G5 Football Daily

Marshall Football Wins First Sun Belt Championship With Title Game Rout Of Louisiana

Joe Londergan

Sep 7, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd running back Ethan Payne (28) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
Sep 7, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd running back Ethan Payne (28) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images
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Sun Belt East Division Champions, the Marshall Thundering Herd, took down West Division Champions Louisiana in Lafayette by a final score of 31-3 on Saturday.

Head coach Charles Huff claims Marshall's first Sun Belt title in their third season as league members. Herd quarterback Braylon Braxton was the offensive spark, completing 18 passes on 16 attempts for 193 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 66 yards.

Meanwhile, the Marshall defense held Louisiana to just 256 total yards, a season low for Michael Desormeaux's Ragin' Cajuns.

Kenneth Almendares was the first to put points on the board, hitting a forty-yard field goal on Louisiana's second possession - this would be the only points of the day for UL. Marshall answered six plays later with a 37-yard bomb from Braxton to North Carolina transfer Tychaun Chapman, wide open in the end zone.

The two teams traded punts, then Louisiana's offensive depth took a further hit. Quarterback Chandler Fields, starting in place of the injured Ben Wooldridge, exited with his own upper body injury early in the second quarter. The Cajuns turned it over on downs a few moments later with freshman Daniel Beale under center.

Marshall kicker Rece Verhoff quickly followed that by hitting a 32-yard field goal to extend Marshall's lead to 10-3

After another Louisiana punt, Marshall scored again with a quick 56-yard touchdown drive, capped by Ethan Payne's 15-yard score.

The Cajuns looked to have some offensive momentum back on the ensuing possession, getting into field goal range in Marshall territory. However, the Josh Moten picked off Beale to cut that drive short.

Marshall took that 17-3 lead into the break.

Halfway through the third quarter, Braxton threw his second touchdown pass of the day, a 20-yard lob to Ole Miss transfer Bralon Brown in the corner of the end zone.

The two teams traded punts (including one fumbled into Marshall's hands that was waived off due to a fair catch interference call) for the remainder of the third quarter.

In the fourth, Marshall defensive end Mike Green picked up his first sack of the night, tying the Sun Belt record for sacks in a single season with 17.

Other than that, the final frame was more of the same - the Marshall rushing offense burning plenty of clock, and the Louisiana offense failing to find any momentum.

Fifth-year senior Jordan Houston rattled off a nine-yard score to put an exclamation point on the Marshall win just before the two-minute timeout, to which the Cajuns would have no answer. That ended Houston's day with 17 carries for 117 yards and a score.

The Thundering Herd achieve their first conference championship since 2014 (CUSA) with the win. Marshall also now have 10 wins for the first time since the 2015 season.

Head coach Charles Huff has wrapped the final season of his contract with the Herd. Marshall fans' attention now turns to whether or not Huff and the university can agree to a contract extension in the coming hours/days, as well as Marshall's upcoming bowl game.

Louisiana drop to 10-3 in 2024. Both teams await their respective bowl destinations, expected to be finalized in the coming day.

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Published
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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