Marshall quarterback Braylon Braxton (1) calls a play at the line of scrimmage as Marshall and Southern Miss face off in an NCAA football game at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on Saturday, November 9, 2024.
Marshall quarterback Braylon Braxton (1) calls a play at the line of scrimmage as Marshall and Southern Miss face off in an NCAA football game at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on Saturday, November 9, 2024.
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — From start to finish, Marshall’s football team never lost control on Saturday, shaking off its road struggles and rolling to a 37-3 victory over Southern Miss at M.M. Roberts Stadium to clinch bowl eligibility with its third consecutive win.
The Thundering Herd (6-3, 4-1 Sun Belt) led by two touchdowns at the half, doubled its lead in the third quarter and generated four turnovers on the defensive side while holding the Golden Eagles to 183 yards of total offense and a 1-for-14 showing on third downs.
“I told them we were coming to Mississippi for one thing, and that’s to be intentional about going 1-0,†Herd coach Charles Huff said. “Really proud of the way they fought, battled and responded today. Good job executing in clutch situations, and a good job by a lot of guys stepping up.â€
Of Marshall’s five first-half drives, four of them went inside the Southern Miss 10-yard line, but only two of those ended in points. Nathan Totten made one of two field-goal attempts from those drives and Marshall turned the ball over once on downs before quarterback Braylon Braxton finally got the Herd in the end zone for a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.
After that, the flood gates opened for the Herd offense, which accumulated 449 yards of offense by the end of the third quarter, at that point already its highest output against an FBS team this season. Marshall finished with 526 yards in the win. Four Herd players reached the end zone.
“It’s the small stuff. It never really is about what the defense is doing, it’s always about us,†Braxton said of flipping the switch on offense. “We definitely found our rhythm and got going at the right time, but we’d definitely like to start faster and punch those drives into the end zone.â€
Christian Fitzpatrick led the Marshall receivers with 78 yards on two catches, including a 69-yarder on the first play from scrimmage to help set up Totten’s first career field-goal attempt, which he made from 23 yards out.
Ethan Payne logged the third 100-yard rushing performance of his career to lead the Marshall ground attack with 104 yards on 13 carries. Defensive back Ian Foster led the Herd with eight tackles and a pair of pass break-ups, and linebacker Jaden Yates made six stops and recovered a fumble in the win. Mike Green logged three sacks, all by halftime.
“My focus was to practice hard so the game would be easier,†Foster said. “(Huff) is always preaching that, and it worked in my favor today and was on point with what I needed to do.â€
His first break-up led to an interception by Landyn Watson in the first quarter. Herd defensive lineman Braydin Ward made his first career interception in the second half and Monroe Beard III forced the fumble Yates picked up as more than 20 players rotated in on defense Saturday.
“We’re getting to that point in the season where we’re running out of time. If you’re going to make a play, now is the time to make it,†Huff said. “If you get an opportunity to catch the ball, catch it and then go score. If you get the chance on defense to make a play, make it. We’re past the point of wondering how many chances we’re going to get. There aren’t many more.â€
The win snapped a streak of six consecutive Sun Belt Conference road losses for the Thundering Herd and keeps it in contention for a Sun Belt East Division title with three games left in the regular season.
Marshall returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 16, hosting Coastal Carolina in the home finale, which is also the annual “75†game. The Chanticleers defeated Appalachian State on Thursday and will play on two extra days of rest.
Luke Creasy is a sports reporter for HD Media. He can be reached by phone at 304-526-2800.
