HUNTINGTON -- Marshall's offense and defense took turns making the other look bad Monday, when the Thundering Herd conducted its first two-a-day of preseason practice.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Mark Cann, for example, threw back-to-back 33-yard touchdown passes to senior wide receiver Emmanuel Spann and junior wide receiver Courtney Edmonson in the morning session during seven-on-seven drills.
Defensive tackle Ian Hoskins goes through a pad drill.
Cann later added a long gain on an over-the-middle strike to senior wide receiver Darius Passmore, who leaped to make the catch with two defenders covering him.
On the other side of the ball, sophomore cornerback Kevin Perry intercepted Cann and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.
A few minutes later, junior linebacker Mario Harvey blitzed junior quarterback Jonathan Garner. Harvey hit Garner, whose pass hung in the air near the line of scrimmage. Sophomore defensive tackle Johnny Jones snatched the ball out of the air and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.
"I was just trying to score," Jones said when asked what he thought after he caught the ball and saw the end zone. "That's pretty much it."
Marshall Coach Mark Snyder said the back-and-forth exchange of touchdowns and turnovers is the norm.
"Somebody is going to do good and somebody is going to do bad," Snyder said. "This isn't a game. It's practice.
"I think the touchdowns are coming because we're getting the ball in the playmakers' hands, and I think the turnovers are coming because we have playmakers on that side. That's what makes things happen -- guys who can make plays. I think we have playmakers on both sides of the ball.
"It's going to be like this every day because we're going against each other," he added. "It depends on how the practice is scheduled. Everything we do is scripted. Some the defense is going to win. Some the offense is going to win. We know that coming out here. We get concerned if it doesn't go that way because it should."
In the second session, sophomore cornerback D.J. Wingate intercepted Cann after he wrestled the ball away from Passmore during seven-on-seven drills.
Cann later found Passmore for a pair of touchdown passes -- a 17-yarder during seven-on-seven drills and a 20-yarder during 11-on-11 team drills. Passmore was ridiculously wide open on both catches, giving him an opportunity to trash talk the Thundering Herd cornerbacks.
"What are you all doing?" he asked them while he walked back to the line of scrimmage after the second score.
What Passmore is doing, Snyder said, is having an impressive August.
"I have been pleased with Pass," Snyder said. "It's good to have him back healthy."
Injuries hampered Passmore last season, when he played through a hernia and knee injury. He had both fixed in the offseason.
Although his injuries hindered his speed, he still finished with 45 catches for 660 yards and five touchdowns in 2007.
"I think he'll be just like he was when he was healthy (last year)," Snyder said. "He made some big plays earlier in the year. Some outstanding plays."
* * *
SPEAKING OF injuries, junior cornerback Zearrick Matthews and junior wide receiver Chuck Walker appeared to be the only long-term casualties Monday.
Incidentally, both of their injuries occurred before preseason practice -- Matthews in a freak accident while he moved furniture into an apartment; Walker during an offseason workout.
Redshirt freshman center John Bruhin no longer was on crutches Monday, but he still was in an orthopedic boot.
Among those sidelined or limited by minor injuries on the Thundering Herd's first two-a-day were senior linebacker Phillip Gamble, junior tight end Maurice Graham, sophomore cornerback Pete Culicerto, freshman wide receiver Antavious Wilson and freshman wide receiver Demetrius Thomas.
* * *
MONDAY MARKED the fourth consecutive day missed by junior quarterback Wesley Beardain, who left Huntington to deal with undisclosed personal issues in his hometown of Winona, Miss.
Given the length of his absence, some media members wondered whether Beardain had left the team. Snyder said that isn't the case.
* * *
SNYDER SAID he is pleased with Marshall's newcomers and their performances in the opening week of preseason practice.
"There's not one I'm sitting here wishing we didn't take," Snyder said. "That's hard to do in recruiting now. You're going to have one mistake. This is a pretty good class here."
* * *
FIVE NFL scouts attended Monday's sessions -- one in the morning and four in the afternoon.
Contact sportswriter Jacob Messer at jacobmes...@dailymail.com or 348-1712. His blog is at blogs.dailymail.com/marshall.
HUNTINGTON -- Marshall's offense and defense took turns making the other look bad Monday, when the Thundering Herd conducted its first two-a-day of preseason practice.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Mark Cann, for example, threw back-to-back 33-yard touchdown passes to senior wide receiver Emmanuel Spann and junior wide receiver Courtney Edmonson in the morning session during seven-on-seven drills.
Cann later added a long gain on an over-the-middle strike to senior wide receiver Darius Passmore, who leaped to make the catch with two defenders covering him.
On the other side of the ball, sophomore cornerback Kevin Perry intercepted Cann and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.
A few minutes later, junior linebacker Mario Harvey blitzed junior quarterback Jonathan Garner. Harvey hit Garner, whose pass hung in the air near the line of scrimmage. Sophomore defensive tackle Johnny Jones snatched the ball out of the air and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.
"I was just trying to score," Jones said when asked what he thought after he caught the ball and saw the end zone. "That's pretty much it."
Marshall Coach Mark Snyder said the back-and-forth exchange of touchdowns and turnovers is the norm.
"Somebody is going to do good and somebody is going to do bad," Snyder said. "This isn't a game. It's practice.
"I think the touchdowns are coming because we're getting the ball in the playmakers' hands, and I think the turnovers are coming because we have playmakers on that side. That's what makes things happen -- guys who can make plays. I think we have playmakers on both sides of the ball.
"It's going to be like this every day because we're going against each other," he added. "It depends on how the practice is scheduled. Everything we do is scripted. Some the defense is going to win. Some the offense is going to win. We know that coming out here. We get concerned if it doesn't go that way because it should."
In the second session, sophomore cornerback D.J. Wingate intercepted Cann after he wrestled the ball away from Passmore during seven-on-seven drills.
Cann later found Passmore for a pair of touchdown passes -- a 17-yarder during seven-on-seven drills and a 20-yarder during 11-on-11 team drills. Passmore was ridiculously wide open on both catches, giving him an opportunity to trash talk the Thundering Herd cornerbacks.
"What are you all doing?" he asked them while he walked back to the line of scrimmage after the second score.
What Passmore is doing, Snyder said, is having an impressive August.
"I have been pleased with Pass," Snyder said. "It's good to have him back healthy."
Injuries hampered Passmore last season, when he played through a hernia and knee injury. He had both fixed in the offseason.
Although his injuries hindered his speed, he still finished with 45 catches for 660 yards and five touchdowns in 2007.
"I think he'll be just like he was when he was healthy (last year)," Snyder said. "He made some big plays earlier in the year. Some outstanding plays."
* * *
SPEAKING OF injuries, junior cornerback Zearrick Matthews and junior wide receiver Chuck Walker appeared to be the only long-term casualties Monday.
Incidentally, both of their injuries occurred before preseason practice -- Matthews in a freak accident while he moved furniture into an apartment; Walker during an offseason workout.
Redshirt freshman center John Bruhin no longer was on crutches Monday, but he still was in an orthopedic boot.
Among those sidelined or limited by minor injuries on the Thundering Herd's first two-a-day were senior linebacker Phillip Gamble, junior tight end Maurice Graham, sophomore cornerback Pete Culicerto, freshman wide receiver Antavious Wilson and freshman wide receiver Demetrius Thomas.
* * *
MONDAY MARKED the fourth consecutive day missed by junior quarterback Wesley Beardain, who left Huntington to deal with undisclosed personal issues in his hometown of Winona, Miss.
Given the length of his absence, some media members wondered whether Beardain had left the team. Snyder said that isn't the case.
* * *
SNYDER SAID he is pleased with Marshall's newcomers and their performances in the opening week of preseason practice.
"There's not one I'm sitting here wishing we didn't take," Snyder said. "That's hard to do in recruiting now. You're going to have one mistake. This is a pretty good class here."
* * *
FIVE NFL scouts attended Monday's sessions -- one in the morning and four in the afternoon.
Contact sportswriter Jacob Messer at jacobmes...@dailymail.com or 348-1712. His blog is at blogs.dailymail.com/marshall.
