MarshallÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Braylon Braxton (1) prepares to throw a pass against Georgia State on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington.
MarshallÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Braylon Braxton (1) prepares to throw a pass against Georgia State on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington.
HUNTINGTON ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” At third place in the Sun Belt East Division standings, the Marshall football team is as motivated as it has been all season to make the most of the final five games of the regular season.
That was no more evident than when the Thundering Herd hit the practice field on Monday as it dug heavily into preparations for SaturdayÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s game against Louisiana-Monroe, which pits two teams with championship aspirations.
The Thundering Herd (4-3, 2-1 Sun Belt) will have gone 16 days between games by the time this weekend rolls around. Marshall last played on Oct. 17, when it defeated Georgia State, and is eager to get back on the field.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œFirst weekend off was cool, we relaxed and watched some other teams, but missing out last Saturday got me ready to get going again,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Herd linebacker Jaden Yates said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIt was good, though. Everybody needed (the time off) for different reasons, mental or physical.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
The message to the Herd coming off the bye week was an urgent one, defensive lineman Mike Green said, and helped reorient MarshallÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s focus heading into the month of November.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œCoach (Charles Huff) keeps reminding us about how close we are and how clear our path is,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Green said when talking about MarshallÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s hopes of an SBC title still being in play. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThose things trigger our minds to a different place, and that probably is the reason why we came in with that kind of focus yesterday.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Marshall would need to win its final five regular-season contests, as well as an additional loss by Georgia Southern over the same stretch, in order to earn a berth into the championship game after the Eagles won the head-to-head matchup in early October.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWhether or not we make that happen is completely in our hands,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Yates said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œAre we gonna come out every day in practice and practice like weÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re actively planning for a Sun Belt championship this week? Because, in reality, we are. We canÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t drop another one. We gotta win out.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
That loss to Georgia Southern after surrendering 21 points in the fourth quarter looms large as Marshall turns its attention to the final month of the regular season, but Huff said he refuses to let it define the Herd.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re 56 seconds away from no losses at the Group of Five level. I take full responsibility for it, but IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m not going to let that beat me up,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Huff said, referencing how much time was left on the clock when Marshall got the ball back in that game, trailing by a single point. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI embrace that 56 seconds because, as good as we can be, if we donÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t continue to do the things down the stretch in this month of November, it could very easily go the other way.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
SaturdayÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s game against ULM, which kicks off at 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+, is senior day. Then the Herd will play three of its final four regular-season games on the road, visiting Southern Miss (Nov. 9), Old Dominion (Nov. 23) and James Madison (Nov. 30). MarshallÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s final home game is against Coastal Carolina on Nov. 16.
Luke Creasy is a sports reporter for HD ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥. He can be reached by phone at 304-526-2800.
