— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — With two games left in the regular season, Marshall finds itself in position with much to play for.
For starters, the Thundering Herd can gain bowl eligibility through a sixth win Saturday afternoon against Appalachian State.
Marshall (5-5, 4-3) and the Mountaineers (4-6, 1-5) meet at 2:30 p.m. inside Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, N.C.
While Marshall was ended a two-game skid last weekend with its 30-18 win at Georgia State, the Mountaineers were soundly defeated 58-10 by nationally-ranked James Madison.
Appalachian State has lost four straight, falling to Coastal Carolina, Old Dominion and Georgia Southern before last week’s 48-point setback.
The game features two first-year head coaches in Marshall’s Tony Gibson and Appalachian State’s Dowell Loggains, who served as South Carolina offensive coordinator for the previous two seasons.
“This is a big week for us right here,” Gibson said. “This week means a lot to our fan base and it’s an old rivalry.
“It’s all about us right now. What do we have to do to win this football game? Understand that we’re playing a good team that can beat us if we don’t go in and execute.”
In the most recent matchup with the Panthers, Marshall quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson accounted for more than 400 yards of total offense while completing 20-of-22 passes and leading four scoring drives of 70-plus yards.
It was a memorable homecoming for Del Rio-Wilson, a native of Cartersville, Ga.
“It was a big game for him, going back to where he’s from,” Gibson said. “We asked a lot of him and he performed. He had 418 total yards, took care of the ball, played really well and every week, he keeps getting better and better. I couldn’t ask any more of what he’s given to this program.”
The Herd also got a standout effort from tight end Toby Payne, who caught five balls for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Receivers Adrian Norton and Floyd Lacey hauled in a receiving touchdown.
Marshall surrendered a 92-yard scoring run on the second play, but the Panthers managed only 66 rushing yards the rest of the way.
This will be the 28th all-time meeting between the Herd and the Mountaineers, which lead the series, 16-11.
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Carlos Del Rio-Wilson was named as one of the Manning Award’s eight “Stars of the Week.” It is the second time this season Del Rio-Wilson has been named as one of the eight top quarterbacks in the nation for a week by the Manning Award, which is given to the top quarterback in the country at season’s end.
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The Sun Belt Conference has announced Marshall’s regular season finale next Saturday against Georgia Southern will start at 1:30 p.m. The contest at Edwards Stadium will be shown on ESPN+.