By Steven Gonzalez (@gonswaga)

The Marshall Thundering Herd take on the Morgan State Bears in their first game of the season this Saturday. Morgan State enters this week coming off a 51-24 drubbing in their home opener. The two teams have never faced off against one another, but look to kickstart their 2016 seasons in West Virginia on Saturday.

Here are five things to watch for this weekend:

Marshall Hope To Thunder with Ground Attack

For the past few years, Marshall has been able to rely on Devon Johnson and a ferocious ground and pound attack. Combined with the unpredictability and finesse of previous quarterback Rakeem Cato, the Marshall offense was truly a spectacle. This season, the Herd will look to replace Johnson’s production with a revolving door at running back. Hyleck Foster, Keion Davis and Tony Pittman will be joined by newcomer Anthony Anderson in an effort to solidify some semblance of a depth chart before Week 2. Morgan State just let up over 250 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground against Holy Cross last week, so head coach Doc Holliday may just roll with the “hot hand” throughout the course of the game.

Chasing Litton

Starting quarterback Chase Litton was good enough for the Herd last season that their successful bowl streak continued. This year, the sophomore from Tampa, Florida has all of the weapons in place to continue improving. Morgan State was outperformed all over the field last weekend but the only way they'll stay in the game against Marshall will be if they attack Litton early and often. A strong front seven, combined with an early press from the corners should put the Bears in position for a few turnovers. On the other hand, Litton has a year of starting experience under his belt and should be ready for whatever the Bears throw at him.

Experiencing the Difference with Upper Classman

Marshall has consistently ranked near the top of Conference USA’s recruiting rankings every year since Doc Holliday’s tenure began. This year though, the Thundering Herd will rely more on experience and less on flashy freshmen. Their offensive line is one of the most seasoned in the conference and should be able to open up holes all day long for their revolving door at running back. 

Prep Time and Fresh Bodies

Last Saturday, Morgan State was busy trying to handle Holy Cross and their fully-fledged offensive onslaught. At the same time, Marshall was busy preparing for this week’s game. Their bodies are fresh, they have a week of game film on their opponent and the season opens at home. What will probably be an ill-timed bye week near the end of the season works out perfectly for the Thundering Herd right now.

Strong Start Needed Ahead of Difficult End

It always seems like the path to the C-USA championship runs through Huntington, West Virginia. After conceding the title to “Moonshine Throwdown” rival Western Kentucky last season, the Thundering Herd are ready to claim what is believed to be theirs. After their non-conference schedule early on, Marshall will ease their way into their final game against their rivals. Saturday’s contest against Morgan State should be a nice way to see Marshall’s depth in action.