— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — An old football adage says having two quarterbacks is having too many, and thus you may not have one you feel comfortable relying on.
Marshall (3-3, 0-2) plans to challenge that idea Saturday when the Herd visits James Madison (5-1, 3-1) for a Sun Belt Conference matchup. The game at a sold out Bridgeforth Stadium kicks off at 3:30 p.m. and will be shown on ESPN+.
Marshall’s offense struggled in last week’s 23-13 setback to Louisiana when it gained only 276 yards on 66 plays. The Herd didn’t sustain drives against a stingy Ragin’ Cajuns defense, and as a result, suffered a third loss in four games.
MU starting quarterback Henry Colombi managed only 68 passing yards and was sacked four times. Colombi suffered an injury in his second consecutive game as well, but he’s considered fit to face James Madison.
Second-string quarterback Cam Fancher ignited the Herd offense in the fourth quarter of the Louisiana loss, throwing for 69 yards in limited action and leading Marshall to its second and final touchdown.
Both Colombi and Fancher have played in all six Marshall games this year, and despite uneven offensive results in recent games, MU head coach Charles Huff is committed to Colombi and Fancher sharing playing time, though he did not name a starter for Saturday’s game against the Dukes.
“We’ve always had a package for both of them,” Huff said. “We still will see who can manage the game the best. Each of them have their own strengths and weaknesses.”
James Madison lost its No. 25 national ranking in the Associated Press poll following a 45-38 loss at Georgia Southern last Saturday.
The Dukes are coached by 1982 West Virginia University graduate Curt Cignetti, the son of former Mountaineers’ head coach Frank Cignetti Sr., who passed away in September.
Curt Cignetti has amassed a 38-6 record in six seasons at James Madison and an overall 105-32 record in a dozen seasons as a head coach. He previously guided the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and then Elon, before taking over the Dukes.
Marshall’s defense, which has played well for much of the season, has the attention of Cignetti.
“This is the best defense we’ve faced this year,” Cignetti said. “They’re very athletic and can run. They have an active front and they play a lot of guys. Their defensive backs can run and they don’t give up a lot of points.”
Last Wednesday, Louisiana quarterback Ben Wooldridge was responsible for 45 of his team’s 108 rushing yards as the Herd were solid limiting the Ragin’ Cajuns ground game.
Now comes a different test and one away from home against a team playing its first season at the FBS level.
“They don’t show a lot of flash, but they’re really disciplined and they do what they’re supposed to do,” Huff said. “Their coaches do a good job of getting them into good positions to succeed.”
This will be the third meeting between the Thundering Herd and Dukes. Marshall leads the all-time series 2-0. Both of those were Division I-AA playoff matchups in Huntington. Marshall knocked off JMU 41-12 in a 1987 game at Fairfield Stadium and the Herd walked away with a 28-21 win over the Dukes in 1994 at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
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Huff was asked at his Tuesday media availability for an update on the status of sophomore running back Rasheen Ali, who ran for an NCAA-leading 23 touchdowns and scored 25 TDs as a freshman last season.
Ali was away from the team from mid-August until September 13 when he returned to practice.
Huff admitted Tuesday that Ali has been dealing with an injury, although the coach didn’t offer specifics about it.
Huff said it would be up to Marshall’s medical staff to determine if Ali might be able to play this season or if he will be held out until 2023.
“We’re waiting until we’re told what he can and can’t do,” Huff said. “Until then, we’ll move ahead with the guys we do have.”