— By David Walsh
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — How does a team end a five-game losing streak?
In Marshall’s case, have the annual Memorial Game as your next game. Start a quarterback with the last name Pennington. Expand the playbook, add some wrinkles/trickery. Have the defense make that big stop late in the final quarter the way it did when the season started 4-0. And, return the opening kickoff for a score to get the house energized.
The Thundering Herd did all that and more Saturday night and outscored Georgia Southern, 38-33, to snap a five-game skid on what happened the night of the annual Memorial Game.
The contest commemorates the 75 individuals who died in the November 14, 1970 plane crash. The jet bringing the Herd back from a loss at East Carolina earlier in the day crashed short of the runway at Tri-State Airport in Kenova. Marshall players wore black uniforms with special helmets and Georgia Southern players had a special sticker on the back of their helmets to honor the 75.
“I’m proud of the players and coaches,” Marshall coach Charles Huff said. “I’m really proud of their competitive spirit and I’m really proud of their effort. Hopefully the ‘75’ in Heaven are smiling today and I hope that tailgate for the ‘75’ Herd members was pleased with how we played. I challenged them to find a way to grind it out.”
The fireworks began right at the start as Jayden Harrison returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a score to excite the crowd of 19,175 at Joan C. Edwards Stadium for this Sun Belt Conference matchup. The fans of the green and white have not had much to cheer about lately as its team entered the night on a five-game losing streak and gone 0-for-October.
In addition to Harrison, Rasheen Ali ran for 165 yards and three scores in the second half.
Pennington would be Cole, whose father Chad was s standout quarterback at Marshall and played in the NFL with the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. He would throw for 201 yards and overcome a pick on his first pass, a fumble when hit on a pass try, and recover two second-half fumbles to keep his team in the game.
The new looks came when Rasheen Ali lined up in the wildcat formation and took the direct snap. On one, Ali raced 55 yards for a score off the direct snap. Another he would hand the ball to Caleb McMillan on a reverse and he would score from 21 yards out. There also would be a successful double pass only to have a holding call wipe out the gain.
The defense, faced with short-field situations early, would hold Georgia Southern to field goals and that statistic would prove big.
After a short punt, the Herd had the ball at its 45 and Ali ripped off a 55-yard TD sprint to give the Herd the lead for good with 10:51 left in the game. The teams traded punts before the Eagles failed to convert a fourth-and-three from their own 9 and Ali scored from there for a 38-26 cushion with 2:41 left on the clock.
Georgia Southern did score after that, but the ensuing onside kick went out of bounds and the Herd then lined up in victory formation to run out the clock.
Marshall is 5-5, 2-4 in the Sun Belt East. It’s next game is next Saturday at South Alabama. Game time is 5 p.m. It will be on ESPN+. The Herd must win one of its next two games to achieve bowl eligibility. The Eagles are 6-4, 3-3 in the SBC. Their next game is Saturday at home against Old Dominion.
Eagles quarterback Davis Brin went 29-of-54 for 307 yards, three scores and no picks.
Neal summed up what this day meant to him and the Herd.
“To be able to win and give these fans and the people in this community that cheer so hard — they go hard for us and for some of these people, that tragedy in 1970 still lingers on today, so just to be go to be able to win and play hard for them was amazing,” he said.
Pennington learned early in the week he would start in place of Cam Fancher who was not available. He completed passes to nine different receivers. In addition, offensive coordinator Clint Trickett worked this game on the field.
“This one feels great,” Pennington said. “I’m just really proud of our team. I’m proud how we came out and played to the final whistle. Having coach Trickett on the field helped. Dad told me he was proud of me no matter what happened. To start in the ‘75’ game is a cool moment. Kind of surreal. Those fumbles I was close enough to get them. Right time to be there.”
Marshall led 31-26 late, but Georgia Southern’s defense got a stop that forced a punt. John McConnell’s kick rolled dead at the 2 of the Eagles meaning they needed 98 yards for a go-ahead score. Instead, they would turn the ball over on downs and Ali would score on the next play and all but put the game away.
Ali said Harrison’s kickoff return was an ideal start.
“We’re a team that feeds off energy. Once that energy was set, the energy was through the roof,” Ali said. “The wildcat? Coach told me to do it. It’s cool.”
DeMarcus Harris had four catches for 147 yards and 127 came on yards after catch. He had two catches of 60-plus yards.
“Every time I caught one I would look up,” Harris said.
Porter, who had four tackles for loss, said the night was indeed sweet.
“As good a win as I’ve had in a long time,” he said.
Marshall and Georgia Southern are former I-AA rivals from their days in the Southern Conference. The Eagles won the first two contests, but the Herd has now taken six in a row.