Marshall football takes advantage of bye week before Ohio State matchup

by Ben Anderson

    Marshall football will travel on Saturday to Columbus, Ohio, for its biggest game of the season against the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes.

    Marshall enters the matchup coming off its bye week after losing to Virginia Tech 31-14 and used the bye week to work on fundamentals.

    “I think anytime the schedule is going to be a challenge.” Marshall head football coach Charles Huff said during his weekly news conference. “Where college football, you need a little bit of a break in there to kind of really figure out who you are as It allowed us to make adjustments and to get tested on another level before we get into conference play.”

    Marshall offensively during the bye week has focused on building the connection between quarterback and wide receivers as Marshall went three-and-out in half of its 14 drives against Virginia Tech.

    “Sometimes we're getting it out so fast that the timing of the route and the catch may not be there, but we got to get it out of his hands, or we're going to be in a situation where you think back last year when our quarterback got dinged up and he had to hold on to the ball  Well, now you're taking sacks; well, if I'm going to choose possible incomplete pass or sack, I'm going to take the incomplete pass because I don't lose yardage. Huff said. “So, our timing as far as getting the ball out of the quarterbacks’ hands has been good; now we have to marry that up with the routes we have to marry that up with.” Ball location we have to marry that up with continuing to catch the ball. Part of that is ok that ball is going to come out a little bit faster in a game than it does in practice and practice quarterback doesn't get hit.”

    Marshall enters the matchup against the Buckeyes with a record of 2-1. The Herd is 0-2 against the Buckeyes, having lost in 2004 and 2010 in Columbus. 

    Coach Huff said that the key to success against Ohio State is for Marshall to put constant pressure on Ohio State like the Herd did against Notre Dame in its upset win in South Bend in 2022. 

    “You've got to put pressure on a really good team, and what that means is there (is) opportunities in the game where you have to hit your layups is what we talked about; coach Kirby Smart was one that said you got to hit your layups like there (is) times in a game where you have to do the basic things in order to put pressure on the other team have to make a play.” Huff said. “It's just by doing the basic things, hitting the layups, catching the ball, staying on track, converting 3rd and mediums, you know, getting the ball into the red zone and getting points out of it, Whether it's you prefer a touchdown, but you got to get points if you get the ball into the red zone, that puts pressure on the other team to have to make a play.” All every coach would tell you most football games are lost, not won, and when you do that and you're putting pressure on the other team now, all you have to do is be able to take advantage of those opportunities.”

    The game will be broadcast at noon on Fox, and the radio broadcast will be on 93.7 The Dawg and ESPN 94.1 FM & AM 930, with pregame coverage starting at 9 a.m.