MarshallƵs Ian Foster cuts through a hole during a kickoff return against Louisiana-Monroe during an NCAA football game on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington.
MarshallƵs Ian Foster cuts through a hole during a kickoff return against Louisiana-Monroe during an NCAA football game on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington.
HUNTINGTON Ƶ By the time the Marshall football team takes the field in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on Saturday, 427 days will have passed since the Thundering HerdƵs last road win.
Playing away from Huntington has not been a strength for Marshall as of late. The Herd won on Sept. 9, 2023 at East Carolina before dropping its last eight road games and a neutral-site bowl game.
ƵTrust me, if thereƵs one person that that thinks about it a lot, itƵs me,Ƶ Marshall coach Charles Huff said. ƵI want to make sure IƵm not just pointing the finger at, you know, one issue. I want to make sure, holistically, what can I do better to give this team a better chance to be successful on the road?Ƶ
That question is easier asked than answered.
In those nine games, the HerdƵs average margin of defeat sits at 19.1 points per game. Two of those have been one-possession games, and one was a 35-point blowout earlier this year against Ohio State. ThereƵs been one shutout and three games decided by 17 points. Twice during that string, the Herd scored in single digits.
ƵWe havenƵt executed well on the road,Ƶ Huff said. ƵI mean, if weƵd have played over at Cabell Midland, if we donƵt take care of the ball and we donƵt tackle well and we give up explosive plays, weƵre going to be 0-30 here in West Virginia.Ƶ
Three of MarshallƵs final four games of the regular season will be played on the road, increasing the urgency for the Herd to correct those mistakes as it chases a Sun Belt East Division championship.
In order to attain that, Marshall will likely have to win out and Georgia Southern would have to lose one more game, because the Eagles hold the tiebreaker between the two teams after a 21-point fourth-quarter comeback against the Herd in October.
ƵAll that is just the little things, the little details, our fundamentals and focus. WeƵve got to be really on point with that, because thatƵs what wins games on the road, especially in the Sun Belt,Ƶ offensive lineman Logan Osburn said. ƵIf you have a lack of fundamentals and focus, youƵre not going to win those games. I think we kind of struggled with that (against) Georgia Southern and we kind of lost our focus in the fourth quarter.Ƶ
Marshall visits Southern Miss on Saturday, where it has not won in a decade, losing their last two at MM Roberts Stadium in 2016 and 2018. This will be the first matchup between the two schools as Sun Belt Conference opponents.
But Huff said he doesnƵt often look to the past to plan for the future. While owning the last nine road losses, he said that with as much roster turnover as the Herd has had, most of them donƵt view the losing streak on such grand of a scale.
ƵObviously the record is that, but, you know, some of these guys got here in January,Ƶ Huff said. ƵThey werenƵt a part of some of the other ones, so it doesnƵt really resonate.Ƶ
Luke Creasy is a sports reporter for HD Media. He can be reached by phone at 304-526-2800.
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