Arch Rivals Longview and Marshall Meet for the 102nd Time

Marshall Mavericks (0-2)
vs.
Longview Lobos (1-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Lobo Stadium, Longview

Coaches
Marshall: Alex Richters
Longview: John King

Last week
Marshall: lost to Shreveport C.E. Byrd, 49-28
Longview: def. North Little Rock, 30-14

Next week
Marshall: vs. Whitehouse
Longview: at Lufkin

Playmakers
Marshall

• QB Justin Hart, Fr. (24 of 34, 256 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT)
• WR Marek Reyes, Jr. (12 catches, 88 yards)
• RB John Love, Jr. (18 carries, 55 yards)
• WR Christian Williams, Sr. (3 catches, 74 yards, 1 TD)
• LB Kris Johnson, Sr. (15 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery)
• DE Alberto Balderas, Sr. (13 tackles, 1 fumble recovery)
• RB/LB Nolan Allen, Jr. (6 tackles, 1 fumble recovery)

Longview

• FS Corey Bartley, Sr., 5-7, 155 (40 tackles, 2 PAT blocks, 1 punt block)
• RB Tory White, Sr., 5-9, 175 (37 carries, 209 yards)
• FB Antonius Sanders, Sr., 5-10, 180
• DE Jalen Porter, Sr., 6-0, 210
• LB DeMarkus Lathan, Sr., 5-9, 190
• SS Stephan Maxey, Jr., 5-11, 185
• CB Nakia Brown, Sr., 5-10, 180 (84-yard punt return TD)
• QB Stephon Dunn, Jr.
• QB Dezmond Chumley, Soph.
• WR Justinn Spady, Sr., 5-9, 155

Just the facts

• Longview scored directly from its special teams twice in last week's 30-14 win against North Little Rock: Nakia Brown's 84-yard punt return and Jalen Porter's four-yard return of the punt blocked by Corey Bartley
• Corey Bartley has made 20 tackles in each of Longview's first two games
• Marshall freshman QB Justin Hart threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns in the second half of last week's 49-28 loss to Shreveport C.E. Byrd
• Marshall trailed 36-0 at halftime against Byrd and gained 10 first-half yards
• Longview beat North Little Rock despite gaining only 224 yards, 11 of which were passing yards
• Tonight's game is the 102nd meeting between Longview and Marshall
• Longview leads the all-time series 55-41-5 and has won 11 in a row

Key matchup: Marshall's defensive line vs. Longview's ground game. The single-most consistent part of Longview's football team during its first two games -- well, maybe except for Corey Bartley flying all over the field and making tackles everywhere -- has been its ground game, which has produced win or lose. The Lobos got 106 yards from Tory White in their 33-point season-opening loss to Coppell, then got 103 yards from White and 96 yards and two touchdowns from Antonius Sanders in last week's bounce-back victory against North Little Rock. Kilgore averaged about five yards per carry in its 42-0 win against Marshall two weeks ago, and Shreveport C.E. Byrd ran for 260 yards in last week's Maverick loss. Marshall will have a tough time slowing the Lobos, who will run even more with veteran quarterback Bivins Caraway sidelined with a torn ACL in his left knee. Marshall must contain the Lobos' rushing attack to get freshman quarterback Justin Hart, who threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns in the second half against Byrd, as many chances as possible against a quick Longview defensive front and experienced Lobo secondary.

Don't be surprised if: Longview overwhelms Marshall with its physical ground attack and defensive speed. This is exactly the kind of game Longview needs at this point as it breaks in two new quarterbacks. Last week's win was a big one for the Lobos, who beat a talented North Little Rock team with special teams, defense, and a running game that was good enough to compensate for a passing game that accounted for 11 yards. Friday's matchup could give Longview the opportunity to experiment more with Stephon Dunn and Dezmond Chumley and give the Lobos an idea of what's to come later in the season for them offensively. For Marshall, this is a chance to see freshman quarterback Justin Hart against a defensive backfield that will probably be the best he sees all season. Hart looked solid during his action against Byrd, and veteran receivers Marek Reyes and Christian Williams should help him continue to improve. But putting up numbers against Stephan Maxey, Corey Bartley, and the rest of Longview's back seven will be far from easy. Longview aims for its 12th consecutive win against Marshall, and the Lobos are a heavy favorite to achieve that goal. That streak certainly won't last forever, but 2012 doesn't appear to be the year that the Mavericks will break their drought against their arch rivals down U.S Highway 80.