HUNTINGTON - Marshall's backfield will have to carry on without Devon Johnson until further notice.
Johnson, the senior who rushed for 1,767 yards and set the single-game school record (272) a year ago, will "miss significant time during the second half of the season." The team made the announcement Saturday before the Thundering Herd's game against North Texas.
"Right now, we're taking it day-to-day and week-to-week with Devon," said MU coach Doc Holliday. "That will be the case for the balance of the season. If he isn't able to go, we'll go with our younger guys. That's what we've had to do all year, so that won't change."
Johnson started and played six of the Herd's first seven games, rushing for 555 yards and five touchdowns. His longest gain came on the first carry a week ago at Florida Atlantic, a 75-yard TD run.
He looked to be at full speed, but he left after two more carries. Holliday does not discuss the nature of injuries, but Johnson's back is the source of most speculation.
The Herd fared well enough in Johnson's absence against North Texas, with backs Hyleck Foster, Remi Watson and Keion Davis combining for 188 yards. The Herd rushed for 213 total, including a 27-yard fake-punt run by tight end Ryan Yurachek.
Tony Pittman missed his third game in a row.
The toughest injury of the day happened to left guard Sebastian Johansson, the senior from Sweden. He was starting his 33rd game, only behind cornerback Corey Tindal (34), Taj Letman (35), D.J. Hunter (36) and long snapper Matt Cincotta and punter Tyler Williams (48 each).
Johansson's absence triggered some juggling among the guards. The Jordan Dowrey/Cody Collins tandem on the right side was split up, and Nate Devers returned after missing the last two games.
But Devers hobbled off the field later.
"We're kind of a makeshift group up there, right now," Holliday said. "We got some guys banged up, but we went in there and got the job done for the most part. We've got to get them back healthy."
In other injury news, safety Tiquan Lang missed the game. His substitute, Kendall Gant, led the team with 12 tackles.
Wide receiver Raylen Elzy became the Herd's fourth true freshman to play, joining quarterback Chase Litton, receiver Nick Mathews and defensive back T.J. Griffin.
The lifting of the redshirt appeared to be possible after Elzy rose to fourth among the two outside receiver positions. Justin Hunt started Saturday, which was a first.
"Our depth at wideout," Holliday said of the main reason. "He's been practicing well. I'm not concerned about five years down the road; we're concerned about winning now. He's going to play a lot the second half of the season, and we had to get him in there and get him going."
One reason the Herd struggled to score against a team that was giving up 50 points a game boils down to two words: field position.
For the first time all season, the Herd failed to gain an advantage there. The average starting position for both teams was its 27-yard line.
But this might be the real tale: In the middle two quarters, Marshall started inside its 15-yard line four times and once at its 20.
Linebacker Evan McKelvey is still seeking that elusive defensive touchdown. He thought he had one in the fourth quarter when he intercepted DaMarcus Smith at the MU 43. McKelvey made it 18 yards but couldn't shake loose of the last tackler - Smith.
That will get the locker room hecklers going.
"First they were talking about catching it, because of the two [drops] I had last game," McKelvey said. "Now I caught the ball and the quarterback got me, so what is it now? I'm just glad I made the play, though."
n The Herd has won 19 of its last 20 home games, beginning with the last two of 2012. The only blemish was the 67-66 overtime loss last November to Western Kentucky. The Herd's all-time record over 25 seasons at Joan C. Edwards Stadium is 147-26, 85 percent. The percentage only trails the 100 percent (10-0) by Baylor at the new McLane Stadium.
n With Hunt making his first career start and Watson making his first start of the season, MU has had 34 different players start on offense or defense this season.
n MU's 89-yard TD drive in the second quarter is the team's longest of the year, by yardage.
n With Nick Smith making his ninth, 10th and 11th field goals in a row, the Herd's streak has grown to 18. That dates back to Justin Haig's 23-yard miss last November at Alabama-Birmingham.
n North Texas' first-quarter problems continued. With the Herd taking a 17-0 lead, the Mean Green has been outscored 73-6 in the first 15 minutes of its games.