Image Credit: Tucson Citizen
Opponent: Marshall Thundering Herd (9-4, 7-1 Conference-USA)
Game Date/Time: Friday, December 27, 2013; 2:30 PM ET
Venue: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000)
TV/Radio Broadcasts: ESPN, Terrapin Sports Radio Network
All-Time Record: N/A
(Discuss this article on the BSL Message Board here.)
Previewing the Thundering Herd:
For the first time since 2010, the Maryland Terrapins are playing in a postseason bowl game. As was the case in that season, the Terps will once again be playing in the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman. In 2010, the game was held at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. This season, the game has been moved to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, MD.
This season’s opponent is the Marshall Thundering Herd. The Herd finished 2013 with a record of 9-4, capped off by a 41-24 loss to the Rice Owls in the Conference-USA championship game. The team was perfect at home, winning all 6 games at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. They were a bit more shaky on the road however, going 3-4 including losses to Ohio, Virginia Tech, Middle Tennessee, and Rice.
The Herd are led by junior QB Rakeem Cato, who has thrown for over 3,500 yards this season. He has a stellar touchdown-to-interception ratio at 36:9. He has completed just under 60% of his passes on the year, and averages almost 8 yards per completion. Cato is also a talented runner, as he has added 6 touchdowns on the ground this season.
While Cato is very talented, the offense also stars senior RB Essray Taliaferro, who has run for over 1,000 yards on the season including 9 touchdowns. In the Herd’s win over East Carolina, he ran for 161 yards on 26 carries. His strength and heart has led this team in a big way, and a balanced offense is what the Herd are looking for against the Terps on Friday afternoon.
The Herd’s offense ranks in the Top 25 in almost every category this season, including the 7th best scoring offense in college football. In addition to a very potent offense, they possess a much-improved defense. While these numbers are impressive, it is important to remember that the best team that the Herd have played is Virginia Tech, to whom they lost in 3 overtimes. While they have a lot of talent, the Terps and Marshall match up fairly evenly despite Marshall’s big stats.
Opponent Interview:
This week, I was able to speak with Grant Traylor, a sports reporter for the Herard-Dispatch. I’d like to thank Mr. Traylor for his professionalism and insightful responses.
BSL: Marshall finished the regular season with a record of 9-4 (7-1 Conference USA). The season ended with a loss to Rice in the Conference-USA Championship Game, but the season contained a close overtime loss to Virginia Tech and a win over East Carolina. What were the highs and lows of the regular season as a whole, and how did the team do in regards to pre-season expectations?
Traylor: The high of the season was the team’s 59-28 win over East Carolina in the regular-season finale. Coming in, the Pirates had defeated both North Carolina and N.C. State handily and it was thought they were the team to beat in Conference-USA‘s East Division. Marshall dominated the contest from start to finish and earned a signature win for the program. Unfortunately, the win was followed by what I consider the season-low – a 41-24 loss to Rice in the Conference-USA Championship in which the game wasn’t really even that close. In the biggest game for the program in 10 years, the Herd simply didn’t show up. They were outcoached, outplayed and out-executed in every facet.
It was indicative of another portion to the team’s “lows” on the season. Marshall was terrific at home with a perfect 6-0 record and no contest decided by fewer than 24 points. On the road was a different story, however, as the Herd finished 3-4 with wins over FAU, Tulsa and FIU. Of those wins, both FAU and Tulsa led in the 4th quarter. The Herd’s losses came at Ohio, at Virginia Tech, at Middle Tennessee State and at Rice. The lesson here is this – the Herd hasn’t shown up or finished off a quality team on the road all season. That doesn’t bode well for a contest taking place essentially in Maryland’s backyard.
BSL: Rakeem Cato had a very good year for the Herd, throwing for over 3,500 yards and recording a very impressive 36:9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. How important is he for this Marshall team, and what can Terps fans expect to see from him on Friday?
Traylor: Rakeem Cato is the best quarterback to have graced the field at Marshall since Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich – two former NFLers. His importance goes well beyond the statistical data seen. Cato has really improved in 2013 in his decision-making in terms of reads and getting the team in the correct run-pass option. Cato’s emotions toward the game are a two-way sword at times. When the team is clicking, Cato is nearly unstoppable. When things aren’t going well, frustration can set in – even though he’s done a much-better job of keeping his head in 2013. Cato had a pair of main weapons to throw to in Tommy Shuler and tight end Gator Hoskins, and the chemistry he has built with each is uncanny. Look for Cato to be somewhere in the 250-300-yard range passing with two TDs while completing 60-65 percent of passes if things are going well for the Herd.
BSL: While Cato is the star of this offense, running back Essray Taliaferro had a very good season as well, rushing for over 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns. What can Maryland fans expect to see from him, and what exactly has his role been in Bill Legg’s hurry-up spread offense?
Traylor: It’s hard to not say that Cato is the Offensive MVP of the team, considering what he has accomplished, but Taliaferro, a former walk-on from DeMatha Catholic, has always carried a chip on his shoulder. If I had to describe Taliaferro in one word, it would be “fighter.” Taliaferro is the heart-and-hustle guy who is going to fall forward for that extra yard or bounce off the tackle to fight for the first down. More importantly, the team has taken on his tough mentality. That might be as crucial to the team’s success in 2013 as anything else because his toughness and abilities allowed the offense to be more balanced than a year ago.
BSL: Speaking of the Marshall offense, what can fans expect to see from the Thundering Herd offensively?
Traylor: It is a bowl game so, as has been seen already this week, anything can happen with trick plays and things of that nature. However, Marshall is going to try to see the tone and get Maryland’s defense on its heels. The only way to fight an aggressive defense is to be an aggressive offense, which is exactly what the Herd loves to do. Expect Cato to take a few shots downfield early, but there will also be a necessary sense of having to balance the offense out. Against Rice, the Herd came out and didn’t execute early and the Owls went up 14-0 quickly. If that happens here, it’s game over and Marshall knows it. The offensive rhythm must get going quickly and normally, that rhythm is started with the connection of Cato and wide receiver Tommy Shuler, who has caught 97 passes on the year.
BSL: The Marshall defense has improved a lot this season, which has helped the offense as a result. What changes were made on the defensive side of the ball this season to create that improvement, and what can Maryland fans expect to see from the Herd’s defense?
Traylor: One major change: defensive coordinator Chuck Heater. Heater brought an aggressive style of play that featured varied blitzes and athletic defenders on the back levels. Marshall was passive defensively in 2012 (partly due to injuries) and the result was a scoring defense that was next-to-last nationally. In addition to Heater, Marshall features lots of young talent who has changed the culture of the defense. Guys like nickelback Corey Tindal, linebackers Evan McKelvey and Stefan Houston and defensive end Gary Thompson are among the most noted young players. Also, defensive tackle James Rouse returned after missing two years due to injury and was named team MVP by the players because of his disruptive nature on the defensive front.
BSL: Most analysts seem to think that this will be a fairly close game, and I personally think that the game will come down to which team can limit its mistakes and which defense can hold off the opposing offense. What do you believe the keys to winning this game are for Marshall, and how do you see the game shaking out?
Traylor: Marshall needs to get off to a fast start, which has been just as much about its defense as its offense this season. The Herd has not been a good road team and mentally, that has to change for them to have a chance in this one. Schematically, the Herd must get Taliaferro involved to balance the offense and not allow Maryland’s rushers to pin their ears back and come full force at Cato. Defensively, the Herd has to keep C.J. Brown from getting loose for big gains. The Herd has done well against mobile quarterbacks this season, but they’ve not seen anyone of Brown’s caliber yet.
BSL: Finally, a lot of Maryland fans have downplayed the Military Bowl over the past few weeks. It isn’t the most attractive bowl game for a major conference school, especially when expectations were so high after the 4-0 start. What does this game mean for Marshall, and how have the players and fans responded to this opportunity?
Traylor: The game means a lot to the players – especially for the seniors who are looking to exit the program with a pair of bowl wins to their credit (the other being 2011 Beef ‘O’Brady’s Bowl). From a program standpoint, to get to 10 wins would be huge for the Herd as well. The team also doesn’t want to go into an offseason with back-to-back losses to end the year. Fans are responding to the bowl opportunity, but the weather and timing around Christmas has factored into ticket sales being slightly lower than expected. Still, the Herd travels well and with a strong Washington, D.C., alumni chapter, it is expected that there will be more-than-expected Marshall fans at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Friday.
Zack’s Keys to the Game:
- Pressure Cato – Whenever a team faces a quarterback with the talent of Rakeem Cato, their one goal has to be to get consistent pressure. Andre Monroe and Marcus Whitfield will need to find ways to break through Marshall’s defensive line and get Cato rattled. With Jeremiah Johnson back in the secondary, Brian Stewart should feel even more comfortable leaving his corners on islands while he has his linebackers blitz heavily.
- Run the ball – When the Maryland offense is at its best, it is running the ball with Brandon Ross and C.J. Brown. This opens up a lot of options for Brown and his receivers in the play-action passing game, and creates uncertainty for opposing defenses. The Terps will need to get the running game going early, and make sure Marshall can account for Brown’s running threat as well.
- Limit mistakes – Bowl games, like any big game, seem to emphasize mistakes and turnovers even more than a standard game. The team that wins the turnover battle and limits their mistakes normally comes out on top. The Terps will need to make sure to play smart football, and take care of the football.
- Score early and often – While Marshall’s offense is a good one for comeback situations, the Terps need to gain confidence early by getting out to a quick lead. It would certainly help on both sides of the ball, and get the Herd on their heels quickly.
- Win at home – This is practically a home game for the Terps, and home is somewhere they have played well this season. Being able to win their final game as an ACC team would give them a lot of confidence heading into the 2014 season and would get some recruits’ attention.
Terps Analyst
Zack is a financial analyst for a defense contractor in Washington, DC. The Owings Mills native focuses most of his efforts on Maryland Football recruiting and individual coach and player pieces; but also covers Terps Basketball. He has established relationships with Big Ten beat reporters across the conference, which he utilizes in his game previews. Now a Sr. Terps Analyst for BSL, Zack can be reached at: zack.kiesel@baltimoresportsandlife.com.