Mostly cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 86F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..
Tonight
Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming foggy and damp after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds light and variable.
Mostly cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 86F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..
Tonight
Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming foggy and damp after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds light and variable.
HUNTINGTON òòò½ÊÓƵ” Jack Cook walked in, a Louisville Slugger bat for a walking stick, and everyone stopped what they were doing.
Cook, 92, commanded respect and elicited love from his former Marshall University baseball players simply by walking into a room Saturday at Joan C. Edwards Stadium where the 1973 NCAA district tournament team was honored.
"It's great to see everyone again," Cook said, as former players and assistant coaches came up to greet him.
The feeling was mutual. Players from the '73 squad, which went 18-10 and advanced to a district tournament with Miami, Minnesota and Southern Illinois in Carbondale, Illinois. The Herd was good that season, but a knee injury to star pitcher Mark Doboney took steam out the club in the tournament, which Miami won. Marshall went 0-2.
"We'd have won that first game for sure if Mark Doboney hadn't been hurt," former MU assistant coach Bob Morgan said. "He was our No. 1 guy and you want your No. 1 healthy."
Morgan also coached at Kent State, Indiana and the College of Wooster, racking up more than 1,000 wins. He said the '73 Marshall team, though, was beloved.
"Coach Cook is the greatest guy in the world," Morgan said. "That team was a close-knit group. We had great chemistry and a lot of talent."
Morgan pointed to Larry Verbage as the team's leader. Verbage said that was considered high praise on a team with extraordinary talent.
"I'm so happy to see everyone," Verbage said. "The memories flowing through here are just awesome. And it's so good to see coach Cook out."
Darren Woody, a standout on the 1973 squad, said he was thrilled with the turnout.
"It's great to see so many of these guys come back," Woody said. "We had 21 on our team. Fourteen came back and two others have passed away. That's a pretty good number."
FOOTBALL STREAK CONTINUES: For the 10th straight game Saturday, Marshall did not allow a first-quarter touchdown, keeping Florida Atlantic scoreless in the opening period.
The Herd has done so in every game this season and is second nationally in that streak, trailing only LSU.
ONE STREAK ENDS: Coming into Saturday, Marshall's run defense had not given up a 20-yard run all season.
FAU's Kerrith Whyte Jr., broke a 29-yard run early in the second quarter, which accounted for the first time an opponent has done so all year against the Herd.
The run helped set up the Owls' lone touchdown in the first half.
KEY PLAYERS OUT: Marshall had several starters miss Saturday's game against Florida Atlantic.
Among those who missed the contest were leading linebacker Chase Hancock, running back Anthony Anderson, quarterback Isaiah Green and cornerback Jaylon McClain-Sapp.
While Green and Sapp were not surprises, the absence of Anderson and Hancock were, leaving Marshall without a key part of its rushing attack and its top tackler.
òòò½ÊÓƵ has been the case throughout the year, the nature of the injuries were undisclosed.
Marshall did return running back Keion Davis, who joined Tyler King in the backfield.
FAU HURTIN' TOO: Hancock's absence was not the only top linebacker to miss the contest.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Florida Atlantic linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and will miss the rest of the season.
Al-Shaair was the Conference USA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and one of the top linebackers to this point of the season.
