Marshall will indeed jump into Conference USA action early this football season, and will begin the league schedule at home.
Marshall will indeed jump into Conference USA action early this football season, and will begin the league schedule at home.
Two other home games are already set for ESPN, to begin and finish October.
Those are part of the highlights of the 2008 Thundering Herd schedule, released Tuesday. As usual, more television opportunities could come along later.
"We have six home games, and for the first time we have five opponents coming to Huntington who played in bowl games a year ago," said MU athletic director Bob Marcum. "I think that is exciting for not only our fans but our program as a whole. The overall strength of this schedule also leads to national television opportunities for our program at home, and that exposure is a big plus."
Marshall's non-conference schedule had long been set, though the Herd's game at West Virginia was shifted recently from Sept. 13 to Sept. 27 to help accommodate a pair of WVU television appearances.
But one non-league game, MU's home bout against Cincinnati, was nudged to Friday, Oct. 3, for ESPN. The other three such games stayed put: Illinois State at home Aug. 30, at Wisconsin on Sept. 6 and the MU-WVU game.
The Herd's conference opponents were generally known as Conference USA enters the fourth year of a four-year rotation. Marshall will play five East Division foes plus West Division teams Houston, Rice and Tulsa. The order needed to be set around C-USA's versatile, any-day-of-the-week TV situation.
Memphis is the first league foe on the slate, coming to Joan C. Edwards Stadium Sept. 13. The Herd goes to Southern Mississippi the next week before heading back to non-conference play against WVU and Cincinnati.
Oddly enough, Marshall has just three games in October. After playing Cincinnati on a short week, the Herd has 15 days before its trip to Alabama-Birmingham. After playing in Legion Field, Marshall returns home to play Houston in a Tuesday ESPN game on Oct. 28.
Eleven days later, MU kicks off its November slate on the 8th at East Carolina. UCF returns to Huntington the next week, then the Herd heads to Rice - and possibly a four-figure crowd - Nov. 22. The season ends in Huntington with a visit from defending West champion Tulsa.
Nine teams on the schedule appeared in a bowl game in 2007.
"This is a challenging schedule from top to bottom. With that said, I like the way the games fall," said Herd coach Mark Snyder. "We are going to have to be ready to play every week and improve each week as a team."
Game times have not yet been set.
To contact staff writer Doug Smock, use e-mail or call 348-5130. To find his blog, go to wvgazette.com/smockblog.
2008 Marshall football schedule
Saturday, Aug. 30 ILLINOIS STATE
Saturday, Sept. 6 at Wisconsin
Saturday, Sept. 13 MEMPHIS*
Saturday, Sept. 20 at Southern Miss*
Saturday, Sept. 27 at West Virginia
Friday, Oct. 3 CINCINNATI (ESPN)
Saturday, Oct. 18 at UAB
Tuesday, Oct. 28 HOUSTON* (ESPN)
Saturday, Nov. 8 at East Carolina*
Saturday, Nov. 15 UCF*
Saturday, Nov. 22 at Rice*
Saturday, Nov. 29 TULSA*
*-Conference USA games
Marshall will indeed jump into Conference USA action early this football season, and will begin the league schedule at home.
Two other home games are already set for ESPN, to begin and finish October.
Those are part of the highlights of the 2008 Thundering Herd schedule, released Tuesday. As usual, more television opportunities could come along later.
"We have six home games, and for the first time we have five opponents coming to Huntington who played in bowl games a year ago," said MU athletic director Bob Marcum. "I think that is exciting for not only our fans but our program as a whole. The overall strength of this schedule also leads to national television opportunities for our program at home, and that exposure is a big plus."
Marshall's non-conference schedule had long been set, though the Herd's game at West Virginia was shifted recently from Sept. 13 to Sept. 27 to help accommodate a pair of WVU television appearances.
But one non-league game, MU's home bout against Cincinnati, was nudged to Friday, Oct. 3, for ESPN. The other three such games stayed put: Illinois State at home Aug. 30, at Wisconsin on Sept. 6 and the MU-WVU game.
The Herd's conference opponents were generally known as Conference USA enters the fourth year of a four-year rotation. Marshall will play five East Division foes plus West Division teams Houston, Rice and Tulsa. The order needed to be set around C-USA's versatile, any-day-of-the-week TV situation.
Memphis is the first league foe on the slate, coming to Joan C. Edwards Stadium Sept. 13. The Herd goes to Southern Mississippi the next week before heading back to non-conference play against WVU and Cincinnati.
Oddly enough, Marshall has just three games in October. After playing Cincinnati on a short week, the Herd has 15 days before its trip to Alabama-Birmingham. After playing in Legion Field, Marshall returns home to play Houston in a Tuesday ESPN game on Oct. 28.
Eleven days later, MU kicks off its November slate on the 8th at East Carolina. UCF returns to Huntington the next week, then the Herd heads to Rice - and possibly a four-figure crowd - Nov. 22. The season ends in Huntington with a visit from defending West champion Tulsa.
Nine teams on the schedule appeared in a bowl game in 2007.
"This is a challenging schedule from top to bottom. With that said, I like the way the games fall," said Herd coach Mark Snyder. "We are going to have to be ready to play every week and improve each week as a team."
Game times have not yet been set.
To contact staff writer Doug Smock, use e-mail or call 348-5130. To find his blog, go to wvgazette.com/smockblog.
2008 Marshall football schedule
Saturday, Aug. 30 ILLINOIS STATE
Saturday, Sept. 6 at Wisconsin
Saturday, Sept. 13 MEMPHIS*
Saturday, Sept. 20 at Southern Miss*
Saturday, Sept. 27 at West Virginia
Friday, Oct. 3 CINCINNATI (ESPN)
Saturday, Oct. 18 at UAB
Tuesday, Oct. 28 HOUSTON* (ESPN)
Saturday, Nov. 8 at East Carolina*
Saturday, Nov. 15 UCF*
Saturday, Nov. 22 at Rice*
Saturday, Nov. 29 TULSA*
*-Conference USA games
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