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The Marshall Thundering Herd and the Navy Midshipmen will face off at 3:30 p.m. ET Sept. 4 at Jack Stephens Field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to kick off their 2021 seasons. Marshall finished a solid 7-2 in the regular season last season, but they are hoping to make up for a 17-10 defeat to the Buffalo Bulls in the Camellia Bowl. On the other hand, Navy struggled last year, ending up 3-7.
A couple numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: The Thundering Herd were second best in the nation in yards allowed per game, finishing the 2020 season giving up only 279.4 on average. Less enviably, Navy ranked third worst in the nation with respect to yards per game last year, where the team accrued only 275 on average. The good news for Navy, of course, is that these forces working against them might not carry over into the new season.
The point spread is more or less neutral, so fans should expect a close contest. We'll see if the game is as close as the oddsmakers expect or if one of these teams has a surprise blowout in them.
