A student's take on the Marshall vs. WVU game

By Patrick Stanley
Junior Public Relations major from Ona, W.Va.

It had been 92 years since West Virginia University came to Huntington to play football, but the game was well worth the wait.

WVU's trip to Huntington in 1915 was their only one in the sparse football series between the two West Virginia schools until September 8 of this year.

Beginning with the first game in 1911, Marshall and WVU have played a total of seven times, a number that will be nearly doubled by the completion of the current Friends of Coal Bowl series.

After losing by only two points in the first matchup, the Herd would suffer losses of 20-0 in 1914, 92-6 in 1915, 81-0 in 1923 and 42-31 in 1997 before the Coal Bowl series.

The game in '97 sparked talks that would bring back the possibility of the two teams playing again, however.

Between the games in 1923 and the one in 1997, the Herd was able to garner some national attention and earn a visit to play against he Mountaineers in Morgantown once again.

Doug Legursky, Marshall's senior center, said he remembers the importance of that 1997 game, but didn't think, until just recently, the Mountaineers would ever come to Huntington to play ball again.

Last year, arrangements were made for a bowl series between the two schools as a way to benefit the state of West Virginia. The series is sponsored by the Friends of Coal organization, and Gov. Joe Manchin said in a news release that it will bring some recognition to the state.

"The Friends of Coal Bowl will build the in-state rivalry between the schools," Manchin said.

A rivalry that WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez said doesn't exist.

"You can't put a whole lot into that so-called rivalry when you have played twice in the last 20 or 30-some years," Rodriguez said in a news conference.  "If you play every year it can become a rivalry. When you play someone a lot, and there is a lot at stake, the intensity makes it a rivalry. It will become a rivalry, but it is not yet."

In the inaugural Coal Bowl last year, the Herd lost to the Mountaineers in Morgantown 42-10.

On September 8, WVU finally returned to Huntington for the second game of the series, and head coach Mark Snyder said he was looking forward to the attention.

"I think this is a great thing for our state," Snyder said. "The two best teams in our state will be featured on ESPN, and we kick off college football Saturday. We're excited."

Fans of both teams poured into the Joan C. Edwards Stadium prepared to cheer on their teams. The attendance record was set as the Joan was sold out for the first time. The bleachers were a sea of green and yellow and "We are...Marshall" cheers and "Let's go Mountaineers" chants echoed throughout the arena.

Marshall was able to surprise WVU with a defensive stance in the first half and led the game when the teams marched off the field. Herd fans prayed the green and white would be able to hold out, and Mountaineer fans hoped Pat White and the No. 3 ranked Mountaineers would show up and play.

Ultimately, the Herd wore down and WVU's offense did what they do best, score...a lot.

WVU's 48-23 victory over the Herd was their seventh win against Marshall in the history of the schools' competition.

Regardless of the outcome, the game was a benefit for the state.

The Friends of Coal Bowl series consists of seven games played between the two teams and guarantees Huntington a home game for at least two of the games (2007 and 2010).

Whether you painted your team's colors on your body, threw on some temporary tattoo logos or just watched in your living room, you paid attention to Marshall University, at least for a day, and you saw the capabilities of this town.