— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Black, in favor of green, will be the dominant color in Huntington on Wednesday.
Marshall is back in action at home Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. when it opposes the Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in what has been designated a “Blackout” game.
Marshall will wear black uniforms and black helmets for the first time in what marks its first Sun Belt Conference home game, which will be shown nationally on ESPN2.
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The dawn of a new era in the Sun Belt. But when the sun sets in Huntington … #WeAreMarshall // #BlackOut // @ESPNCFB pic.twitter.com/kLrMURbuY3
— Marshall Football (@HerdFB) October 8, 2022
Marshall (3-2, 0-1) failed to maintain momentum after notching a memorable 26-21 win at Notre Dame. The Herd followed it with losses at Bowling Green and Troy before getting back on the winning track October 1 with a 28-7 victory over Gardner-Webb — MU’s second victory this season against a FCS level foe.
Last weekend marked the first Saturday for Marshall without a game this season and Herd head coach Charles Huff believes the break came at a good time.
“We looked at the things we need to do to improve on and off the field,” Huff said. “We feel good, but we’ve got to be more consistent week after week and focus on what we need to do to win.”
The Ragin’ Cajuns are no strangers to Marshall considering the two teams met in last December’s R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, when Louisiana came away with a 36-21 victory in what was the first meeting between the two schools. The Herd hung tough in that game mainly due to running back Rasheen Ali’s 160 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Louisiana (2-3, 0-2) has struggled of late under first-year head coach Michael Desormeaux, losing three straight to Rice, Louisiana-Monroe and South Alabama. Against the Jaguars, three turnovers hurt Louisiana’s cause.
Desormeaux, who led Louisiana in last year’s bowl game against Marshall after former head coach Billy Napier left for Florida, hopes having an open Saturday last week will pay dividends for a team looking to get back on track.
“We needed a break because we were beat up after the South Alabama game,” Desormeaux said. “Mentally, it’s time to turn the page. We spent some time reflecting and looking at ourselves after two league losses.”
Marshall will have to prepare for a new quarterback for Louisiana as normal starter Chandler Fields will not play due to injury. Redshirt junior Ben Wooldridge will step in for Fields. Wooldridge has played in all five UL games, throwing for 440 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
Marshall will welcome back starting quarterback Henry Colombi after he sat the second half of the Gardner-Webb win due to a knee injury suffered in the opening half that day.
Cam Fancher replaced Colombi and often handed the ball to backs Khalan Laborn and Anthony Turner, the latter of which scored his first touchdown in the win.
Desormeaux knows Marshall’s offense has changed a lot since the teams met last December, and he believes the Herd still presents a tough test.
“Defensively, they have so many guys back, but I know they are still putting the offensive pieces together,” Desormeaux said. “They’ve struggled in some games, such as against Bowling Green and Troy, but when they’ve got it clicking, they look good.”
Louisiana has scored 17 points in each of its last two games and has failed to surpass 21 during the three-game skid.
During the slide, however, the Ragin’ Cajuns have been outscored by a total of just 19 points, including 7 over losses to the Warhawks and Jaguars.
Huff remains wary of Louisiana’s winning tradition over the last several years, which includes a Sun Belt title last season and four straight Western Division crowns.
“You don’t win titles by mistake,” Huff said. “They have Championship DNA. They’re fast, big up front on defense, they run the ball well and they have some talented receivers who find ways to get open.”