College Football Preview: Marshall Thundering Herd at Miami RedHawks

Who: Marshall (0-0 2018, 8-5 overall, 3-4 Conference USA 2017) at Miami (0-0 2018, 5-7 overall, 4-4 Mid-American Conference 2-17).

When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

Where: Yager Stadium (24,286), Oxford.

»RELATED: Miami coach concerned about Marshall’s new look

Coaches: Marshall – Doc Holliday, ninth season, 61-42; Miami Chuck Martin, fifth season, 90-40 overall, 16-33 at Miami.

Series notes: Miami leads, 30-13-1, including 16-5-1 in Oxford, but the Thundering Herd has won the last four and nine of the last 10 games since the RedHawks won five straight from 1977 through 1997.

Stat pack: Marshall RB Tyler King, 158 carries, 820 yards, 5.2 average, 7 TDs; WR Tyre Brady, 62 catches, 942 yards, 8 TDs; LB Chase Hancock, 128 total, 37 total.

Miami QB Gus Ragland 150-of-269 passing, 2,032 yards, 19 TDs, 7 ints; Kenny Young 145 carries, 781 yards, 5.4 average, 6 TDs; WR James Gardner 47 catches, 927 yards, 11 TDs; LB Brad Koenig, 103 tackles, 65 solo.

Worth noting: Chase Litton threw every Marshall pass last season before signing with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent; Miami's opener also serves as Homecoming.

Quick starts: Martin has a contract extension through 2020; The Thundering Herd's 2017 season included a 31-28 win over Colorado State in the New Mexico Bowl; Marshall returns its two leading rushers; Miami has scored points on 16 consecutive red zone possessions, including 13 touchdowns and three field goal.

Quotable: Hancock on how Marshall still hasn't forgotten or forgiven Miami's 66-6 win in 1971, the year after 75 members of the Thundering Herd team were killed in a plane crash: "Any time we can strap up and play for the '75' and for Marshall in general, it means a lot to us."

Holliday on Marshall being Miami’s Homecoming opponent: “I’ve got more things to worry about than we’re their Homecoming (opponent). I don’t know how they picked the Homecoming Queen. She’s only been on campus for about a week. I don’t know how they voted on her. Nobody knew her. I guess they figured it out with a ballot where you don’t show up – an absentee ballot.”

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