Remaining undefeated for a fourth week, Marshall knocked off Old Dominion 41-35 in the highly contested Homecoming game on Saturday, Sept. 30, at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
Quarterback Cam Fancher led the the Herd’s offensive onslaught, who tallied nearly 380 total yards of offense; he completed 29 passes on 35 attempts, accounting for 278 air yards, and he rushed over 100 yards on 15 carries.
“I know everybody wants Ali to have 100 yards and eight touchdowns. That ain’t it,” said head coach Charles Huff. “You know we want to be able to move the ball efficiently. We want to be able to run the ball as a team, however that is, and then we want to be able to put points on the board, which I thought we did a good job of today, for the most part.”
Running back Rasheen Ali accounted for two of the Herd’s touchdowns on Saturday, marking his fourth straight week of scoring multiple touchdowns.
The Herd struggled to control the ball, though, losing two fumbles during the game.
Although Marshall trailed the Monarchs 21-3 in the second quarter, Fancher ignited Marshall’s scoring with a one-yard pass to Cade Conley that found the end zone. Before halftime, Fancher passed the ball to wide receiver Caleb Coombs for a 22-yard touchdown.
Statistically, Coombs had the best game of his career in kelly green, finishing with eight receptions for 76 yards and his first touchdown as a member of the Thundering Herd.
The Monarchs’ lead fell to only four points going into halftime, leading the Herd 21-17.
After the Herd gained 94 yards on 9 plays in the third quarter, Ali capped off the advantage with a one-yard touchdown, and the team took their first lead of the game at 24-21.
In the second half, Marshall had an offensive miscue on a toss play. Old Dominion’s defender scooped the ball off the turf and raced towards the end zone. Fancher dove for the defender’s legs to stop the Monarch from advancing the ball any farther.
On the Monarchs’ first offensive play following Marshall’s turnover, defensive lineman Elijah Alston snagged the ball from quarterback Jack Shields’ pass. Alston tucked the ball and ran 85 yards, outrunning Old Dominion’s offense and extending the Herd’s lead to 10.
Refusing to go down without a fight, Monarch running back Kadarius Calloway found a gaping hole in Marshall’s defense and broke off a 75-yard touchdown run to bring Old Dominion within one score.
Calloway proved to be a problem for Marshall’s defense, breaking off three touchdown runs of over 60 yards.
In the latter half of the fourth quarter, Old Dominion tried to take back the lead. The Marshall defense, however, did not cooperate with the Monarchs’ plans. Alston made his presence known in the backfield, forcing Shields to release the ball and leading defensive back J.J. Roberts to intercept the pass.
Marshall’s defense held on for one more late drive from Old Dominion, preserving the lead and securing the win.
The Herd goes on the road for their next contest against North Carolina State in Raleigh, North Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 7.
