Marshall Football secured its first win of the Tony Gibson era Saturday, Sept. 13, at Joan C. Edwards Stadium as the Herd set the tone early in a 38-7 victory over Eastern Kentucky.
“It’s been a long couple weeks,” head coach Tony Gibson said after the win. “We finally played the way I want them to play.”
Marshall (1-2) entered the contest off a 21-20 loss to Missouri State the week prior. In that game, a 10-point lead slipped away in the second half, but Saturday’s story was much different, with the Herd’s defense leading the way.
Cornerback Boogie Trotter grabbed two interceptions in the first quarter, including one on the first play from scrimmage. Marshall’s defense was stifling throughout, holding EKU to just 102 total yards while recording five sacks — the second straight week with five or more.
“Really, we’re just putting our pieces together,” Trotter said. “We had a short window to get this rolling. Now that we’re going against other opponents, it’s like we can find our groove and get going.”
The Herd found its groove and then some, building a 31-0 halftime lead.
Linebacker Cannon Lewis, Barboursville native and former Cabell Midland standout, added a team-high nine tackles, including his first collegiate sack.
“That’s one of the most exciting wins I’ve ever been a part of,” Lewis said. “We work really hard, and coach Gibson works really hard. We fight for coach Gibson really hard. We love him. I love it here, and I’m thrilled.”
Despite an early touchdown in the second half that cut the deficit to 31-7, EKU’s offensive struggles persisted. The Colonels averaged just 2 yards per play and converted only 2 of 12 third downs.
Marshall, meanwhile, leaned heavily on the run game – a gameplan that paid dividends. The Herd rushed for 263 yards on 57 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt, with a mix of mobile quarterback play and a deep running back rotation.
Senior quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, a Syracuse transfer, got the start and accounted for three touchdowns, including a 4-yard scoring run in the first quarter.
“We came to dominate,” Del Rio-Wilson said. “(Our offense) was playing like a unit today.”
Running back Justin Williams-Thomas scored twice, including a 30-yard reception where he caught a pass in the flats and trucked a defender on his way to paydirt.
“I saw Carlos getting ready to scramble, and I just put my hands up,” Williams-Thomas said. “It’s funny. The guy that I hit, I played with him my freshman year at Tennessee. That’s one of my close friends, so that was a little bit personal.”
Saturday’s victory was historic, marking the 22nd all-time meeting between the programs over the past century. EKU head coach Walt Wells also made his Colonels debut against Marshall in 2020, a game the Herd won 59-0.
The game was part of the “We Are … Thankful for Heroes” celebration, honoring military members and first responders. Pregame festivities featured a giant flag ceremony, a flyover and fireworks. The recorded attendance was 23,925.
“This town, this university, this football program has been through so much,” Gibson said. “We’re thankful for everything and all the support that we get.”
EKU drops to 1-2 and now looks to open conference play at West Georgia on Saturday, Sept. 20, in Carrollton, Georgia.
Marshall begins a two-game road trip starting against Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Ethan Peltier can be contacted at [email protected]
