— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Can Marshall go undefeated in November?
The answer to that question comes when the Thundering Herd (7-4, 4-3) wraps up the regular season at noon Saturday by playing host to Georgia State (4-7, 3-4) at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
The game will be shown on ESPN+.
Marshall has already beaten Old Dominion, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern this month, with last week’s 23-10 victory over the Eagles earning Marshall its coveted bowl eligibility.
That same day, the Panthers fell at James Madison 42-40 as the Dukes came from behind to prevent Georgia State from having a chance at bowl eligibility.
Shawn Elliott is in his sixth year as Panthers’ head coach. He has a 34-37 record in Atlanta. Elliott is familiar with the Marshall program as he played against the Thundering Herd from 1991-1995 as a player at Appalachian State.
Here are three things to look for on Senior Day in Huntington:
More Work for Ali
It was a surprise for Marshall fans last Saturday when running back Rasheen Ali saw action at Georgia Southern. It was the first playing time of the season for Ali, who was considered one of the top players in the Sun Belt Conference prior to the season after an incredible season in 2021.
Ali was injured during the late stages of preseason practices in August, but he led the nation in rushing touchdowns with 25 last year, while picking up 1.401 yards on the ground.
He didn’t display much rust last week while carrying the ball 16 times for 79 yards.
Combining Ali with tailback Khalan Laborn, a Florida State transfer that’s led the offense throughout this season in surpassing 1,300 rushing yards, gives Marshall quite a 1-2 punch that Georgia State will have to figure out a way to contain.
Make the Panthers’ one-dimensional
Georgia State’s offense is centered around senior quarterback Darren Grainger.
The Conway, South Carolina native is the definition of a dual-threat quarterback. He’s thrown for 2,140 yards this season and 17 touchdowns, but he’s also run for 718 yards and six scores. He’s the Panthers leading rusher and a master of the run-pass option game with a bit of straight option football mixed in.
Grainger’s going to be a big challenge for Marshall’s defense, which remains one the stingiest in the nation, especially against the run.
However, the Herd did surrender 143 yards on the ground to Georgia Southern’s Jalen White last week.
Now, the Herd defense’s job is to contain Grainger on Saturday and try to take away the threat of a ground game. In turn, that should make it easier for Marshall to defend Georgia State’s passing attack.
Continued development for a more experienced Cam Fancher
Marshall redshirt freshman quarterback Cam Fancher is clearly playing with confidence as the regular season winds down.
If Francher keeps taking these steps, it will spell trouble for Panthers. Fancher threw two touchdowns apiece in victories over Appalachian State and Georgia Southern in addition to a 19-yard touchdown run against the Eagles.
Fancher’s production has continued to increase since his first start of the season in a win at James Madison as he’s overtaken Henry Colombi as the team’s No. 1 quarterback.
Fancher won’t necessarily impress with a big arm, but his passing ability is adequate and his athletic ability sets him apart and allows him to display traits shown during his days as a state track champion in the triple jump at Wayne High School in Huber Heights, Ohio.
The redshirt freshman will look to improve to 5-1 as the starting quarterback Saturday.