— By David Walsh
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall defensive back Boogie Trotter picked off an Eastern Kentucky pass on the first play of the game Saturday night against Eastern Kentucky at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
The Thundering Herd, with Carlos Del-Rio Wilson making his first start at quarterback, then comes up short on a sneak on fourth-and-2 at the EKU 16.
Uh oh, here the Herd goes again falling short on pivotal plays, like one week earlier in a 21-20 loss to FBS newcomer Missouri State.
On the next possession, the Colonels are stopped and Herd special teams deliver as Floyd Lacey returns a punt 43 yards to the 12. The Herd gets to the 1, but opts for a 19-yard field goal by Lorcan Quinn while some boos reign down when the home team settled for three.
Yet that short field goal would start the Herd on the way to victory, 38-7, over the Colonels. The significance on this night was Tony Gibson’s first win as Marshall coach after starting 0-2.
Del-Rio Wilson became the third quarterback to start a game for the Herd. JacQai Long started the first at Georgia and Zion Turner against Missouri State. In his first start, the transfer from Syracuse carried 13 times for a team-high 58 yards and a score. He completed 7-of-9 passes for 108 yards and two scores in one half. Gibson kept him out the second half with the big lead.
“The whole offense was prepared to come to play,” Del-Rio Wilson said. “The whole week it was how we prepare we play as a unit. Third-down conversions (6-of-16) felt good. Last two games we didn’t do well. Everybody came together and knew their assignments. My main focus out there is to have fun and make sure everybody does. I was real comfortable. On the shot to Adrian, I knew he had the flag route play. We both knew he could beat that corner. Put it up for him and he got it. No team has that much confidence in itself when it loses two. This will help bring our team together more.”
Trotter wasn’t done and came up with a second first-half interception he returned to the EKU 6. This time Del-Rio Wilson, who would display dual-threat potential, ran 14 yards for a first down and then the final 4 for the score and 10-0 lead.
Marshall went more conventional on its next drive, which began at its 44. Seven plays later, Justin Williams-Thomas goes in from 3 yards out for the score and 17-0 lead through one period. An unsportsmanlike conduct call on EKU coach Walt Wells helped the drive.
The Colonels would switch quarterbacks, but with little effect.
Early in the second period, Del-Rio Wilson, at the end of a scramble, found Williams-Thomas on a check down and the back plowed over two EKU defenders on the way to a 30-yard score.
Gibson gave high marks to Del-Rio Wilson for his performance.
“He’s a tough kid as you can see. When we have him involved in that piece of running the ball, that’s a plus. And that’s what we need to continue to do. I held my breath for a second (on the play Del-Rio Wilson went down and limped off). He got a little banged up. He could’ve played in the second half, but there was no need of putting him back in there.
“The kids are starting to get their feet under them a little bit. They’re understanding how we need to practice, how we need to prepare. I thought that showed tonight.”
The final offensive ribbon of the first half happened on a 2-minute drill with Del-Rio Wilson back in after shaking off an apparent foot injury on a run on an earlier drive. Starting at its 47 with 1:57 on the clock, the Herd drives for the score, a 30-yard toss from Del-Rio Wilson to Adrian Norton in the right corner of the end zone for a 31-0 lead with 8 seconds to go before halftime.
The teams would trade scores in the second half to set the final and prompt cheers from the fans still around from the 23,925 who showed up.
The defense, which allowed Missouri State enjoy third-down success, said no this time to the Colonels. They went 2-of-14 on third down and mustered just 102 total yards. The two quarterbacks got sacked five times, the second straight weeks with five or more sacks. There were 10 tackles-for-loss. Lacey would finish with 72 yards in punt returns. And that punt rush team would block a punt in the fourth period.
All in all, it led to a celebratory shower for Gibson along with securing a game ball.
“It feels awesome,” said linebacker Cannon Lewis, who led the Herd defense in tackled with nine and recorded his first collegiate sack. “That’s one of the most exciting wins I’ve ever been a part of. We work really hard. Coach Gibson works really hard. We love him. I love it here. I’m thrilled.
“Everything we worked on this week is kind of what they gave us. We looked a lot more prepared out there. We did exactly what we needed to do. We were right there last week a lot of times and didn’t finish the play. We were better on third down. Our goal every game is you can’t run the ball. We want to make them do something different. Boogie’s picks. I was beside myself. I couldn’t believe it. I don’t get too many interceptions myself so whenever someone else does, I’m living through them. He’s awesome, amazing. I was freaking out.”
Trotter said the defense made plays after getting good pre-snap looks.
“It was really a lot of what we’re seen all week in practice,” Trotter said. “Coaching did a good a good job of scouting the other team. They ran like certain routes out of certain formations. So it’s like when coach called the plays, I knew it had to be ours. Really, I just studied the game a lot. I’m a ball hog. I’ve got a feel for the ball. I actually knew the quarterback was going to come back to me, and look at the coach at 19 and (No. 3, receiver Marcus Calwise Jr.) was one of their key receivers. He had me solo. We just put our pieces together. Being a whole new team (75 new plays via the transfer portal and freshmen), a lot of new players, we were still trying to figure it out. We had a short window to get all this rolling.”
Williams-Thomas offered a simple explanation. “We were doing what we were supposed to be doing,” he said.
Gibson, his staff and players relished the moment in one happy locker room after the game.
“I’m so proud of this football team and these coaches,” Gibson said. “It’s been a long couple of weeks and we finally played the way I wanted them to play. I’m proud of the guys for that.”
Marshall ends non-conference play Saturday against Middle Tennessee at Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Game time is 7 p.m.