SPRINGFIELD — Missouri State welcomes Marshall for a huge nonconference game on Saturday, Sept. 19.
This game will not define the Bears season, but it could springboard the roster with conference play looming. Missouri State (1-1) defeated Marshall (1-1) for its first win as a FBS member last season.
First-year head coach Casey Woods knows they’ll be getting the Thundering Herd’s best shot at 5:30 p.m. inside Plaster Stadium.
“They’re going over here to whip us. Maybe even blood-revenge whip us,” Woods said.
Missouri State’s game plan against the Thundering Herd
The Bears offense was on the mark against FCS Lindenwood last week. Missouri State went for over 500 yards and scored over 40 points.
In Week 1, the Bears couldn’t do
much against SEC powerhouse Texas A&M.
This week, Missouri State will be playing a team in its weight class.
“It’ll be a good place to measure where we are at,” Woods said. “They are a good team, and I think we have the makings of a good team."
Missouri State’s defense must slow down star quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson. He did not feature against the Bears last season. He became the team’s starter a week later and has been the signal caller ever since.
Last week, Del Rio-Wilson was knocked out of Marshall’s 28-26 win over Middle Tennessee, but he will be available to play against Missouri State, according to Marshall coach Tony Gibson.
Del Rio-Wilson threw for 2,043 yards and completed 67% of his passes last season. He tossed 17 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also a mobile quarterback, who leads the team in rushing yards so far.
“He’s a really dynamic player,” Woods said. “You can see, his (Gibson) team follows his grittiness and toughness and his mentality with how they approach the game of football.”
After allowing 45 points to Penn State, Marshall’s defense bounced back against Middle Tennessee. They forced the Blue Raiders to go 3-for-12 on third down and forced a turnover.
“They fly around to the ball,” Woods said. “They give you a lot of presentation out of a similar look. There’s a challenge that exists with what they do there. They suffocated Middle pretty good.”
What Marshall is saying about the Bears
During his weekly availability, Gibson spoke highly of Missouri State quarterback Skyler Locklear. He threw for 258 yards on 17-for-20 passing and one touchdown against Lindenwood.
“He’s a really good football player,” Gibson said. “He reminds you of a Big 12 quarterback. He’s a gunslinger, distributes the ball well.”
Just like Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko, Gibson shared that his coaching staff has watched many different teams to prepare for the Bears. They’ve watched the first two Missouri State games along with SMU and UTEP film.
“We have a good grasp on what they want to do on both sides of the ball,” Gibson said. “We have to go execute. We cannot go beat ourselves.”
Gibson explained that running backs Breezy Dubar and Ramone Green Jr. are two other offensive players that the Thundering Herd have to slow down.
“What we have to do is tackle better in space,” Gibson said. “That is one thing we are really emphasizing right now.”
Missouri State vs Marshall betting odds
Betting odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, Sept. 17
- Spread: Marshall -4
- Over/Under: 53.5
Liam Keating covers high school sports and Missouri State athletics for The Springfield News-Leader. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: How Missouri State football looks to slow down Marshall in Week 3
