Published: August 26, 2008 11:29 pm         

Cann gets nod to start at quarterback for Herd

Mark Snyder believes Mark Cann do it.

To no surprise, Cann on Tuesday was officially named Marshall’s starting quarterback for Saturday’s season opener against Illinois State in Huntington.

Cann, a redshirt freshman from Landrum, S.C., was the lead candidate coming out of the spring and cemented the spot with a solid preseason camp.

The 6-foot-4, 238-pound left-hander maintained throughout camp that the job was not his until the coaches made the call. Now that word is official, Cann’s approach has not changed.

“We’re still getting ready for Illinois State on Saturday,” Cann said Tuesday. “I want to be as prepared as I can to get the team in the right plays.”

Snyder, Marshall’s fourth-year coach, likes what he has seen from Cann.

“He has poise, he lets things bounce right off of him and has the ability to focus on the next play,” Snyder said at his weekly press conference. “He has been doing a good job of running our offense.”

“I feel like I can use my mind to get us in the right plays and read defenses,” Cann said. “I just want to get the ball where it needs to be, when it needs to be there.”

Sophomore Brian Anderson will be Cann’s backup, the same role he played under Bernard Morris last season. Anderson’s only start came in a 48-35 upset loss to New Hampshire — like Illinois State, a team from the Football Championship Subdivision.

Junior Jonathan Garner will be the No. 3 QB. He sat out last season after transferring from Georgia Tech.

Snyder said it’s important for Anderson and Garner to remember that each is an injury away from climbing the ladder.

“But I think the improvement in that group has been a pleasant surprise,” Snyder said. “They’ll continue to get better as the season goes.”

Saturday’s game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. and can be seen on WVNS-TV.