Marshall Thundering Herd (0-0) vs. Navy Midshipmen (0-0)
September 4, 2021 3:30 pm EDT
The Line: Navy Midshipmen +3 ; Over/Under: 47
(Get latest betting odds)
The Navy Midshipmen face the Marshall Thundering Herd Saturday in week 1 college football action from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. This will be the first activity of the season for both teams. Marshall posted a 7-3 record and a division championship last year. As for Navy, they finished 3-7 overall and near the middle of the pack in the AAC standings. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place.
Marshall had a solid regular season last year, but couldn’t quite get it right in the big games. The Herd notched an East Division championship with their 4-1 conference mark, but fell in the C-USA Championship game 22-13 to UAB.
Marshall earned a trip to the Camellia Bowl last year, but that didn’t go so well either. The result was a tough 17-10 loss to Buffalo. The Herd started out the season with seven straight victories, but then fell to Rice on December 5 prior to the other pair of losses.
Over on the Navy side, they managed to get a 10-game slate in last season. The Midshipmen couldn’t find much success however; they finished 3-7 overall and 3-4 in American Athletic Conference play. That result left Navy in seventh place, amid a logjam of other teams.
2021 marks the return of head coach Ken Niumatalolo in his 14th season. He’ll be rejoined by offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper in his 14th year, and defensive coordinator Brian Newberry in his third year. Navy is sitting on a five-game losing skid that they’ll be eager to break.
The Herd are 2-5 ATS in their last seven non-conference games and 1-5 ATS in their last six overall. Marshall is 1-5 ATS in their last six on turf and the over is 4-0 in their last four versus the AAC.
Meanwhile, the Midshipmen are 5-1 ATS in their last six versus CUSA and 9-4 ATS in their last 13 home games. Navy is 1-4 ATS in their last five overall and 1-4 ATS in their last five on turf.
PICK: I’m going to take a stab on Marshall, but probably staying away. This should be one of the more interesting games on the day’s slate. the Herd are under a new coaching regime following a late-season offensive collapse last year. The good news for Marshall is that they’ve got a reliable QB arm in Grant Wells, and leading pass-catcher Corey Gammage is back in the fold as well. Three starters are back on the line, so that will help as well.
As for Navy, they averaged 178 rushing yards per game last year—not what the Midshipmen wanted from their ground attack. They’re going to need better blocking up front, and with Nelson Smith gone they’re also going to need more running depth. It’ll be interesting to see what both teams can come up with in this one; it should be a close game all the way through and a fun one to watch.
