this contest. According to reports, though, Hamrick has already interviewed candidates for the coaching position and could name a replacement prior to facing Ohio. Players like QB Brian Anderson, WR Antavious Wilson, WR Aaron Dobson, WR Cody Slate, RB Darius Marshall and RB Martin Ward will try to lead the team to victory despite of all the distractions about the coaching position.

Ohio Bobcats’ front seven has struggled defending the run, especially to the outside as DE Dak Notestine and DE Stafford Gatling lack adequate size and strength, which results in their surrendering the edge too often. In addition, LB Lee Renfro and LB Erik Ejike lack prototypical range and have taken questionable angles in pursuit. Ohio defense leads the Football Bowl Subdivision with 36 forced turnovers which is a great way to stop Marshall’s running game. LB Noah Keller ranks 12th in the nation with 10.6 tackles per game will do as much as possible to stop Marshall biggest threat Darius Marshall. Offensive players like QB Theo Scott, RB Chris Garrett, RB Vince Davidson, WR Taylor Price and WR LaVon Brazill will try to take advantage of Marshall’s distracted players and may be with a lot of luck score at least a couple times before the Thundering Herd’s running game catches up with them.

GAME ODDS

MARSHALL 49
OHIO -2½

THIS IS A VERY DISTRACTING SITUATION FOR MARSHALL, PLAYERS CAN’T SEEM TO CONCENTRATE WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE PROGRAM. OHIO WILL TRY TO CAPITALIZE ON THAT AND MAY BE IF THEY GET TO STOP THE RUN THEN THEY WILL HAVE IT IN THEIR POCKETS. MY PICK WILL BE OHIO BOBCATS -2½.

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