Marshall turned the ball over six times in a 34-28 loss to Middle Tennessee on Saturday night.  

Three different running backs fumbled the football at least once and quarterback Grant Wells threw two interceptions. 

“We all saw the issues tonight,” Head Coach Charles Huff said. “It’s something we’ve been talking about, talking, and talking about and we’ve got to get it fixed. Turnovers killed us. Every time we got something going momentum-wise we put the ball on the ground.” 

Marshall’s first two losses featured 4th quarter collapses.

This game went in a different direction.

The Herd would play from behind. 

MTSU scored the first two touchdowns of the game.

Backup quarterback Mike DiLiello scored on a 3-yard quarterback keeper late in the first quarter to make it 7-0.

Starting QB Chase Cunningham found receiver Jarrin Pierce for a 13-yard touchdown to make it a 14-0 Blue Raiders.  

Marshall finally broke into the scoring on the ensuing drive.

Redshirt freshman running back Rasheen Ali scored on a 12-yard run.  

Then, the Blue Raiders would take control.

Chaton Mobley scored on a 41-yard run and Jaylin Lane caught a 34-ard touchdown pass from Cunningham and MTSU went up 28-7.  

Ali scored again, with under a minute left before halftime to trim the Blue Raiders lead to 14 points. 

Ali finished the game with 113 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. 

He has scored two or more touchdowns in three straight games, the 13th player in school history to accomplish that feat. 

Turnovers began to pile up on the rainy night in Murfreesboro.

Late in the 3rd quarter, sophomore running back Knowledge McDaniel fumbled and MTSU safety Reed Blankenship recovered the fumble and took it 90 yards to put MTSU up 34-14. 

The Herd rallied in the fourth quarter, first scoring on a 2-yard Ali run and then on a 17-yard pass from quarterback Grant Wells to receiver Shadeed Ahmed. 

The final score came with 1:12 left of the game. 

The Herd attempted an onside kick, but the officials ruled the ball was touched prior to the 10 yards needed to travel.  

Marshall football has lost three consecutive games by a total of 11 points.  

“We’re close. That’s what we are,” Huff said. “We are a good football team that has to understand that execution and consistency is the key. I think we are close. It’s a process. We have to continue to work through the things that are costing us games.” 

The Herd attempts to end the three-game skid on Saturday, when it welcomes in the Old Dominion Monarchs.

Kick off from Joan C. Edwards Stadium is scheduled for 2 pm.