Louisville Cardinals vs Marshall Thundering Herd Football Recap

Marshall 17, Louisville 13

The Marshall Thundering Herd could have rolled over and died a few weeks ago. A team playing in the shadows of college football, in Conference USA, could have allowed a humiliating 44-7 defeat to Ohio to permanently sabotage their confidence and self-belief. Instead, the boys from Huntington, West Virginia, decided to fight back, and on Saturday afternoon in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, that resilience – so very much in evidence – was profoundly rewarded for coach Doc Holliday and his charges.

Marshall might not be a brilliant team, but the Herd certainly know how to marshal their resources. The same can’t be said for Marshall’s opponent, however, which is left to pick up the pieces after a particularly discouraging defeat.

In one of the strangest aspects of his short tenure at Louisville, head coach Charlie Strong saw his team play significantly worse at home than it did on the road two weeks prior, and the Cardinals were stunned by a mediocre Marshall team, 17-13. Strong had his program pointed in the right direction last year, turning his maiden voyage into a bowl-bearing season that lifted spirits throughout the Louisville community. Now, five weeks into his second season, it’s hard to see where or how any form of progress is being sustained in Cardinal Country. After going on the road and beating in-state rival Kentucky for the first time in four years, the Cardinals came home to a packed house eager to enjoy what appeared to be an improved team. Instead, the Cardinals’ offense regressed to unseen lows and was unable to mount any offensive threats outside of a four minute period in the second quarter. The loss was Louisville’s sixth at home since Strong took over in 2010.

Overmatched up front, the Louisville offensive line could not protect true freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who was forced to scramble for yards or make throws on the run for much of the game. Bridgewater showed against Kentucky that he is the future for the Cardinals and their offense, but that future is evidently going to require a lot more time to develop than first anticipated. As a team, Louisville was only able to rush for 60 yards and averaged under three yards per carry. Marshall’s offense was held mostly in check, but was able to possess the ball for over 34 minutes of game time. After an interception of Bridgewater late, the Herd was able to score from three yards out and take a lead it would not relinquish. Louisville now heads to Chapel Hill to face the even more ferocious defensive line of the North Carolina Tar Heels.

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By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer