1997 Marshall Thundering Herd football team

1997
Kevin Kelly (2nd season)
1997 Kevin Kelly (2nd season)
Captain	John Wade, Brian Reed, Chad Pennington, Thomas Maxwell, B. J. Cohen, Larry McCloud
Home stadium	Marshall University Stadium
	Seasons ← 1996 1998 →

1997 Mid-American Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
East Division
Marshall x$	7	–	1	10	–	3
Miami (OH)	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

The 1997 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by second-year head coach Bob Pruett, the Thundering Herd compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, winning the MAC's East Division title. Marshall beat Toledo in MAC Championship Game to win the conference championship and then lost to Ole Miss in the Motor City Bowl.

After winning the Southern Conference (SoCon) tile and the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship in 1996, Marshall returned to NCAA Division I-A play for the first time since 1981 and the MAC for the time since 1968. The Thundering Herd played home games at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia.

Wide receiver Randy Moss and quarterback Chad Pennington were the centerpiece of an explosive offense. Moss caught 26 touchdown passes, at the time an NCAA Division I-A record, and was a unanimous first-team All-American.^[1] For the season, Moss had 96 receptions for 1,820 yards, won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best 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 two seasons.

The Herd became only the second team to win a conference championship in its first NCAA Division I-A (now FBS) season, following the 1992 Nevada Wolf Pack football team that won the Big West Conference. The feat was not repeated until 2014, when Georgia Southern won the Sun Belt Conference title.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 30	12:00 pm	at Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV (Friends of Coal Bowl)	ESPN+	L 31–42	65,492
September 6	1:00 pm	at Army*	Michie Stadium West Point, NY		W 35–25	30,358
September 13	3:30 pm	at Kent State	Dix Stadium Kent, OH		W 42–17	11,021
September 20	7:00 pm	Western Illinois*	Marshall University Stadium Huntington, WV	WSAZ	W 48–7	26,724
September 27	1:00 pm	at Ball State	Ball State Stadium Muncie, IN	WVAH	W 42–16	20,415
October 11	7:00 pm	Akron	Marshall University Stadium Huntington, WV		W 52–17	26,642
October 18	2:00 pm	at Miami (OH)	Yager Stadium Oxford, OH	WSAZ	L 21–45	29,027
October 25	7:00 pm	Eastern Michigan	Marshall University Stadium Huntington, WV		W 48–25	21,474
November 1	1:00 pm	at Central Michigan	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI	WSAZ	W 45–17	15,324
November 8	3:30 pm	Bowling Green	Marshall University Stadium Huntington, WV	WSAZ	W 28–0	23,509
November 15	3:30 pm	Ohio	Marshall University Stadium Huntington, WV (Battle for the Bell)		W 27–0	32,012
December 5	7:30 pm	Toledo	Marshall University Stadium Huntington, WV (MAC Championship Game)	ESPN2	W 34–14	28,021
December 26	8:00 pm	vs. Pontiac Silverdome Pontiac, MI (Motor City Bowl)	ESPN	L 31–34	43,340
*Non-conference game Homecoming All times are in Eastern time

Roster

1997 Marshall Thundering Herd football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
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
G	`52`	Brian Reed	Sr
OT	`78`	Jamie Rodgers
G	`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.	#	Name	Class
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.	#	Name	Class
P	`41`	Chris Hanson	Jr
K	`43`	J. R. Jenkins	Fr
K	`49`	Billy Malashevich	So

Head coach

Bob Pruett

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Game summaries

At West Virginia

	1	2	3	4	Total
Thundering Herd	3	7	21	0	31
• Mountaineers	21	7	0	14	42

Date: August 30
Location:
EDT
Game attendance: 65,492
Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), Partly Cloudy and Mild, Wind NW 4 mph (6.4 km/h)
Referee: Jim Maconaghy
TV announcers (ESPN+): John Sanders and Jeff Bostic

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]

At Army

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Thundering Herd	7	7	14	7	35
Cadets	0	12	6	7	25

Date: September 6
Location:
EDT
Game attendance: 30,358

Randy Moss had five receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns, highlighted by a 90-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter.^[5] ^[6]

At Kent State

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Thundering Herd	14	7	14	7	42
Golden Flashes	0	10	0	7	17

Date: September 13
Location:
EDT
Game attendance: 11,021

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

Western Illinois

	1	2	3	4	Total
Leathernecks	0	0	7	0	7
• Thundering Herd	14	0	20	14	48

Date: September 20
Location:
EDT
Game attendance: 26,724

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

At Ball State

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Thundering Herd	14	10	14	7	45
Cardinals	3	13	0	0	16

Date: September 27
Location:
EDT
Game attendance: 20,415

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

Akron

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	7	7	3	0	17
• Thundering Herd	28	10	0	14	52

Date: October 11
Location:
EDT
Game attendance: 26,642

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

At Miami (OH)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Thundering Herd	7	14	0	0	21
• RedHawks	7	7	7	24	45

Date: October 18
Location:
EDT
Game attendance: 29,027

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

Eastern Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	3	7	15	0	25
• Thundering Herd	14	7	13	14	48

Date: October 25
Location:
EDT
Game attendance: 21,474

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

At Central Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Thundering Herd	20	6	12	7	45
Chippewas	7	3	0	7	17

Date: November 1
Location:
EST
Game attendance: 15,324

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

Bowling Green

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	0	0	0	0
• Thundering Herd	14	7	7	0	28

Date: November 8
Location:
EST
Game attendance: 23,509

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

Ohio

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bobcats	0	0	0	0	0
• Thundering Herd	7	7	0	13	27

Date: November 15
Location:
EST
Game attendance: 32,012

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

Toledo (MAC Championship game)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rockets	0	7	0	7	14
• Thundering Herd	3	0	14	17	34

Date: December 5
Location:
EST
Game attendance: 28,021
Game weather: Snow
Television network: ESPN2

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

Vs. Ole Miss (Motor City Bowl)

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Rebels	7	0	14	13	34
Thundering Herd	10	7	0	14	31

Date: December 26
Location:
Pontiac Silverdome
Pontiac, MI
Game attendance: 43,430
Game weather: Indoors
TV announcers (ESPN): Jerry Punch and Mike Gottfried

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

Randy Moss – Fred Biletnikoff Award,^[17] Heisman Trophy Finalist (4th in Voting), Unanimous First-Team All-American, MAC Offensive Player of the Year

Team players in the 1998 NFL Draft

Player	Position	Round	Pick	Team
Randy Moss	Wide receiver	1	21	Minnesota Vikings
John Wade	Center	5	148	Jacksonville Jaguars

^[18]

References

^ Carter, Bob. "Moves, Emotions Have Moss Causin' a Commotion". ESPN. Retrieved February 22, 2007.
^ "Top Of His Game". Los Angeles Times. August 20, 1997. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
^ "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.
^ "Marshall Makes It Close". Los Angeles Times. August 31, 1997. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
^ "Army Gets Thumped by Moss and His Teammates". The New York Times. September 7, 1997. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
^ "Marshall Rolls As Army Can't Gather Moss". The Washington Post. September 7, 1997. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
^ "Western Illinois-Marshall Game Provides A Variety Of Attractions". Chicago Tribune. September 19, 1997. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
^ "Gallery: Marshall vs. Western Illinois, Sept. 20, 1997". The Herald-Dispatch. May 22, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
^ "A High Five for Moss in Marshall Win". Los Angeles Times. September 28, 1997. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
^ "Marshall Thrashes Ohio U. For Title". The Washington Post. November 16, 1997. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
^ Rhoden, William C. (November 21, 1997). "The Best Campaign For the Heisman Is . . ". The New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
^ "Moss Herds Thundering Marshall Return". Los Angeles Times. November 23, 1997. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
^ "Moss Sets Touchdown Record as Marshall Beats Toledo, 34-14". Los Angeles Times. December 6, 1997. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
^ "The Grand Marshall". Los Angeles Times. December 14, 1997. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
^ "N.C.A.A.: Football -- Motor City Bowl; Mississippi Captures Wild One". The New York Times. December 27, 1997. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
^ "Mississippi Tops Marshall In A Seesaw Battle, 34-31". The Washington Post. December 27, 1997. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
^ "Home". biletnikoffaward.com.
^ "1998 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007. Retrieved January 5, 2019.

[classic-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] "Home". biletnikoffaward.com.

[18] "1998 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007. Retrieved January 5, 2019.

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v t e Marshall Thundering Herd football
Venues	Central Field (1895–1927) Fairfield Stadium (1928–1990) Joan C. Edwards Stadium (1991–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Appalachian State East Carolina Ohio: Battle for the Bell West Virginia: Friends of Coal Bowl
Culture & lore	Marco the Bison " Sons of Marshall " Marching Thunder Southern Airways Flight 932 Marshall University: Ashes to Glory We Are Marshall
People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders
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National championship seasons in bold