Pride and possibly No.1 contender status for the MAC East Division title will be on the line Friday night as two teams coming off of deflating drubbings will collide in one of only two nationally televised conference showdowns.
Fresh off a nationally televised whooping courtesy of Virginia Tech that knocked them out of the top 25 polls, the Marshall Thundering Herd will square off against Central Florida tonight at 7 p.m. in Marshall Stadium. The Golden Knights are off to an 0-2 start, falling on the road at Penn State and being trounced at Arizona State.
Marshall's Heisman Trophy candidate, quarterback Byron Leftwich, will have his second opportunity to impress voters through the power of national television. Leftwich racked up over 400 yards passing during the Herd's loss on ESPN to VT.
"No one wants to get into a shootout with Marshall and Byron Leftwich, no one has really slowed them down," said Central Florida Head Coach Mike Kruczek. "It's critical for us to win the battle of possession and keep number seven off the field."
Although Central Florida is 0-2, with exciting players like quarterback Ryan Schneider and wide out Doug Gabriel - 16 catches for 269 yards this season - they should not be taken lightly.
"On both sides of the ball they are athletic, they have a lot of talent and are well coached," said Marshall Head Coach Bob Pruett. "I think they are a very capable team, they are comparable to any good team on our schedule."
It will be imperative, however, for Marshall to regain its confidence after the thorough thrashing they received in front of a national audience.
"You have to work hard to get your confidence back," said Pruett. "The only thing you can do is show them what you did wrong."
After winning the MAC from 1997-2000, Marshall claims to be on a quest to "take back the MAC." Central Florida, although debuting in the MAC this season, considers themselves contenders for the conference crown.
If UCF wants to be the new king of the hill, a win in Huntington tonight is a must.
"I know our defense will have its hands full," said Kruzcek "Marshall is a fantastic football team and are led by arguably the best quarterback in the country in Byron Leftwich."
