Marshall (3-2) defeated Gardner Webb (1-4) by a final score of 28-7 Saturday evening.

Marshall came into Saturday losing its last two games against Bowling Green and Troy.

Marshall’s head coach Charles Huff said he appreciated how the players grinded the game out.

“Really appreciated the way the players grinded out today. We talked about an identity win in the locker room, and that is what it was. It was a little bit of everybody pulling the rope in the same direction,” he said. “It was the most beautiful win we ever had, and this gives us the opportunity to go back to the drawing board. There are a lot of things we need to clean up, every game has that, but I thought today was really good.”

Marshall struck first just two minutes in the game when quarterback Henry Colombi found freshman running back A.J. Turner for a 24-yard score, Turner’s first touchdown of the season.

Six minutes later in the first quarter, Colombi was intercepted by Gardner Webb’s Ty Anderson and returned for a 45-yard touchdown, which tied the game 7-7.

Five minutes remaining in the half, Colombi found wide receiver Corey Gammage for a 10-yard touchdown, putting up Marshall 14-7.

Colombi would not play in the second half as redshirt freshman Cam Fancher took over for the Herd.

Huff said it was best to leave Fancher in for what they wanted to do in the game.

“Colombi could have returned, but where we thought we were and what we would be doing, it was just best to leave Cam in. Colombi said he wanted to come back in, and I told him it was no need for what we were doing,” he said. “We thought with the way we were doing it and handing it off, just trying to grind it out to get the game moving along, that it was best just to keep him out there.”

Colombi finished 13 of 20, 138 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception.

Three minutes in the third quarter, running back Khalan Laborn ran in for a 1-yard touchdown, putting Marshall up 21-7.

Later in the fourth quarter, Laborn ran for a 78-yard touchdown, putting up Marshall 28-7.

Laborn finished the game with 35 carries for 191 yards and two touchdowns; he has eight touchdowns on the season.

Fancher finished 8 of 13 with 42 yards.

Marshall finished with 421 yards of offense compared to Gardner Webb’s 143 yards.

Marshall will play Louisiana after coming off a short bye week Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.