By Pat Taggart, College Football Staff Writer
"Both teams have 12 starters back from last season. Saturday's game marks the first-ever meeting between Marshall and Tennessee on the gridiron. The Vols lone meeting with a MAC team came in 1989 and ended in a 52-9 win over Akron in Knoxville. As for the Herd, it is 1-2 against SEC opponents since joining the I-A ranks in 1997. Marshall coach Bob Pruett is the winningest coach in Division I-A in regards to percentage (.862), while Fulmer (.806) is currently second in that category.
Marshall has put its faith in Stan Hill. Making only his third career start under center for the Herd against Hofstra last weekend, Hill completed 25- of-37 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns. While those numbers are outstanding, getting overly excited may not be wise. Aside from the fact that he was facing a Division I-AA opponent, Hill threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles. Those five turnovers made the game much closer than it should have been. The offense as a whole racked up an impressive total of 608 yards on the afternoon. Darius Watts caught six balls for 122 yards and a score in the first half, but he had just one catch for no yards after intermission. Josh Davis was outstanding as well, as he came through with seven grabs for 88 yards. Davis and Watts each totaled over 1,000 yards and 70 catches last season, and Watts led the team with 12 touchdown receptions. As for the running game, Franklin Wallace racked up 86 yards on 16 carries. Hill did a nice job running the ball as well, as he posted 49 yards on nine carries.
While the Thundering Herd racked up 34 first downs in the opener, they allowed Hofstra to move the chains only 12 times. Against the pass, Marshall held the Pride to 125 yards on 15-of-31. As for the run defense, the Thundering Herd surrendered 116 yards on 27 attempts. Considering that Hofstra scored on two runs totaling 72 yards, the Herd gave up only 44 yards on the other 25 carries. Marshall also posted four sacks and allowed success on only 1-of-12 third down conversion attempts. This year's MU defensive unit looks like it may be able to improve on its 2002 performance. Last season, Jamus Martin and Jonathan Goodard combined for 25 TFLs and both are back for 2003. Those two players combined for seven stops in game one and will be counted on heavily this weekend.
Last Saturday against Fresno State, Clausen connected on 18-of-31 passes for 159 yards with two scores and two picks. The running game clearly struggled a year ago, but Tennessee does have its four top rushers back in the fold. Cedric Houston, who ran for 779 yards and six scores in '02, exploded for 161 yards on 19 carries against the Bulldogs. When the Vols need a tough yard, Jabari Davis usually gets the call. He scored 10 touchdowns a year ago and finished with 84 yards and a score last weekend. James Banks was clearly the most impressive receiver for Tennessee against Fresno State, as he posted seven grabs for 80 yards and a touchdown. Tony Brown, who had five catches for 35 yards, is the leading returnee with 39 grabs for 477 yards in 2002.
It is nearly impossible to imagine Tennessee playing any better defensively than it did against Fresno State. The fact that the Bulldogs were able to move the chains only four times all afternoon is impressive indeed. The Vols were simply outstanding against the rush, as they held Fresno to minus-one yard rushing on 24 attempts. The secondary was strong as well, as the Vols allowed just 118 yards through the air. Tennessee did its best work on third downs, allowing the Bulldogs to make good on only 1-of-14 conversion attempts. Although Fulmer's squad did not generate a single turnover, it remained stingy from start to finish. The defensive backfield possesses two tremendous safeties in Rashad Baker and Gibril Wilson. Baker is a true ball hawk who can cover like a corner, while Wilson is a tenacious hitter and the team's leading tackler. It is certainly fair to say that the Vols have one of the top five safety combos in the college ranks. Those two players combined for seven tackles in the opener.
Expect Tennessee to hold off Marshall in a game that should be much closer than some might expect.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Tennessee 30, Marshall 20"
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