HUNTINGTON - It's common knowledge that there's no gain if there's no pain.
In Marshall's 30-13 Conference USA victory over North Texas here Saturday, however, there was pain for the Mean Green - whether there was a gain or not.
A sack? Pain. A completed pass? Pain. A rush? Pain.
It was as if Steven Tyler and Aerosmith were commissioned for the game's theme song: "Rag Doll." Because the Mean Green was tossed around like one.
"I like our guys," said defensive coordinator Chuck Heater. "They are seasoned guys. So we can battle pretty well."
The Herd entered the contest with respect on the defensive side. Heater always seems to do a nice job and his unit was ranked No. 42 nationally, allowing but 359.1 yards per game. North Texas finished the day Saturday with 337.
Only Purdue and Florida Atlantic have scored more than 17 points against Marshall through seven games, and on Saturday the Herd didn't let up. Instead, it, well, Letman. It let Taj Letman manhandle North Texas running back Jeff Wilson. It let Ryan Bee scare the bejeezus out of Mean Green quarterback DaMarcus Smith. It let Blake Keller sack Smith for minus-20 yards after a Benny Hill-like scramble. It let the Thundering Herd offense provide a workmanlike effort to victory.
"We wanted to contain that quarterback because he has the ability to run," Heater said. "You can see where he bounces outside and creates plays. Quarterback-designed plays are sometimes difficult to defend. He was the key guy."
Smith gained 50 rushing yards but, again, pain came into play. He lost 34 and finished with a net of 16.
"It's a good group," Heater said of his defense. "A lot of those guys have been playing for three or four years. They are veteran guys that have confidence and the right mindset you need to be a good defensive player. They just go at it and go to work every day. That's the value of maturity."
It certainly has to help Heater sleep well at night - especially knowing redshirt senior linebacker Evan McKelvey is among the seasoned. McKelvey entered the game No. 6 nationally in tackles, averaging 11. He had but seven Saturday, but capped MU's performance when he batted a Smith pass attempt into the air, intercepted it and returned the ball to the North Texas 39.
"Neville [Hewitt] is playing for my [Miami] Dolphins," Heater said with a smile. "Evan is the same kind of guy. He's remarkable because of the injuries he's had. You don't even know he's had them. He plays very aggressively and very athletically. Really a talented guy. Could play anywhere."
The secondary also makes Heater smile. Marshall entered the North Texas game ranked No. 3 nationally in pass-efficiency defense. The Herd was No. 29 in passing yards allowed, yielding 188.4 per game. North Texas had 128. In a 31-10 win over Southern Miss, MU had 15 pass breakups and 17 quarterback hurries. On Saturday, the Herd had seven pass breakups, 20 hurries, an interception, six tackles for loss and two sacks.
"It starts with our guys being able to cover," Heater said. "If they can cover, it allows you to do a lot of things. We have some good offenses coming down the road, though, that will be greater challenges."
That's true. MU, however, now moves to 7-1 and 4-0 in Conference USA play. It's a nice bounceback for Doc Holliday's troops from that early loss to Ohio, which will forever remain a pimple on the season. On Saturday, Buffalo trounced the Bobcats. Last week, Western Michigan put a 49-14 hurting on OU. So, unless many crazy things happen, the Herd is out of the hunt for the Group of Five New Year's Day bowl berth.
Against North Texas, though, it was like an old Rob Base/D.J. E-Z Rock song. There was joy. There was rain.
And Marshall's defense made sure there was pain.
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For those wondering, new Marshall president appointee Jerome Gilbert did not make Saturday's Homecoming game.
If you missed last week's announcement, Gilbert is moving from his position as Mississippi State provost to take over at MU. That has led to much speculation within Thundering Herd athletic circles. Is Gilbert sports friendly?
"Well, he's not here yet," said MU athletic director Mike Hamrick on Saturday. "I did, though, have a chance to visit with him during his interview and went to the open forums.
"He's certainly solid on academics, but was asked many, many times his feelings on athletics. He always said he enjoys them and, hey, he's coming from the SEC. Mississippi State football and baseball are very, very good."
Gilbert was appointed after the December death of Stephen Kopp, who mostly allowed Hamrick to run the athletic department without interference.
"[Gilbert] certainly did his homework about Marshall," Hamrick said. "He watched the ["We Are Marshall"] movie, he knew of our athletic facilities. ... From an athletic standpoint it seems we got a terrific president. I look forward to working with him."