Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/558473
90 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED Big Numbers L osing the program's most-dec- orated quarterback, who had school records in pass- ing yards and touchdowns, and Conference USA's all-time career receptions leader would seem sig- nificant. Rakeem Cato and Tommy Shuler, after all, helped Marshall produce a potent offense in 2014. Its 45.6 points per game ranked No. 3 in the FBS and pushed the Herd to a magical 13-1 season. The only loss actually was the game in which Marshall scored its single-game high in points — a whopping 66. But without the two stars, there's no fear of rapid decrease in produc- tion, says Grant Traylor, who covers the program for Huntington's Her- ald-Dispatch. In fact, Traylor thinks Marshall's offense actually could be better in 2015. That's because JMU transfer Mi- chael Birdsong is a bigger (6-foot-5, 242 pounds), stronger-armed and more versatile running option than Cato for Bill Legg to utilize in an up-tempo, pass-first offense that spreads defenses out and then can gouge them in the run game. "If there was a knock on Cato, it was his size," Traylor said. "He was a 6-foot, 180-pound quarterback and with Legg's zone read stuff, he wouldn't run it in between the tackles like what the offense would normally do. But Birdsong has the size to be able to do that. … "He has a laser arm, the best arm I've seen since Byron Leftwich in 2002 as far as velocity. He does need to get a little more accurate on his throws, especially the deep ball." There will be options to fill in for Shuler, whose 322 career catches were a conference record, with two young speedsters on the inside and two 6-3, 210-plus-pounders on the outside. But perhaps the biggest help for Birdsong won't be one who is spread out wide. Marshall's rushing offense was No. 8/30 at Miami (Ohio) . . . . . W, 42-27 9/6 RHODE ISLAND . . . . . . W, 48-7 9/13 OHIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . W, 44-14 9/20 at Akron . . . . . . . . . . W, 48-17 10/4 at Old Dominion . . . . . W, 56-14 10/11 MIDDLE TENNESSEE . W, 49,24 10/18 at FIU . . . . . . . . . . . . . W, 45-13 10/25 FLORIDA ATLANTIC . . W, 35-16 11/8 at Southern Miss . . . . W, 63-17 11/15 RICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . W, 41-14 11/22 at UAB . . . . . . . . . . . . W, 23-18 11/28 WESTERN KENTUCKY L, 66-67 12/6 LOUISIANA TECH . . . W, 26,23 12/23 NORTHERN ILLINOIS W, 52-23 Who's in Charge? COACH DOC HOLLIDAY Record at Marshall: 40-25 (five seasons) Record vs. Purdue: 0-1 Marshall Devon Johnson is one of the nation's best running backs, racking up near- ly 1,800 yards on a whopping 8.6 yards per carry in 2014 by using his 245-pound frame to bust through tack- les. Marshall Thundering Herd 2015 OPPONENT PRE VIE W S E P T. 6 • J OA N C. E DWA R D S S TA D I U M, H U N T I N G TO N • T I M E: 3 P.M. • T V: F OX S P O RTS 1 9/6 PURDUE 9/12 at Ohio 9/19 NORFOLK STATE 9/26 at Kent State 10/3 OLD DOMINION 10/9 SOUTHERN MISS 10/17 at Florida Atlantic 10/24 NORTH TEXAS 10/31 at Charlotte 11/7 at Mid.Tennessee 11/14 FIU 11/27 at W. Kentucky 2014 Results (13-1) 2015 Schedule G O L D A N D B L AC K 'S E A R LY L I N E : M A R S H A L L - 3 Purdue and Marshall combined for 92 points in their 2012 meeting, the second-most in a non-conference regular-season game for Purdue in the 21st century. OF NOTE: Marshall's Devon Johnson ran for 1,767 yards last year, the third-most among returning FBS players behind Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott (1,878) and San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey (1,867). 2006 Purdue 60, Indiana State 35 2012 Purdue 51, Marshall 41 2009 Purdue 52, Toledo 31 2005 Notre Dame 49, Purdue 28 2007 Purdue 52, Toledo 24 95 92 83 77 76