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Marshall Thundering Herd

Replacing Pennington will be tough

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Latest: Wednesday August 09, 2000 09:43 AM

College Football: The New Century

'99: 13-0, 8-0 MAC

Coach

Bob Pruett (fifth season, 50-4)

Key offensive players

Nate Poole, WR, Sr.
Had 71 receptions for 1,122 yards in 1999.

Jimmy Cabellos, OL, Sr.
A first-team All-MAC selection at guard in 1999.

Key defensive players

Maurice Hines, CB, Sr.
MAC co-leader in 1999 with five interceptions.

Ivan Maisel's Player of the Century: Randy Moss, WR, 1995-96
"May be the easiest decision of all 115 schools."

Brightest moment: Winning its first national championship in 1992 with a thrilling victory over Youngstown State, 31-28, before a title game record crowd of 31,304 at MU Stadium. Marshall hero Willy Merrick kicked the first, and only, field goal of his career from 22 yards with 10 seconds left for the win.

Lowest Moment: Nov. 14, 1970, when 75 players, coaches, fans, administrators and crew members were killed in a plane crash on a return trip from a game at East Carolina. The crash still stands as the most devastating sports disaster in American history.

Danninelle Derricott, CB, Sr.
Was a first-team All-MAC pick in 1999.

Key newcomer

Chuck Spearman, QB, RFr.
He is battling with sophomore Stephen Galbraith for the backup role at quarterback. From Mississippi, Spearman was one of the highlights of last year's recruiting class.

Throwback player

Junior linebacker Trod Buggs is a true "iron man" by today¹s standards. He plays about 60 percent of the snaps on defense, plays on every special team and during spring drills was the leading rusher in the spring game. He will likely see a considerable amount of time as a blocking back this season.

21st century player

Defensive back Maurice Hines looks like anything but a speedster. He has a little bit of a gut he is always trying to shed, but when time comes, he can fly.

Fast fact

Marshall hasn't had a losing season since 1983. Along the way were Division I-AA national titles in 1992 and '96.

Outlook

Receiver Randy Moss left after the 1998 season, but Marshall was still successful. Now, quarterback Chad Pennington is gone. A lot of holes need to be filled for the 2000 season, but don't count out the Thundering Herd. A lot of Marshall¹s success this season will depend on players remaining healthy and eligible. A freshman kicker and a green quarterback may keep Marshall from another dominating season, but the Thundering Herd will be competitive.

--Stan Crawley

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