Marshall football: Herd 'on fire' this week, in control of Sun Belt East

“I think it definitely brought a little release, simply because now we’re in control of everything we want to get and I think it’s better like that,� Herd defensive lineman Mike Green said. “Once we get what we want to get, it’s easy for us to follow along that path. I think the [Georgia Southern] loss against Troy puts us kind of in that mentality, like, it’s all up to us now.�

Wins over Old Dominion this weekend and James Madison in the regular-season finale would secure the Thundering Herd’s (7-3, 5-1 SBC) spot in the title game against the eventual winner of the West Division. There, Louisiana (8-2, 5-1) holds a one-game lead over South Alabama (5-5, 4-2), Texas State (6-4, 4-2) and Arkansas State (6-4, 4-2).

“This whole facility is on fire. We’re just all on the edge, because like I said, it’s just up to us now,� said Green, who spoke during a players-only meeting before the Herd’s first practice of the week. “Not just the players, the coaches and the staff and the nutritionists and our strength coaches. Everybody that’s involved with this program has an effect on this team.�

That meeting was a sign to Huff and the other coaches about just how focused Marshall is as it prepares for Saturday evening’s contest at Old Dominion, which will be senior day for the Monarchs.

“During the week, when your room is locked in and they’re itching for information and itching to grow, as a coach, you put two or three more clips on the cut-up,� Huff said. “You spend four or five extra minutes trying to come up with a game plan or a technique or a tip or key reminder to try to give them that little bit of edge. I always tell the guys, the more professional and the more intentional focus the players show up with, then you can teach on a 300-level.�

Marshall (7-3) could match its most wins in a regular season under Huff with a victory in Norfolk, Virginia, on Saturday. The fourth-year coach credited the Herd for responding appropriately after losses to Virginia Tech and Ohio State in September.

“I told them in the locker room [after a loss to the Buckeyes] exactly what we were gonna do, and that was, we were going to come to work every single day and find a way to get better, and if anybody wasn’t with that, don’t get back on the bus,� Huff said.

“Everybody got back on the bus, so by your actions, you committed to the goal. So now that you’re committed to something, you can’t change because the mood in which you committed changed. You’re committed to it until they tell us we’re not playing any more.�