By Pete Pelegrin
Twitter: @Petepelegrin

Saturday in West Virginia, FIU gets the Marshall it faced in the first four meetings between the schools.

After a 3-9 season a year ago, including a 31-14 loss to FIU, this is your father's Marshall again.

The Thundering Herd are 6-1 and have one of the top defenses in Conference USA, a potent offense and dangerous special teams.

The Panthers (4-2) coming off their bye week have a tall order in their final game away from Florida this season. FIU must contend with a very balanced Marshall team that does not seem to have many weaknesses.

The Herd have the top scoring defense (14.3 points per game) in the conference, the No. 1 rushing defense (109.9 yards per game) and No. 2 total defense (314.9 yds per game). FIU is ninth in scoring offense (19.5 points per game). The Panthers are right in the middle at No. 7 in C-USA in rushing offense (157.8 yds per game) and in total offense (388.3 yds per game).

"Defensively, they are opportunistic like a lot of the teams we have played," said FIU coach Butch Davis. "Probably one of Marshall's best parts are the front seven. They are playing really good. They are putting a lot of pressure on the quarterbacks. The defensive line and the linebackers are very fast and athletic."

The Herd is second in C-USA with 22 sacks one behind Old Dominion. The FIU offensive line has allowed the fourth fewest sacks in the conference with 12. Marshall is third in opponents third down conversions (31 percent). With the type of pressure the Herd delivers, the FIU passing game will need to get the ball out quickly.

In its last game the FIU defense was able to focus on stopping the Tulane running game that averaged nearly 300 yards on the ground per game because the Green Wave didn't pose much of a passing threat. That's not the case with Marshall.

Marshall can beat you on the ground and through the air with a very balanced offense. Running backs Keion Davis and Tyler King combine for 143 rushing yards per game. Quarterback Chase Litton has completed 61 percent of his passes and has thrown 13 touchdown passes with just three interceptions. The Herd line keeps Litton's jersey clean having given up the fewest sacks (3) in C-USA.

"You look at them on offense and the quarterback is making really good throws, really good decisions and they are balanced," Davis said. "If teams lean on one side or the other at least you can take that away. But they are pretty good at the running game and they are throwing the ball well."

Litton spreads the ball around with four different Herd receivers having at least 21 receptions or more on the season. Tyre Brady, who transferred from the Coral Gables school and is a product of South Dade High, leads the Herd with 38 catches for 593 yards and six touchdowns.

Marshall is no slouch on special teams either. Davis has two kickoff returns for touchdowns, including a 99-yarder. Last season Davis also had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

"What is most noticeable and where I start the week at is I start watching everybody's special teams," Davis said. "These guys are playing phenomenal on special teams. Their punt cover, their kickoff cover guys are flying down the field. They are very sound, very fundamentally really good."