STATESBORO, Ga. — It came as a surprise to many, but not to the Marshall football team.
Thundering Herd running back Rasheen Ali, who missed the first 10 games of the season, made his season debut Saturday against Georgia Southern and led the team with 79 rushing yards in a 23-10 win.
“There’s a lot of kids in the country that would have sat out the year and made a business decision but that’s not him. That’s not Marshall,†head coach Charles Huff said of Ali. “This kid wanted to play for his teammates, wanted to play for this school and this community and that says a lot about him and his family, their character and who they are.â€
The journey back to the field was a long one, Ali said, but the payoff was worth it.
“It’s a blessing. I just want to give praise to God honestly,†Ali said. “Being off, it was hard for me, but being around my teammates and coaches and everybody else, I’m grateful and happy to be back.â€
Ali carried the ball 16 times, nearly a perfect split with Khalan Laborn, who ran the ball 17 times. It was the first time the two had played in a game together and, combined with the running ability of quarterback Cam Fancher, they were able to keep the Eagles defense on its toes. Each of them ran for at least 60 yards.
“It felt good for everybody to have their own share. We couldn’t do that without the O-line, without other guys executing and doing their part to put everyone in the best position,†Fancher said. “That was definitely a great feeling to have 22 back there with me.â€
With just one game remaining in the regular season, Ali can play in the regular-season finale and bowl game and still qualify for a medical redshirt, a Marshall official confirmed.
The NCAA rulebook states that in order to be eligible for a medical redshirt, the injury must have occurred in the first half of the season and the student-athlete must have played in less than 30% of the games that season. Playing in three out of 13 games keeps Ali under that threshold.
Ali returned to practice nearly two months ago but no timeline had been given for his potential return. Huff said everything was a calculated move.
“We have a plan for everything we do. We didn’t know when we would get him back, we didn’t want teams preparing for us not to have him back,†Huff said. “Our medical team did a great job. Our staff [and] our resources at Marshall allowed him to mentally, physically and emotionally get ready to play this week and it was good to see him out there.â€
The success Laborn and Fancher have had on the ground doesn’t surprise Ali, who said he was confident they’d keep things going in his absence.
“We see it every day so it’s really nothing new. Our o-line is always getting a good push and they always do a good job and they just trust their talent,†Ali said. “I believe in them. Watching practice every day, it’s really no surprise for me.â€
GOING BOWLING: Marshall reached the lucky number of seven wins to make the Herd eligible for a bowl game. While six is typically the target number, the Herd could only count one win over an FCS opponent toward that number. Saturday’s win marked Marshall’s fifth over an FBS team, giving the Herd the eligibility.
EARLY OFFENSE: Marshall’s 20 points in the first half were the most the Herd has scored in a single half since putting up 21 in the first half against Bowling Green on Sept. 17 and only the third time Marshall has scored 20 or more in a half this season. The Herd also did so against Norfolk State in the opener.
FIRST TO 100: Georgia Southern running back Jalen White collected 101 yards on his first six carries against the Herd, including gains of 29 and 55 in the first quarter. He finished with 143 yards. It was the sixth time this year that Marshall had allowed 100 or more team rushing yards in a game, but the first time a single player had done so since UAB’s DeWayne McBride on Nov. 13, 2021, a streak of 13 games.
LONG TIME NO SEE: It had been 26 years and 58 days since Marshall and Georgia Southern had faced off at Allen E. Paulson Stadium. The most recent meeting was on Sept. 21, 1996, a 29-13 win for the Herd. With the win, Marshall moves to 3-2 all time when playing in Statesboro.
IN THE END ZONE: Marshall wide receivers EJ Horton and Shadeed Ahmed each caught their first touchdown passes of the season in the first half against Georgia Southern. Horton’s was on a 65-yard catch and run in the first quarter and Ahmed scored on a 33-yard pass from Fancher in the second quarter.
