Aug 18, 2002 By John Raby Ap Sports Writer 3 min read

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The last time a quarterback from Brashear High School in Pittsburgh started at West Virginia, Major Harris led the Mountaineers to an undefeated season and a shot at the national championship. Fourteen years later, Brashear product Rasheed Marshall is now the starter in Morgantown.

Their styles are similar: strong arms and the ability to dance around defenders.

To Marshall, that’s only an irony. Before the comparisons continue, he has a warning: give him a chance.

The sophomore will get his first career start on Aug. 31 when the Mountaineers open the season at home against Division I-AA Tennessee-Chattanooga.

“I’m just starting out. Three more years. After that, then make your comparisons,” Marshall said Saturday at West Virginia’s media day.

Harris set WVU’s career total offense record from 1987-89. The record was broken by Marc Bulger in 1999. Harris finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1988 and he was third in 1989.

Mentioning Harris doesn’t irritate Marshall. He’s simply trying to carve his own style.

“If a person comes up to me and starts talking about it, I just forget about it as soon as I end the conversation,” Marshall said. “He was a totally different player from me. He was an outstanding athlete over all other players on the field.

“Nowadays you’ve got players on the defensive line running 4.5 (second) 40s and linebackers running 4.3.”

Marshall appeared in just five games in an injury-filled freshman season, completing 52 percent of his passes for 327 yards.

Like Harris, he’s a greater threat to run the ball. He scored on a 44-yard romp in the season finale against Pittsburgh and had a pair of 31-yard runs in other games. For the season, he compiled 210 rushing yards on 44 carries.

Marshall solidified his role as the heir to Brad Lewis with a good showing during the spring. He performed well in a scrimmage Saturday, completing 17-of-23 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw a two-point conversion pass and carried the ball 10 times for 21 yards.

“He’s been doing things right and reading well,” said running back Avon Cobourne. “That’s the biggest key for him is reading the defense. He’s definitely going to take a lot of pressure off of everybody with his mobility.”

Marshall believes he understands second-year coach Rich Rodriguez’s no-huddle system a lot better now.

“It’s not more of learning the offense. Learning the defenses, that’s what we’re trying to improve on, finding out what the defense is doing,” Marshall said.

He’s been helped by other quarterbacks who talked about the pressures they’ve faced – guys like the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Kordell Stewart and former Pitt Panther Pete Gonzalez, who threw five TD passes against the Mountaineers in 1997.

Having never started a game is only a technicality for Marshall, who played nearly four quarters of the loss to Pittsburgh after Lewis was hurt on the first series. Marshall also played most of the Temple game.

“He is definitely more aware of what is going on and what we need from him, and that comes with experience and having a year to learn,” Rodriguez said. “If you are ready to play, you’re ready to play – and he is ready.”

Marshall wore jersey No. 18 last year. He’s switching this year to No. 2, the number worn by Richard Bryant last year.