| 2008 overall record: 4-8 2008 conference record: 3-5 Returning starters Offense: 7, defense: 8, punter/kicker 2 Top returners QB Mark Cann, RB Darius Marshall, TE Cody Slate, OT C.J. Wood, OT Ryan Tillman, DE Albert McClellan, LB Mario Harvey, DB DeQuan Bembry Key losses WR Darius Passmore, WR Emmanuel Spann, FS C.J. Spillman, MLB Maurice Kitchens 2008 statistical leaders (*returners) Rushing: Darius Marshall* (1,095 yards)
Passing: Mark Cann* (1,767 yards)
Receiving: Darius Passmore (945 yards)
Tackles: Mario Harvey* (107)
Sacks: Mario Harvey* (4.5)
Interceptions: Maurice Kitchens (4) Spring answers | 2009 Schedule | Sept. 5 Southern Illinois
Sept. 12 at Virginia Tech
Sept. 19 Bowling Green
Sept. 26 at Memphis
Oct. 3 East Carolina
Oct. 10 at Tulane
Oct. 17 at West Virginia
Oct. 24 UAB
Nov. 1 at UCF (Sun.)
Nov. 14 Southern Miss
Nov. 21 SMU
Nov. 28 at UTEP
| | | 1. Cann can't for Marshall: Last year's starting quarterback Mark Cann lost the open competition for starting quarterback to backup Brian Anderson, who played well when Cann was hurt late in the season. Anderson's only impressive statistics come from the final game of the season, a near loss to Tulsa, but he played well enough in the spring to be the definitive leader. 2. Defensive front returns: The defense wasn't great last year, but there are a lot of expectations on a defensive line that returns every starter from last season, including defensive end Albert McClellan. McClellan also played some fullback during Marshall's spring game, which might be a twist during the regular season. 3. Marshall strong in run game: While the passing game might have some question marks this season, the run game appears strong with the return of starter Darius Marshall, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a sophomore. The Thundering Herd also return Terrell Edwards, who was dynamic in limited action a year ago. Fall questions 1. Finding a steady quarterback: Yes, Brian Anderson is the starter, but for how long? The lack of a consistent quarterback has been holding Marshall back from being a winning program, and with limited experience, there's no telling whether Anderson can help the program get back to prominence. 2. Finding another target: With Darius Passmore gone, Marshall needs new targets to emerge. The Thundering Herd are hoping those targets are tight end Cody Slate, who had 510 yards last season, and receiver Bryant Milligan, who was third on the team with 114 yards. There's also a lot of other unproven talent on the depth chart. 3. More out of Bembry: DeQuan Bembry had a great freshman season, but more will be expected out of him this year. With C.J. Spillman gone, Bembry becomes the face of the secondary, a secondary that allowed almost 254 yards per game. The defense as a whole kept Marshall in a lot of games last year and it will be called upon to do so again especially with a young offense. | 
Watson joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the Missouri Tigers and the Big 12 Conference for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She also covered college football recruiting for the Dallas Morning News.
