You can follow the ThunderCast on Twitter @ThunderCast_Pod. You can also check out their blog and podcast here. The website has information for opposing fans making the trip to Huntington. The podcast is available in all audio formats and every episode is on YouTube in video format.
Tell us about yourself and your podcast.
The ThunderCast began on April 1st, 2022. KD Hudnall previously ran the Moonshine Throwdown podcast which was about the Marshall and Western Kentucky rivalry. With the move to the Sun Belt Conference and abrupt ending to that rivalry, the podcast was going away. So he and Rus Livingood decided to launch The ThunderCast, focusing solely on Marshall University athletics, and covering all sports at Marshall. Episodes are at least weekly, and are available in video and audio only formats, clocking in around an average one and a half hours per episode.
Tell us about your team this year. What are your expectations for Marshall this season?
Our expectations are pretty high. We have Marshall around nine wins in the regular season with the goal of a conference championship. The defense should be very tough again this year and the team should do well in the running game with the talented Rasheen Ali back fully healthy.
What are your thoughts on playing Virginia Tech?
It’s a good regional opponent that makes a lot of sense playing on a regular basis. We would like to see the programs play a few times a decade. This looks like a rebuilding or down year for Virginia Tech with some areas of struggle, so we feel like we won’t be getting them at their best this season.
How do you view the Virginia Tech program?
Virginia Tech has a great program with lots of success from the early 90s forward. They had a history of great special teams play under Frank Beamer and were a fun team to watch. Being regional, they were a team to root for when not playing the Herd.
Are you excited to have a Power 5 team like Virginia Tech play in Huntington?
Both Rus and KD hate the P5/G5 monikers and feel there is too much attempted separation of the conferences. Speaking personally, we are excited to watch our Thundering Herd play anywhere and everywhere, but especially at home. We’re not there to see the opponent.
Do you see Marshall joining a Power 4 (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) conference sometime in the future?
Not anytime soon, and that is totally fine with us. Everyone would welcome the additional revenue and viewership nationally that would coincide with such a move, but it does not seem likely in the near future. We feel the Sun Belt is a terrific home for us with the regional play and the likeminded universities and fan bases. The Sun Belt truly feels special and like a throwback to when conferences were regional and all sports had easier travel. We could both see the Sun Belt get elevated in prominence as a conference rather than Marshall jumping to the SEC, Big Ten, etc.
What are your expectations for the Virginia Tech game?
The noon kickoff is a little disappointing as it would have been more ideal to have more time to tailgate and socialize with fans from Virginia Tech. The atmosphere might not be as electric due to the timing versus what it would have been with a 3:30pm kickoff for instance. Still, it should be a fun time with a capacity crowd.
What’s your prediction for the game?
Marshall controls the running game and limits Tech on the ground in comparison. The Herd pulls away in the second half and wins 28-10.
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