Marshall Thundering Herd at No. 24 West Virginia Mountaineers
Sunday, 9/4/11, 3:30 PM, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: West Virginia -18.5
Current Betting Line: West Virginia -23
Opening Total: 52.5
Current Total: 55.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Marshall let one slip away last year by allowing West Virginia to score 15 points in the final 8:28 of last year’s meeting to send the game to overtime, eventually dropping a 24-21 contest in Huntington. The Thundering Herd had the Mountaineers on their heels until true freshman running back Tron Martinez lost a fumble on West Virginia’s four-yard line. The team finished with a 5-7 overall record, 4-4 mark in Conference USA action. Marshall is 25-48 ATS in road games and 13-26 ATS in September action.
The Thundering Herd will be playing without senior wide receiver Troy Evans after he was charged with four armed robberies that occurred early Sunday near campus. True freshman quarterback Rakeem Cato will have to look at other options on the outside, including Wayne Bonner, Aaron Dobson, and Antavious Wilson. Marshall’s strength is definitely found on the defensive side of the ball, bringing back nine starters and seven of the top 10 tacklers. The unit ranked fourth in total defense (386 ypg) and scoring defense (28.8) amongst Conference USA teams last year.
West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen will get his first experience in the “Friends of Coal” Bowl inside Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown. He was hired during the offseason after spending last year orchestrating one of the best offensive units in college football. Oklahoma State led the nation in total offense under his direction. He has been preaching all week for the team to treat this rivalry like any other game. “I think the same thing going into any game,” Holgorsen commented. “We kind of ignore who we are playing.” West Virginia is 7-11 ATS as a favorite the last two years.
The Mountaineers will be led offensively by second-year quarterback Geno Smith, who threw for 2,763 yards and 24 touchdowns a year ago. West Virginia has been one of the best programs nationally over recent years, posting a 59-17 record over the past 76 games. Most the success can be attributed to the 282 turnovers the team has grabbed since 2001, which ranks fourth nationally over that span. West Virginia ranked fourth in the nation by allowing just 261.1 yards per game a season ago.
Bettors will be interested in backing the Mountaineers due to the home team being 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings, while the Thundering Herd are 1-5 ATS as a road underdog.
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