The Blue Raiders have lost three straight ballgames to the likes of: Virginia Tech, UTSA, and Charlotte. The boys in blue now look to get off the mat and garner a victory against a quality opponent in the Marshall Thundering Herd.
Chris McGlaughlin of Herd Nation gives insight on what type of team Middle is up against.
What is the pulse of the Marshall fanbase coming off the loss to Appalachian State heading into MTSU game?
Tense. Blowing back-to-back double digit 4th quarter leads will do that to a fanbase. The Herd defense against ECU and App State was atrocious and the Marshall offense has had trouble scoring inside the red zone all year. The placekicking game has also been a mess. That said, most Marshall fans still firmly believe new head coach Charles Huff is a rising star. He says all the right things and comes off as very self-aware in his press conferences. A loss this weekend to MTSU could blow all of that up, however. Which leads me back to that word I opened with: Tense.
The spread right now is -10 Marshall…Too high? Too low? How come?
Feels a touch low but Murfreesboro is a place where Marshall has never really played very well except in 2017; so I think most Marshall fans would be perfectly fine with a 10 point win.
What scares you the most about MTSU? What are ways the Blue Raiders can exploit Marshall?
Two words: Chase Cunningham. Marshall has had a difficult time stopping opponents through the air. Cunningham is off to a very nice start and has some potent weapons on the outside who will likely be able to take advantage of a Marshall secondary that has given up nearly 700 passing yards the past two weeks. Also, if MTSU can sustain drives throughout the game by converting on third downs, the Herd could be in a lot of trouble late in the game. Because Marshall plays at such a fast pace on offense, their defense is on the field a lot and tends to get worn down.
What would you set the over/under at for points scored?
I'd probably go somewhere in the 70 range. I think it'll be a shootout where neither team stops the other all that often.
What is your prediction for the game? What is the score outcome?
I think Marshall wins 42-31
