ItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s MarshallÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s homecoming game on Saturday, and the Thundering Herd has an all-time record of 68-46-8 on such occasions. This will be the fourth time Appalachian State has been the homecoming opponent and first time since they met as Southern Conference foes in 1993, when Marshall won 35-3. Saturday marks the 27th meeting in a series Appalachian State leads 16-10.
After last week, tight end Toby Payne has five career receptions, and two have resulted in touchdowns. His 32-yard touchdown catch on the opening drive against Western Michigan was the longest reception of his career and first touchdown since the season opener against Norfolk State in 2022. Payne missed the entire 2023 season with an undisclosed injury and has three catches in four games to begin 2024.
AJ Turner has turned in three 100-yard rushing games so far this year and has used big runs to help him get across the century mark in each of those contests against Stony Brook, Virginia Tech and Western Michigan. HeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s one of only three running backs in FBS to have three runs that yielded 65 yards or more and is coming off a career-high 124 rushing yards against the Broncos. TurnerÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s 378 rushing yards are more than double the HerdÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s next-highest rusher.
The Thundering Herd ranks fourth in scoring defense out of 14 teams in the Sun Belt Conference through four games this season and sixth in total defense. Where Marshall is lacking, though, is the turnover department. The Herd has two interceptions and two fumble recoveries on five forced fumbles. Both of those figures rank 10th in the conference.
Fifteen players have started all four games for the Thundering Herd to begin the season, eight on defense and seven on offense. On defense, the group consists of Mike Green, Landyn Watson, Jaden Yates, Jadarius Green-McKnight, Josh Moten, A.G. McGhee, J.J. Roberts and Jacobie Henderson. Three others have made three starts on that side of the ball. On offense, four offensive linemen have started every game, as have a pair of wide receivers and the quarterback.
Marshall redshirt senior defensive back J.J. Roberts was named the SBC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday following his performance in last weekÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s 27-20 win over Western Michigan which included 15 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. That tied a career-high in stops for the former Cabell Midland High School standout, and heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ll try and follow that performance up this week against Appalachian State, against which he logged 14 tackles last November.
Appalachian State notes
SaturdayÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s game will be Appalachian StateÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s first after a 16-day break, last playing in a Thursday night game against South Alabama on Sept. 19. The impact of Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27 led to the cancellation of the Sept. 28 home game against Liberty. Aside from 2020, when COVID-19 altered schedules throughout the country, Appalachian State last had a game canceled in 2018, which was due to concerns associated with Hurricane Florence.
This weekend breaks a streak of five consecutive regular season games played in either North or South Carolina for the Mountaineers. After closing out the 2023 regular season slate at home against Georgia Southern, Appalachian StateÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s non-conference slate included a home game against East Tennessee State and road contests at Clemson and East Carolina before opening Sun Belt play at home versus South Alabama.
Marshall and Appalachian State have met annually since 2020 and have split the last four meetings since reviving the historic rivalry which, before 2020, hadnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t been played since 2002. The home team has won each of the last four contests and the Mountaineers havenÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t come away with a win in Huntington since 1995, when current coach Shawn Clark was a player at Appalachian State.
The Mountaineers were the preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt East Division, as voted on by the leagueÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s head coaches, but fell in their league opener at home to South Alabama, 48-14. Appalachian State played for the SBC championship a season ago and lost to Troy. Charleston native Shawn Clark is entering his fifth season at the helm and has guided the Mountaineers to the title game twice in that span but has yet to claim a championship.
Joey Aguilar is the nationÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s only returning FBS quarterback who had 33-plus TD passes and 3,700-plus passing yards in 2023. Fifteen of those scoring tosses helped the Mountaineers tie the game or take the lead, a figure which led the nation. This season, heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s thrown for more than 1,200 yards in four games, with six touchdowns to just three interceptions.
All-America kicker and West Virginia native Michael Hughes has made all five of his field goal attempts this season and, dating back to last year, has converted 16 consecutive kicks. Since the start of 2023, Hughes has scored 208 points by going 33 for 39 on field goals (84.6%) and converting 115 extra points.
Luke Creasy is a sports reporter for HD ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥. He can be reached by phone at 304-526-2800.
