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"We haven't had an effective return game in the punt return world for a while," Herd coach Charles Huff said of Metcalf. "We've had guys who could catch it and field it, but not guys that have a little bit of juice. He's still getting better at it, but I thought he showed a lot of versatility."

Marshall returned only nine punts in 13 games last year and gained only 19 yards on those returns. In Saturday's win, Metcalf returned four punts for 41 yards.

"That was my first time, so at first I was just thinking, catch the ball and give it to the offense," Metcalf said. "Then once I got comfortable, I trusted my guys and they were making great blocks to give me an opportunity to return."

Sack Cellies

Former Marshall defensive lineman Owen Porter, who was in attendance Saturday night, had his signature move after making a big play, which earned him the nickname "The Sheriff." Mike Green might soon be called "The Archer" after he debuted his own celebration following a third-down sack.

Green crawled a couple of yards, then posed as if he were shooting a bow and arrow before running off the field following the defensive series. It's a move he's worked on.

"I'm not going to lie, it took a minute to come up with," Green said. "I looked it up, and apparently it's banned in the NFL, so I'm going to have to work on another celebration when it comes time."

Aussie Booters

Saturday's contest featured a pair of Australian punters. The Herd's Alec Clark is from Swan View, while Stony Brook's Clayton Taylor is from Berwick. Those two cities are more than three times further apart (more than 2,100 miles) than the distance that separates Huntington and Stony Brook, New York (656 miles).

Slingin' It

Marshall's five passing touchdowns on Saturday were its most in a single game since Grant Wells threw for that number in a 42-14 win over Middle Tennessee on Nov. 14, 2020. 

It wasn't one Herd quarterback who tossed for five scores Saturday, but three. Stone Earle and Braylon Braxton each threw two touchdowns and Cole Pennington added the fifth. 

Got Chem?

No, not chemistry class, team chemistry! 

Braxton and wide receiver Carl Chester both transferred from Tulsa to Marshall this offseason and connected for a touchdown in their first game together with the Thundering Herd with 10:14 left in the fourth quarter. 

It was Chester's second career touchdown reception and first that he'd caught from Braxton. His only previous score came against North Texas last season, a game in which Braxton did not play.

On the Clock

With a total elapsed time of 4 hours and 48 minutes from kickoff to the final whistle, Marshall's game against Stony Brook was the longest it had played since the second week of the 2023 season at East Carolina, a contest that lasted more than five hours. 

Both games featured a weather delay. At ECU, it lasted 1 hour and 41 minutes, while Saturday's against Stony Brook was 1 hour and 34 minutes. 

Transferred In

Eight transfers started for the Thundering Herd in the season opener against Stony Brook, with seven of those on the offensive side of the football. 

The Herd had newcomers lined up at quarterback (Earle), wide receiver (Christian Fitzpatrick, Metcalf), offensive line (Elijah Ellis, Bryce Ramsey and Jeremy Jones) and running back (Jordan Houston). 

The lone transfer to start on defense was former ECU defensive lineman Jason Shuford. Wide receiver Bryan Robinson, a third-year Herd player, made his second consecutive start in a season opener.