— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — This Saturday, there will be plenty of emotion in and around Joan C. Edwards Stadium when Marshall welcomes Appalachian State.
The game will be played on the 56th anniversary of the 1970 plane crash near Tri-State Airport that resulted in the death of 75 Marshall football players, coaches, administrators, fans and the flight crew.
In addition to honoring the victims, an annual staple in Huntington, both the Herd (5-4, 2-3 Sun Belt) and Mountaineers (5-4, 2-3) strive to move forward from disappointing performances last Saturday when the two teams clash at 6 p.m. in a matchup that can be seen on ESPN+.
Gibson has put an emphasis on sharing stories with the Herd roster regarding the plane crash and the efforts to resurrect the program starting with the 1971 Young Thundering Herd squad.
At the start of fall practice, the team ran to Spring Hill Cemetery in Huntington, the final resting place of six players that died in the crash.
“This week, we’re playing for a lot more,” Gibson said. “It’s the anniversary of losing the 75. There’s a lot of meaning that goes into this game. We get to play a rival. App and Marshall have had great battles over the year, and it will be a fun night.”
In the most recent game for both squads, Appalachian State suffered a 39-23 home loss to Georgia State, while Marshall fell flat in a 49-13 setback at Georgia Southern.
Marshall has utilized several quarterbacks throughout the season and started Zion Turner a third straight game against the Eagles, but the offense struggled to produce.
Along the way, Turner completed 11-of-26 passes and was intercepted twice, including one that was returned for a touchdown.
Khalil Wilkins, a West Virginia transfer, briefly replaced Turner and rushed for 67 yards and a TD.
Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, the preseason Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year and Marshall’s starting quarterback over the first half of the season, never entered the contest.
“It’s a sad thing that we’re going into game 10 and we’re still evaluating,” Herd head coach Tony Gibson said. “That means none of them are playing well enough for us to settle on one right now.”
Wilkins has lined up at running back, wide receiver and quarterback, and Gibson hinted that his playing time behind center may grow.
“Every time he’s in the game, he makes plays and makes things happen,” Gibson said. “Whether it’s at quarterback or if we’re using him at wideout, we need to do it more. He’s a kid that loves to play and he’ll play anywhere for us. We need to use him more.”
Marshall’s run game was a bright spot in its most recent game as the Herd rushed for 250 yards and both touchdowns on 39 attempts. That effort was highlighted by 83 yards and a TD from Jo’Shon Barbie.
However, the Herd is still having difficulty crossing the goal line.
“I have confidence in the offensive staff that we’ll have a great plan,” Gibson said. “Whether it’s running it, throwing it or whatever it may be, we need to produce more. I think everyone knows we’re a run-first team. We try to keep it on the ground as much as we can if we’re having success. The problem is that we’re not scoring points.”
Bowl eligibility is also on the line for both teams, though each team has two more games remaining after this one.
Marshall welcomes Georgia State next Saturday and closes its regular season November 28 at UL Monroe.
Appalachian State welcomes UL Monroe next weekend for its home finale before wrapping up the regular season on Friday, November 27, with a contest at South Alabama.
The Mountaineers have a 17-11 series lead over the Herd, but are winless in their last four trips to Huntington. The series is 3-3 with both as FBS programs.