Rallying the Herd: A Letter to Marhsall Fans

Dear Marshall Thundering Herd fan (especially you, MU student),

Take a deep breath.

Count to ten.

Punch the nearest inanimate object (my personal favorite).

Do whatever you have to do to get all the rage out of your system.

Yes, the 48-35 loss to New Hampshire was probably Marshall's worst loss in your lifetime—but it's not as bad it looks.

Trust me.

UNH is one of the very best I-AA teams.  They'll go to the playoffs and challenge for the national title.  They have an experienced NFL-caliber quarterback.  They were able to catch a Herd team whose emotional batteries were still drained from playing the #3 team in the country—and an instate rival, no less—only a week before.

Don't get me wrong—I'm not trying to make you satisfied with losing to a I-AA team.

I'm simply pointing out that this game was an aberration for your Marshall football program...and that there's still hope left for the 2007 season.

Don't laugh, Herd fan.  Think about the first three games.

You've seen the flashes of brilliance.  You've seen the vastly improved starting quarterback.  You've seen the receiver whose #88 jersey brings back memories of another #88.  You've continued to see the man-child at tight end.

You've seen an offense that scored a touchdown on literally every second half possession until time ran out on the last one. You've seen a defense that has the ability to hold arguably the best rushing offense in college football to six points and three first downs in a half.

The pieces are there.  Your team is just in the process of putting them together. 

The key is for you not to give up.

If you have to, put in a Journey CD, and don't stop believing.

Most importantly, keep showing up to games and supporting the team.  

Your team is not the first to lose to a I-AA squad.  They're not even the first to lose to New Hampshire.  UNH is three for its last three against I-A opponents.  The first of those wins came in 2004 against a  Rutgers team that everyone was drooling over only two years later.

It's going to be tempting to throw the Herd under the bus.  I'm sure the New Hampshire loss caused many fans to give up on the season

Don't be one of them.

Crowd support means everything to a college football team.  For Marshall, crowd support kept the program alive through the 70s.  The Herd has often looked lost on the road, but Marshall is 109-13 in the history of Edwards Stadium.  

You're wrong if you think you don't affect the team.  Even before New Hampshire was up 24-0, the difference in the atmosphere compared to the week before was palpable.

During the team's walk from the Henderson Center to the stadium, I actually overheard one player say, "Wow, this is a lot different from last week," referring to the noticeable difference in the number of people lining the sidewalk.

Yes, it's easy to get fired up for West Virginia.

It's easy to get fired up when ESPN comes to town for a big conference game.

But it's just as important to the team (if not more so) to get fired up for the New Hampshires, the Tulanes, and the Rices.  

It's going to be even more important to support your team now.  If Herd fans before you were able to keep going to games through 17 consecutive losing seasons, there's no reason you should stop showing up because of one embarrassing loss to a good I-AA school.

Herd fans: Your team is building depth with every great recruiting class.  They're just now starting to get past the sanctions handed down in 2001.

And there's not a game left on the schedule that Marshall can't win.

If anything, it's going to be exciting.  The Herd's young defense and suddenly explosive passing attack are going to mean many close games, with a ton of points on the scoreboard.

Just don't be one of the fans to miss out on the games in which your team needs you the most.

It'll be worth it.  Trust me.