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Herd quarterbacks Stone Earle and Braylon Braxton each threw a pair of touchdown passes and Cole Pennington got his first career passing touchdown, but it was running back A.J. Turner who kick-started the new ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œAir RaidÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� offense by rushing for an 80-yard score on MarshallÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s first offensive play out of the break, opening the door for a dominant performance.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe talk about it all the time. E-G-B,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Turner said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œEnergy-generating behaviors. Coach (Charles) Huff and everybody else emphasize that, and itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s all about building off each other.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

Marshall collected 549 yards of total offense in the win, 259 through the air and 290 on the ground, while the defense limited the Seawolves to 252 yards of total offense. Stony Brook was a mere 6 of 21 on third-down attempts and the Herd carried its shutout bid late into the third quarter before Edna Kirby split the uprights on a 39-yard field goal.

But by that point, Marshall had built a 24-point lead before adding three garbage-time touchdowns with a host of backups and third-stringers in the game on both sides.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThat was a big emphasis, take care of the ball and be efficient. Explosion will come, big plays will come,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Huff said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThat means youÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re taking what the defense is giving you, means youÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re seeing what you need to see, and I thought all three (quarterbacks) did a good job with that as the game went on.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

In addition to TurnerÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s long scoring play, MarshallÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Christian Fitzpatrick took advantage of busted coverage and turned the play into a 67-yard score, and Elijah MetcalfÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s second touchdown required a shifty move in between the hashes to reach paydirt from 28 yards out.

The Herd led by a touchdown after the first quarter, 17 at the half and by 21 entering the final frame, getting that much more comfortable in the offense along the way.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œOnce I settled in, I was able to play my game, but it took a minute,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Earle said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œMissed some things that I could be better at, but at the end of the day, itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s about taking those things and growing from them.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

Earle missed on five of his first seven throws but then finished the day by completing eight of his last nine, including a pair of touchdowns to Metcalf before coming out of the game and being replaced by Braxton, who led all three quarterbacks in air yards with 141 and two scores.

Stony Brook played two quarterbacks, who combined for 158 yards through the air to 10 pass-catchers. Charleston native and Capital High School product Chance Knox was targeted a team-high seven times and made five grabs for 12 yards before exiting in the first quarter after taking a big hit from Herd safety JJ Roberts.

Jayce Freeman paced the Seawolves in the air with two catches for 58 yards, and Roland Dempster carried a team-high 13 times for 37 yards Saturday.

Defensively for the Thundering Herd, it was Mike Green and Jaden Yates who led the way with nine tackles each. Both were career highs. Jordan Reagan came away with the gameÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s only turnover, intercepting Malachi Marshall in the fourth quarter.

Marshall returns to action Saturday when it travels to Blacksburg, Virginia to face the Virginia Tech Hokies, who dropped their season opener at Vanderbilt on Saturday, 34-27, in overtime.