Past leads to future

    After a concert, rain and a scrimmage game, Marshall University spring football came to an end with the annual Green-White spring game Saturday at Joan C. Edwards stadium.

   After only three quarters of action, head coach Doc Holliday called it a day with the Green team, led by the first team offense, picking up a win over White 17-14.

   Holliday said that as his first spring comes to a close, it was good to get it done and done without injuries.

   "We had a good spring. We got as much out of it as we could," Holliday said. "It got sloppy out there and we didn't want to get anyone hurt. We're glad to get out healthy."

   As the rain fell down, touchdowns came few and far between as the first score to the game came on the first drive of the game, a 19 yard pass from Brian Anderson to Aaron Dobson giving the Green team a 7-0 lead.

   White team quarterback A.J. Graham answered back with a 5 yard scramble for a touchdown, tying the game at seven.

   Running back Martin Ward then put the Green team ahead again with a 2-yard up the gut run, giving the first team offense a 14-7 lead.

   But Graham brought the White team back with a 20 yard pass to Antavious Wilson with 15 seconds left before halftime.

   With the rain and the sloppy conditions, Holliday called the game in the third quarter after a Tyler Warner field goal gave the Green team the win.

   While the conditions were sloppy, the players enjoyed the game itself as well as the fans in attendance. 

   "It was a wet one, but I really enjoyed it," said cornerback D.J. Wingate. "What really got it for me was our loyal fans. Regardless of the elements outside we had fans still in the stands, still supporting us through the storms and the rain and all the weather."

  The annual spring game was held in front of 11,819 fans, the second largest attendance for the Green-White game. The largest was 17,346 which was in 2006 and featured a reunion of the undefeated 1996 NCAA Division I-AA national championship team.

   The players said they loved the atmosphere from the fans, who seemed excited for the beginning of the Doc Holliday era as well as a concert from country group Gloriana.

   "It was great, I think the rain got to us but it was," said junior linebacker Kellen Harris. "I'm sure the band was great. We really didn't get to watch them, but I'm sure it was great too. Everyone seemed pretty excited. I mean it was pretty good idea maybe we should do it again next year."

   For a  game that featured big plays on both side of the ball, Holliday said that while the offense stepped up at times he could have seen more from the defense.

   "I thought, offensively, we went in there and executed well at times," Holliday said. "Again, you win with defense, and in the first couple of series, they didn't play real well. They played a little better later on."

   While the game was still just a scrimmage, it gave the Herd faithful a chance to see the future of Marshall football.

OFFENSE:

    With the offense, fans looked at two things: the battle at quarterback and the transition of the new offense.

   The quarterback battle between Graham and Anderson didn't clear up, but both threw the ball well.

   Anderson was 16-26 for 159 yards and one touchdown, while Graham was 14-22 with 166 yards and one touchdown.

   Graham said that with the system, both quarterbacks had a chance to show off in the new system and said that hopefully it will help in the

decision of who starts.

"It doesn't matter what kind of quarterback you are the offense matters on how you run it," Graham said. "Everyone is coming out and competing for it. I'm just taking this thing into the summer and that's where it's going to end."

   As for adjusting to the offense, the Herd seemed like it was adjusting well, running a no huddle offense most of the scrimmage. Combined, both offenses gained 381 yards of offense.

   Running back Andre Booker, who gained 45 yards for the White team, said learning new plays is a big help for next season.

   "Everybody's comfortable with this type of offense," Booker said. "It's going to be faster, and its a lot easier to learn. That's going to be big for us next year. To be able to make plays without looking at the coaches, it's just about being comfortable with the system."

   And the defense noticed a change in offense, too.

   "The offense we've put in now, it's the same thing most of the teams in our conference do already and when we face it, it's really preparing us for what we'll face in the season," Harris said. "The offense is doing pretty well, they're going to move that ball up in down the field."

   DEFENSE:

   As for the defense preparing, defensive coordinator Chris Rippon would have been proud.

   After emphasizing getting the entire team to the ball, the Thundering Herd defense did just that, as a lot of tackles in the game were made by more than one person.

   "I know coach Ripon was really proud of that," Wingate said. "That's something he puts a lot of emphasis on a daily basis of flying around to the ball. The fans love it also that's something you take pride in."