A second fourth quarter-blown lead has brought the Marshall football team to a 2-2 record.

The Herd held a 30-21 advantage against Appalachian State entering the final quarter this week, but then gave up 10 unanswered points.

“We have to be better,” head coach Charles Huff said. “We have to finish the game better in all three phases.” The week before, The Herd led East Carolina 38-21 with 7:31 left.

The Pirates scored three unanswered touchdowns and left Huntington with a come-from-behind victory.

Thursday night’s game was a similar story.

Marshall freshman running back Rasheen Ali scored a touchdown on an 8-yard run to put the Herd up, 30-21, late in the third quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, Appalachian State quarterback Chase Brice found wide receiver Corey Sutton for a 28-yard touchdown to make it a two-point game.

With 5:45 left in the fourth quarter, the Mountaineers place kicker Chandler Staton knocked home a 45-yard field goal to take the lead.

Marshall’s offense did not answer for App State’s fourth quarter stretch.

Grant Wells threw for 270 yards and a touchdown. Xavier Gaines was his top target, catching five passes for 104 yards and a touchdown.

Ali led the Marshall rushing attack with 83 yards and a touchdown.

Ali also returned a kick-off 97 yards for a touchdown.

The redshirt freshman leads the nation in touchdowns.

Shane Ciucci booted home three field goals to help with Marshall’s scoring effort.

The made kicks came from 22,33 and 46 yards away.

The Marshall defense forced two turnovers in the second half.

Linebacker Eli Neal forced a fumble and recovered the fumble.

Cornerback Micah Abraham logged an interception for his first of the season.

The Herd now turns its attention to conference play, which starts this week.

“We learned a lot from these first four game,” Huff said.

“We called it our foundation setting. We learned a lot from the first two, we learned a lot from the last two.

Now, we’ve got to turn our focus on fixing the things we learned and improving the other things we learned.”

Coach Huff said he remains confident in his football team moving forward.

“We’ve got a good football team,” Huff said.

“We’re not shaken, not wavered. We lost a game to a good football team. It’s not a failure. It’s a learning experience.”

The C-USA slate begins with a road test at Middle Tennessee on Saturday at 7 p.m.