HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — This trip west will keep the Marshall Thundering Herd in the east.

Marshall will switch to a Conference USA West Division team on Saturday, but it will have the feel of an East Division team.

The Tulane Green Wave doesn’t have a wide-open, high-powered offense like most of the programs in the C-USA West. Instead, Tulane relies on its running game, defense and kicking game much like its C-USA East counterparts.

“They are a little bit more of a two-back (offense) than we are, but they like to run the ball and keep their defense out of harms way,” said Herd coach Mark Snyder.

“They play good special teams and that has always been (coach Bob Toledo’s) style. They like to control the clock and open it up for play-action pass. (Toledo) always has two or three tricks up his sleeve.”

Tulane’s offense centers around running back Andre Johnson, but Jeremy Williams and Casey Robottom are key factors, too.

Anderson has 354 yards rushing and five touchdowns for the Green Wave. Williams tops the team with 26 receptions for 525 yards and three scores while Robottom has 12 receptions for 135 yards.

Quarterback Joe Kemp has completed 54 of 82 passes for 767 yards and four touchdowns and four interceptions. Snyder said Kemp reminds him of Marshall reserve quarterback Jake Laudenslayer.

“If I have ever seen a twin, it is those two. They even wear the same number,” said Snyder. “(Kemp) looks like (Laudenslayer) and he has the same throwing motion with a little hitch in his throw.”

Marshall comes into the game 3-2 and 0-1 in C-USA. Tulane has two straight wins and a 2-2 record.

While Marshall lost 21-17 last week to East Carolina. Tulane used a field goal by Ross Thevenot with 2:20 to play that gave the Green Wave a 17-16 win at Army.

The game will mark the Herd’s first trip to the Louisiana Superdome. Two years ago Marshall beat Tulane 27-26 but the game was played in Mobile, Ala., due to Hurricane Katrina.

The Herd is 9-5 lifetime in domed stadiums and 2-0 against Tulane including a 42-21 win in 2006.

Saturday’s game will air at 3:30 p.m. on WOWK-TV 13.