PREMIUM
AAA's 10* Sunday Night "ASSASSIN!"
(NCAAF) Purdue vs. Marshall,
Point Spread: -7.00 | -110.00 Marshall (Home)
Result: Win
Point Spread: -7.00 | -110.00 Marshall (Home)
Result: Win
This is a 10* ASSASSIN on Marshall.
The Thundering Herd would lose 67-66 to WKU in overtime for their only loss in 2014 and with a favorable schedule and many skilled players returning, the team will look to duplicate that success in 2015/16.
The Thundering Herd:
Marshall welcomes in transfer Michael Birdsong at QB to replace Rakeem Cato; Birdsong is 6'5" and 242 pounds and has a big arm, along with starting experience from James Madison. Birdsong benefits greatly from having a veteran group of athletic players around him, including senior RB Devon Johnson, who rushed for 1,767 yards and 17 TD's last year. Birdsong will also lean heavily on WR's Angelo Jean-Louis, Davonte Allen and Deon-Tay McManus, all serious threats to go deep. Three of four starters return to the offensive line and its expected to once again be a strength of the unit. The Thundering Herd turned the corner on the defensive side of the ball last year, finishing No. 18 in the country, but the team once again is expected to have its hands full this season as many key positions will need to be filled. Defensive coordinator Chuck Heater will be relying on players to quickly grasp his concepts, but regardless of that, the biggest concern for the team will be trying to establish a proven pass rusher.
The Boilermakers:
In Darrell Hazell's second year as coach, Purdue showed some marked improvement in 2014/15, but the end result was still just four wins overall and none at home in Big Ten play. But with 16 starters returning, there is some room for optimism. That said, it's still going to be tough for the Boilermakers to climb out of the cellar in the tough Big Ten West Division. QB Austin Appleby is back, he started the final seven games of 2014 and completed at least 50 percent of his passes in only two of four games. Appleby will have a short leash this year, with hopefuls David Blough and Elijah Sindelar waiting on the side lines. Purdue also needs to replace its top two RB's and turns to promising freshmen Markell Jones and partner Keyante Green. Purdue's defense was a weak point last year, 12 opponents would score 30 points or more, but the unit does return some experienced players in key positions, including MLB Ja'Whaun Bentley, who made 76 tackles as a freshman. You'll also want to track Frankie Williams, who made 74 tackles and who had three INT's as a junior, earning All-Big Ten second-team honors.
The bottom line:
A Conference USA Championship and a potential New Year's Six bowl berth is absolutely in the cards for the Thundering Herd this year, Birdsong would seem to be the perfect fit for an offense that has averaged over 500 yards per game over the last three seasons and if the defense is able to bring anything to the table, and combined with their soft schedule, these lofty dreams could very well become a reality.
Purdue simply has too many question marks on both sides of the ball and draws an incredibly tough road contest to open the year here, we simply can't see the Boilermakers keeping pace with Marshall's high-flying offense and expect the THUNDERING HERD to pull away down the stretch for the comfortable ATS cover.
AAA Sports
The Thundering Herd would lose 67-66 to WKU in overtime for their only loss in 2014 and with a favorable schedule and many skilled players returning, the team will look to duplicate that success in 2015/16.
The Thundering Herd:
Marshall welcomes in transfer Michael Birdsong at QB to replace Rakeem Cato; Birdsong is 6'5" and 242 pounds and has a big arm, along with starting experience from James Madison. Birdsong benefits greatly from having a veteran group of athletic players around him, including senior RB Devon Johnson, who rushed for 1,767 yards and 17 TD's last year. Birdsong will also lean heavily on WR's Angelo Jean-Louis, Davonte Allen and Deon-Tay McManus, all serious threats to go deep. Three of four starters return to the offensive line and its expected to once again be a strength of the unit. The Thundering Herd turned the corner on the defensive side of the ball last year, finishing No. 18 in the country, but the team once again is expected to have its hands full this season as many key positions will need to be filled. Defensive coordinator Chuck Heater will be relying on players to quickly grasp his concepts, but regardless of that, the biggest concern for the team will be trying to establish a proven pass rusher.
The Boilermakers:
In Darrell Hazell's second year as coach, Purdue showed some marked improvement in 2014/15, but the end result was still just four wins overall and none at home in Big Ten play. But with 16 starters returning, there is some room for optimism. That said, it's still going to be tough for the Boilermakers to climb out of the cellar in the tough Big Ten West Division. QB Austin Appleby is back, he started the final seven games of 2014 and completed at least 50 percent of his passes in only two of four games. Appleby will have a short leash this year, with hopefuls David Blough and Elijah Sindelar waiting on the side lines. Purdue also needs to replace its top two RB's and turns to promising freshmen Markell Jones and partner Keyante Green. Purdue's defense was a weak point last year, 12 opponents would score 30 points or more, but the unit does return some experienced players in key positions, including MLB Ja'Whaun Bentley, who made 76 tackles as a freshman. You'll also want to track Frankie Williams, who made 74 tackles and who had three INT's as a junior, earning All-Big Ten second-team honors.
The bottom line:
A Conference USA Championship and a potential New Year's Six bowl berth is absolutely in the cards for the Thundering Herd this year, Birdsong would seem to be the perfect fit for an offense that has averaged over 500 yards per game over the last three seasons and if the defense is able to bring anything to the table, and combined with their soft schedule, these lofty dreams could very well become a reality.
Purdue simply has too many question marks on both sides of the ball and draws an incredibly tough road contest to open the year here, we simply can't see the Boilermakers keeping pace with Marshall's high-flying offense and expect the THUNDERING HERD to pull away down the stretch for the comfortable ATS cover.
AAA Sports
