INSIDE SLANT

The hot seat got a little cooler Saturday for fifth-year Marshall head coach Mark Snyder, who received a celebratory soaking after the Thundering Herd became bowl eligible for the first time since 2004 with a 34-31 home victory against SMU.

“We all wanted to dunk the water on Coach Snyder,” defensive end Vinny Curry told the Huntington Herald-Dispatch. “He hasn’t had a bath before. He’s worked so hard and he takes so much heat for us. It’s not like he’s the one out there playing.”

Marshall (6-5, 4-3 C-USA) can strengthen its case for postseason consideration with a victory next week at UTEP. The Mustangs (6-5, 5-2) had a three-game win streak snapped and dropped into a first-place tie in the West Division with Houston.

The win by the Thundering Herd was particularly impressive considering their leading rusher (Darius Marshall) and receiver (Cody Slate) were both on crutches. Filling the void and helping Marshall post 475 yards of offense were Martin Ward (136 rushing yards, TD), Terrell Edwards-Maye (113 rushing yards, TD) and Aaron Dobson (127 receiving yards, two TDs); all three are underclassmen.

“(Injuries have) created opportunities for other guys and those guys stepped up,” Snyder said. “It doesn’t shock me. I was excited to see these two young tailbacks because they’re fresh-legged. They’ve got speed and they showed it tonight.”

NOTES, QUOTES

• Marshall is conditionally bowl eligible for the first time since 2004, when the team finished 6-6 aver a 32-14 loss to Cincinnati in the Fort Worth Bowl.

• Marshall had two players finish with more than 100 rushing yards in a game for the first time since a Sept. 9, 2006 win against Hofstra (Ahmad Bradshaw, Bernard Morris).

• Craig Ratanamorn made a season-long 50-yard field goal and also connected on a 42-yarder, but his perfect season ended thanks to a false start penalty. He made a 31-yarder in the second quarter, but it was wiped out by the flag and he missed the ensuing 36-yard attempt wide right. The Lou Groza Award candidate is 15-for-16 on field goals and 28-for-28 on PATs.

Game Ball Goes To:   WR Aaron Dobson—The true freshman hauled in four passes for a career-high 127 yards and two touchdowns, scoring on a 40-yard reception in the third quarter and adding a decisive 19-yard scoring grab with 2:01 remaining.

Keep An Eye On:   RB Martin Ward and RB Terrell Edwards-Maye—The tandem filled the void caused by Darius Marshall’s injury and helped the Herd rack up 262 yards on the ground. Ward carried 25 times for 136 yards and a touchdown and Edwards-Maye rushed 22 times for 113 yards and a score.

Quote To Note:   “The locker room’s excited. Our kids are excited. I’m happy for them. We got a little bit of confidence back, I think. That team we played tonight has been playing with a lot of confidence. It’s huge. It’s something we haven’t done since we’ve been here.”—Marshall head coach Mark Snyder to the Huntington Herald-Dispatch.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Looking Good:   QB Brian Anderson completed 13-of-22 passes for 213 yards, two scores and zero interceptions while directing a turnover-free effort by the offense. The offensive line did not allow a sack, while the Thundering Herd defense sacked Kyle Padron five times, including two by DE Vinny Curry. FS Omar Brown recorded an interception and a fumble recovery. Kase Whitehead averaged 43.8 yards on five punts.

Still Needs Work:   Marshall committed 15 penalties for a whopping 144 yards, including a false start that took three points off the board. There were four holding calls and three personal fouls, as well as flags for roughing the passer and unsportsmanlike conduct.

Roster Report:  

• Two-time 1,000-yard rusher Darius Marshall did not play against SMU due to a sprained left ankle suffered in the Nov. 14 loss to Southern Miss. The junior has carried 207 times for 1,054 yards (5.1 average) and 11 touchdowns in 2009, with five 100-yard games. He is day-to-day.

• Senior TE Cody Slate, the team’s leading receiver (50 receptions, 607 yards) and a candidate for the Mackey Award, missed the game due to a season-ending knee injury (torn ACL) suffered against the Golden Eagles. He finished his Marshall career with 199 receptions for 2,619 yards and 23 touchdowns, all school records for his position.