ECU takes on tough Marshall

By: JournalNow Staff | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 03, 2009

East Carolina and Marshall are getting an early shot at a key victory in Conference USA's East Division.

East Carolina, the defending C-USA champion, will play at Marshall today, with both teams trying to add a confidence-building win to stay atop the division. Kickoff will be at noon (CBSCS Ch. 187).

Coach Mark Snyder of Marshall said it's too early to say that the winner will have control of the divisional race.

"If this was a little further into the conference schedule, you might be able to say that," Snyder said. "But (conference games) are all big and important. This is a big game coming out of the East, and it's with the defending champs."

Marshall (3-1, 1-0) is coming off a 27-16 win at Memphis after yet another big game from running back Darius Marshall, who is averaging 166 yards rushing a game. The Thundering Herd's only loss was at nationally ranked Virginia Tech in the second game.

Last week, Marshall ran for 203 yards and three touchdowns. He'll face a defense that ranks fifth against the run (124 yards) in C-USA.

"He has great balance and is very difficult to tackle," Coach Skip Holtz of ECU said. "He can start and stop on a dime, bounce it around the front side or cut it around the back side."

The Pirates (2-2, 1-0) ended a two-game losing streak with a win over Central Florida last week.

In that game, East Carolina scored a second-half touchdown for the first time all season.

The Pirates have won three of their last four against the Herd, including last year in overtime in Greenville.