1997 Marshall Thundering Herd football team

The 1997 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented the Marshall University in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the program's first year in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). They were led by second-year head coach Bob Pruett.

1997 Marshall Thundering Herd football
MAC champion
MAC East Division champion
Motor City Bowl, L 31–34 vs. Ole Miss
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionEast
1997 record10–3 (7–1 MAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorTim Nunez (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorKevin Kelly
Home stadiumMarshall University Stadium
(Capacity: 30,000)
1997 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
East Division
Marshall x$  7 –1     10 –3  
Miami  6 –2     8 –3  
Ohio  6 –2     8 –3  
Bowling Green  3 –5     3 –8  
Kent State  3 –5     3 –8  
Akron  2 –7     2 –9  
West Division
Toledo x  7 –1     9 –3  
Western Michigan  6 –2     8 –3  
Ball State  4 –4     5 –6  
Eastern Michigan  4 –5     4 –7  
Central Michigan  1 –7     2 –9  
Northern Illinois  0 –8     0 –11  
Championship: Marshall 34, Toledo 14
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions

Regular season

In the 1997 season, Marshall University's first in Division I-A (now known as FBS), Randy Moss and future NFL quarterback Chad Pennington were the centerpiece of an explosive offense that led the Thundering Herd to the Mid-American Conference title. Moss caught 25 touchdown passes that season, at the time a Division I-A record, and was a unanimous first-team All-American.[1] For the season, Moss had 96 receptions for 1820 yards, and 26 touchdowns. Moss won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation's leading wide receiver, and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy (finishing fourth in the balloting, behind Ryan Leaf, Peyton Manning, and Charles Woodson, who won the award). Moss left Marshall with 168 receptions for 3,467 yards and a school record 53 touchdowns in 2 seasons.

The Herd became only the second team to win a conference championship in its first FBS season, after Nevada in 1992 (Big West Conference). The feat would not be repeated again until 2014, when Georgia Southern won the Sun Belt Conference title.

Schedule

The Thundering Herd finished the regular season with a record of 10 wins and 2 losses.

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 3012:00 pmat West Virginia*
ESPN+L 31–4265,492
September 61:00 pmat Army*
W 35–2530,358
September 133:30 pmat Kent State
W 42–1711,021
September 207:00 pmWestern Illinois*
WSAZW 48–726,724
September 271:00 pmat Ball State
WVAHW 42–1620,415
October 117:00 pmAkron
  • Marshall University Stadium
  • Huntington, WV
W 52–1726,642
October 182:00 pmat Miami (OH)
WSAZL 21–4529,027
October 257:00 pmEastern Michigan
  • Marshall University Stadium
  • Huntington, WV
W 48–2521,474
November 11:00 pmat Central Michigan
WSAZW 45–1715,324
November 83:30 pmBowling Green
  • Marshall University Stadium
  • Huntington, WV
WSAZW 28–023,509
November 153:30 pmOhio
W 27–032,012
December 57:30 pmToledo
ESPN2W 34–1428,021
December 268:00 pmvs. Ole Miss*
ESPNL 31–3443,340

Roster
1997 Marshall Thundering Herd football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
RB 22 Doug Chapman So
WR 18 LaVorn Colclough Jr
OT 63 Mike Guilliams So
WR 88 Randy Moss So
WR 85 Matthew Harris So
QB 10 Chad Pennington  So
OG 52 Brian Reed Sr
OT 78 Jamie Rodgers
OG 65 Burt Scarbrough Jr
C 62 Jason Starkey So
RB 32 Llow Turner So
C 66 John Wade Sr
TE 87 John White Jr
WR 2 Mark Wicks Sr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
FS 42 Rogers Beckett So
DE 5 B. J. Cohen Sr
LB 4 John Grace So
DL 6 Ricky Hall Jr
ROV 9 Thomas Maxwell Sr
LB 28 Larry McCloud Sr
CB 11 Larry Moore Sr
LB 55 Andre O'Neal So
CB 8 B. J. Summers Sr
DE 58 Paul Totten Jr
DT 97 Joe Zeglowitsch Jr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
P 41 Chris Hanson Jr
K 43 J. R. Jenkins Fr
K 49 Billy Malashevich So
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

Game summaries

West Virginia
1 234Total
Thundering Herd 3 7210 31
• Mountaineers 21 7014 42
       
See also: 1997 West Virginia Mountaineers football team and Friends of Coal Bowl


After trailing 28–3, the Thundering Herd scored 28 straight to take a 31–28 lead into the 4th quarter. West Virginia responded with two fourth quarter touchdowns to win this much anticipated season opener, 42–31. Randy Moss had seven receptions for 85 yards and two touchdowns.[2] [3] [4]

Army
See also: 1997 Army Cadets football team


Randy Moss had five receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns.[5] [6]

Kent State
See also: 1997 Kent State Golden Flashes football team


Randy Moss hauled in 8 receptions for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Western Illinois
See also: Western Illinois Leathernecks football


Randy Moss had 5 receptions for 52 yards and 2 touchdowns.[7] [8]

Ball State
See also: 1997 Ball State Cardinals football team


Randy Moss caught 13 passes for 205 yards and a school-record 5 touchdowns.[9]

Akron
See also: Akron Zips football


Randy Moss had 6 receptions for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Miami
See also: 1997 Miami RedHawks football team


Randy Moss had 10 receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown.

Eastern Michigan
See also: 1997 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team


Randy Moss had 8 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown.

Central Michigan
See also: 1997 Central Michigan Chippewas football team


Randy Moss had 7 receptions for 193 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Bowling Green
See also: 1997 Bowling Green Falcons football team


Randy Moss had 7 receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown.

Ohio
See also: 1997 Ohio Bobcats football team and Battle for the Bell


Randy Moss had seven receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. [10]

Toledo (MAC Championship Game)
1 234Total
Rockets 0 707 14
• Thundering Herd 3 01417 34
    
Main article: 1997 MAC Championship Game
See also: 1997 Toledo Rockets football team


Randy Moss had seven receptions for 170 yards and three touchdowns.[11] [12] [13]

vs. Ole Miss (Motor City Bowl)
1 234Total
• Rebels 7 01413 34
Thundering Herd 10 7014 31
      
Main article: 1997 Motor City Bowl
See also: 1997 Ole Miss Rebels football team


Playing in its first bowl game since the 1948 Tangerine Bowl, Marshall lost a back-and-forth matchup with Ole Miss. Randy Moss had 6 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown, including an 80-yard bomb from Chad Pennington, in his final collegiate game.[14] [15] [16]

Awards and honors

Team Players in the 1998 NFL Draft
PlayerPositionRoundPickTeam
Randy MossWide Receiver121Minnesota Vikings
John WadeCenter5148Jacksonville Jaguars

[18]

References
  1. Carter, Bob. "Moves, Emotions Have Moss Causin' a Commotion". ESPN. Retrieved February 22, 2007.
  2. "Top Of His Game". Los Angeles Times. August 20, 1997. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  3. "CUT OFF FROM THE HERD RANDY MOSS, THE MOST GIFTED PLAYER IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL, IS LEADING THE REVIVAL OF A MARSHALL PROGRAM STILL HAUNTED BY A DEVASTATING 1970 PLANE CRASH". Sports Illustrated. August 25, 1997. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  4. "Marshall Makes It Close". Los Angeles Times. August 31, 1997. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  5. "Army Gets Thumped by Moss and His Teammates". The New York Times. September 7, 1997. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  6. "MARSHALL ROLLS, AS ARMY CAN'T GATHER MOSS". The Washington Post. September 7, 1997. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  7. "WESTERN ILLINOIS-MARSHALL GAME PROVIDES A VARIETY OF ATTRACTIONS". Chicago Tribune. September 19, 1997. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  8. "Gallery: Marshall vs. Western Illinois, Sept. 20, 1997". The Herald-Dispatch. May 22, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  9. "A High Five for Moss in Marshall Win". Los Angeles Times. September 28, 1997. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  10. "MARSHALL THRASHES OHIO U. FOR TITLE". The Washington Post. November 16, 1997. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  11. Rhoden, William C. (November 21, 1997). "The Best Campaign For the Heisman Is . . ". The New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  12. "Moss Herds Thundering Marshall Return". Los Angeles Times. November 23, 1997. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  13. "Moss Sets Touchdown Record as Marshall Beats Toledo, 34-14". Los Angeles Times. December 6, 1997. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  14. "The Grand Marshall". Los Angeles Times. December 14, 1997. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  15. "N.C.A.A.: FOOTBALL -- MOTOR CITY BOWL; Mississippi Captures Wild One". The New York Times. December 27, 1997. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  16. "MISSISSIPPI TOPS MARSHALL IN A SEESAW BATTLE, 34-31". The Washington Post. December 27, 1997. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  17. http://www.biletnikoffaward.com/
  18. "1998 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
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