G5 Football Daily

Marshall Football: Herd Fend Off Georgia State Rally With Big Rushing Performance

Joe Londergan

Marshall head coach Charles Huff on the sidelines during the game against MTSU on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. 11 Mtsu Marshall Football
Marshall head coach Charles Huff on the sidelines during the game against MTSU on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. 11 Mtsu Marshall Football / HELEN COMER/The Daily News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Marshall Thundering Herd picked up a tough victory on Thursday night in Huntington, despite a few major momentum shifts throughout the night. Charles Huff's group have yet to lose at home in 2024 and improve to 4-3 overall.

As opposed to last week's loss to Georgia Southern, the Thundering Herd were able to pull away from Georgia State in the final quarter and hang on for a 35-20 victory.

A Big First Quarter Sets The Tone

While Georgia State threatened at different points during the game, Marshall never trailed. The Herd had an 11-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, prompting a quarterback change by Georgia State from Christian Veilleux to Zach Gibson. The Panthers' offense did seem to have a more productive evening with Gibson in the game, but Marshall still took a 35-20 lead into the half.

A Different Story in the Second Half

Despite the halftime lead, Marshall put forth three scoreless drives to start the second half. That gave Gibson the opportunity to spark a Georgia State comeback that made it a 25-20 game with 14:51 remaining in the game.

Marshall's defense had to step up on the final three drives to keep the lead, including a huge fourth down stop at their own 12-yard line at the end of a 14-play, 83-yard drive.

Defensive lineman Mike Green set the tone on that side of the ball with a career-high 11 tackles.

A.J. Turner Puts The "Thundering" in Thundering Herd

On a night where Marshall totaled 295 rushing yards, A.J. Turner was responsible for 177 yards of it. It was a career night for the redshirt sophomore, who had three touchdowns on the ground and also had a 30-yard receiving touchdown.

Turner's 88-yard scamper to the end zone with less than two minutes remaining officially put the game out of reach.

Marshall will have a bye week next week, then return to action on November 2 against ULM in Huntington. Georgia State, now 2-4, will look to avoid a four-game losing streak next Saturday at App State.

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Joe Londergan
JOE LONDERGAN

Joe covers college sports from the Group of Five ranks and beyond. He has worked in the sports industry since 2008, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville, and a Master's degree from Seattle University.

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