What separates Sunday night’s Marshall game from any other this year?  Certainly it won’t have the hype of the Friends of Coal Bowl against West Virginia, not the intrigue of a game against Miami in the Orange Bowl.  However I think the game against Southern Miss is the biggest game of the year for the Herd.  Should they be able to get a win and get off the schneid, it would propel them into Homecoming against Rice with some momentum and give them a real chance at two in a row and gain some much-needed confidence.

Right now the Herd is 0-6, and the staff, fans, and players are getting restless.  Getting close is not enough midway through this season.  If Marshall loses, it ensures the Herd’s 3^rd straight losing season and takes out any hope of a bowl game. 

One thing I can say for certain.  The players haven’t quit yet, not by any means.  As I stood on the field at Chapman Stadium in Tulsa Oklahoma Saturday night and interviewed the players, not a single one didn’t think the train’s heading in the right direction.  In other words, they didn’t talk like a winless football team.

They have some reason for optimism.  The defense finally generated some heat on the quarterback (a talented Paul Smith), held a powerful Tulsa offense to just 7 points in the second half, and scored more points (31) than they have against any conference USA opponent on the road since they joined the league. 

Southern Miss is the most successful and consistent winning team in Conference USA since they entered the league in 1996.  A Marshall win would go a long way to helping salvage a rough year.