It wasn't a major surprise that we beat Marshalle. It was a major surprise to me that they turned the ball over so much and of course the score. There were some minor surprises. I was somewhat surprised that:

* Their DE Curry was completely held in check....of course OUr OL was awesome.

* They didn't change QBs.

* The flamer Herd fans haven't been back for crow....well maybe not surprised.

* Noah Keller stayed healthy for the entire game.

* My Hidden Gems POTW  Safety Nate Carpenter keeps on making big plays.

* Herd fans were upset with the fake punt....like they  never ran up the score.....sure Bob.

* Nic Barber is MIA....what the heck has happened to him?

* OUr QB makes little or no turnover mistakes.

* Bakari Bussey hasn't had a breakout game.

* Hillbilly Hot Dogs didn't drive up a Wiener Mobile from Huntington.

What they probably don't realize is that it wasn't a called fake punt. It was simply a case where, if they don't defend against a Hershey run, Hershey is going to run. The problem was a Marshall problem - failure to defend, not a call by Ohio.

I would also point out that after getting the unexpected first down, Ohio didn't make any aggressive attempt to score. All they did was continue to hand it to Boykin, and pound it up the middle, grinding out the clock. Clearly there was no intent to run up the score; it was just a disciplined team doing what they had been trained to do.

I cringed a little at first, too, but then I realized that it was Hersey's call and a confirmation that Marshall was mailing it in at that point.  I smile thinking about the extra laps and return drills those Herd guys are going through this week.

Marshall fan in front of me turns around after the fake punt and says "well that was just RUDE"...but he was tongue in cheek, had a sense of humor about it...more like "what else can go wrong?"  Meanwhile I want to send a box of turnovers to my Uncle the Marshall fan -- with a note about how they left them here in Athens.

And there we have it. Fans with inflatable tubes are breaking the rules. But fans with field whistles? A non-issue.

They may not have brought the Weinermobile, but I loved the Marshall Trolley!  I still like the Toledo Jambulance better, but the trolley was pretty cool.  Growing up in the heart of Appalachia and now living in West Virginia excludes me from the hillbilly references.  They have some mouthy fans, but overall, their fan support is tremendous.  I would love to be part of that kind of following when Ohio goes on the road.  We travel with the team a lot, and the only time I have felt anything close to replicating Marshall road support was the Thanksgiving weekend in Oxford in 2006.  Who knows, maybe I'll be part of 10,000 Bobcat fans in NJ this weekend.

+1