MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Marshall's defense has prided itself for its ability to limit long gains, among other things.
That pride was wounded Saturday in the Thundering Herd's 27-24 triple-overtime loss at Middle Tennessee.
The Blue Raiders had 20 plays of double-digit yardage, seven by land and 13 by air. Eleven plays topped 20 yards, with long receptions of 42 and 46 yards.
Looking at it another way, those 20 plays accounted for 439 yards, most of the Raiders' 554 total. Those long gains were killers.
It's amazing the Blue Raiders were held to three offensive touchdowns, and they were almost kicking themselves after the game.
"We could have ended this a lot earlier than we did," said MTSU coach Rick Stockstill.
The Herd has been pretty good in limiting big plays, an attribute that forces more snaps and eventually leads to offensive breakdowns. That's an underrated factor in MU yielding fewer than 20 points per game.
Take the 31-10 conquest over Southern Mississippi - another quality team with a consistent 300-yard passer.
Southern Miss' Nick Mullens threw for 314 yards, but needed 58 attempts to do it. By contrast, MTSU's Brent Stockstill needed only 34 throws to ring up his 353 yards.
The Golden Eagles ran 93 plays and managed only 439 total yards - yes, the same amount MTSU gained in its 20 most lucrative snaps. The Eagles did record 19 double-digit gains, but there are differences.
First, only six plays went 20 or more yards, none longer than 31. Second, eight double-digit gains came with MU up two or three touchdowns. Yards do come easier when you are trailing, right?
Bear in mind the Herd defense forced five turnovers and sacked Mullens four times, and those are major factors. But don't underestimate the ability to limit the damage on big offensive plays.
On Saturday, there were coverage issues, occasional poor tackling and a lack of pass rush for much of the game. MTSU used the extra week of preparation well, out-scheming the Herd and pulling a few surprises.
It all worked together, and worked against the Herd.
The MU defense's red-zone success continued, as opponents have scored only 14 touchdowns in 32 trips inside the 20-yard line. That's nice, and Marshall's 24 takeaways are great.
But with athletic Florida International and explosive Western Kentucky ahead, the Herd must work on limiting big gains.
n You may remember November, but you usually forget how the personnel looked in August. Don't even try to tell me you pegged Ryan Bee as the Herd's most consistent defensive end.
But the memory of the most intense camp battle came flooding back Saturday - the field-goal duel between Nick Smith and Amareto Curraj.
With kickoff duties in hand, Curraj appeared to be in command for the field-goal job. But he struggled in the final days and Smith couldn't miss, so Smith seized the job and went on to make his first 12 collegiate attempts.
But now, the Herd is coming off an unprecedented five-miss game, and has missed seven of its last nine attempts. When overtime began at MTSU, Curraj replaced Smith, missed a kick and suffered the game-ending block.
With a must-win 11th game coming Saturday against Florida International, the Herd's placekicking situation has returned to August.
n Here's an oddity: When the Herd and FIU take the field at Joan C. Edwards Stadium, both teams will be playing for the 11th weekend in a row. And get this: Both finish their season against Western Kentucky.
FIU gets the Hilltoppers first, on Nov. 21, and finally gets its off week at the end of the schedule. Of course, the Panthers need to beat either Marshall or WKU or else that open week becomes the offseason.
So I guess Marshall has it a little better in finally having an off week after Game No. 11. Not much, as the injuries pile up.
The Herd hasn't had a schedule quite like this since 1998, when the off weekend fell between games 10 (Central Michigan) and 11 (Wofford). In 2004, 2007 and 2010, the Herd didn't have a full two weeks between games, but did have a week-plus before and after a midweek game.
And if you're feeling really nostalgic, the 1987 and 1994 Herd teams played 11 games in 11 straight weekends, then had to wait a week before learning their Division I-AA postseason itinerary.
So why are the Panthers and Herd in this situation? Blind luck, it seems. Remember, the league stands at 13 teams, so not all can play conference games in the same weekend.
n FIU defensive end Greg Wakefield will sit out the first half of Saturday's 3:30 p.m. game in Huntington. Wakefield tied the school record with four sacks in the Panthers' 48-31 win over Charlotte, but was ejected for targeting late in the game.
By rule, he sits out the first half Saturday.
Wakefield may not be the Panthers' most notable absence, though. Tight end Jonnu Smith, a candidate to repeat as a first-team all-conference pick, did not play against Charlotte.
n As Conference USA negotiates its television contracts, the American Sports Network is a necessary partner. The league even moved its football media day to Boca Raton, Florida, near ASN's West Palm Beach headquarters.
As you'll recall, ASN fills the void left by the demise of Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast - when it stays on the air.
At the Charlotte-FIU game, a generator blew, taking the network's truck out of action with 9:49 left in the first quarter. The game did not return to the air in the Miami market until the 6:50 mark in the third quarter.
Marshall fans have had their issues with ASN broadcasts, too. A ragtag operation, it seems to be.