Half-way through the second quarter, the crowd at the FIU-Marshall game were on their feet when a squirrel ran 65-yards to cross the goal line near the student section.  

Marshall University students and Faculty have shared a love for squirrels on campus for years and have created communities like the Facebook group The Squirrels at Marshall University that was created in January 2010.  

Coach Huff was also asked during the press conference if the squirrel was a walk-on or if there would be a scholarship available. 

“Actually right now we don’t know if he will be playing offense or defense. He’s got cat-like quickness, really good body control, good change in direction. . .but we’ve got to continue to evaluate,” Huff explained. 

Although the run did not count on as a touchdown on the scoreboard, the run ended with a Marshall touchdown airhorn, a fight song, and a loud crowd.  

Members of the Marshall University Marching Thunder also joined the fun, including tuba player Jalen Porter. 

“I was definitely unprepared to play Sons of Marshall for a squirrel,” Porter said. 

“I’m not too much of a football fan. At the games, I’m just there to play for the team and have some fun. When I saw that squirrel make a touchdown, I instantly became a crazy football fan.” 

The touchdown clip of the small rodent reached a national audience on social media platforms like Sports Center. The Instagram post has received over 400,000 likes.  

The post features the student section, including senior Zach Bollinger who took his shirt off and waved the shirt over his head.  

“Honestly it was just a really fun moment that happened out of nowhere. It’s not every day you see a squirrel running to the endzone with an entire stadium cheering it on,” Bollinger said. “It started raining a little bit and a bunch of us decided to make the most of it so we all took off our shirts and started trying to get people hyped up.” 

Xena Bunton, [email protected].