HUNTINGTON Ƶ Marshall football coach Charles Huff has preached one message to the Thundering Herd all week since returning home from a win at Old Dominion.
One more round.
He spoke little of playing for the opportunity to play for a Sun Belt Conference championship and mostly about playing the regular-season finale against James Madison, which enters the week with an 8-3 record identical to the HerdƵs.
ƵIn boxing, you get to that last round and youƵve got to find a little bit more. Everybody says, Ƶwell, you know, thereƵs more to be had if you do what you need to do,Ƶ but for us, this is it,Ƶ Huff said. ƵWeƵre not looking at the possibility of another game. WeƵre not looking at the possibility of another week. This is the end of our journey and weƵve got to fight to create anything after that.Ƶ
Marshall can clinch the SBC East with a victory or a Georgia Southern loss on Saturday. Just being in that conversation, Herd linebacker Jaden Yates said, is an accomplishment but means little if Marshall canƵt finish the job.
ƵThereƵs very few teams come Week 12 that are still in position and are still in the driverƵs seat to win their conference,Ƶ Yates said. ƵGodƵs blessed us with a great opportunity individually as well as an opportunity for this team. So youƵve got to come out and make the most of it.Ƶ
The Herd has won its last five games after suffering its lone loss in league play against Georgia Southern on Oct. 12. In each of the last three wins, Marshall quarterback Braylon Braxton has thrown for more than 200 yards, and he was named the SBC Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for three touchdowns and running for 140 yards against Old Dominion.
ƵThey run him a lot, but then when he decides to pull the ball down and run, he is not looking to avoid people,Ƶ James Madison coach Bob Chesney said of Braxton. ƵHeƵs looking to run through people or over people. Sometimes heƵll even jump over. You know, thereƵs a lot in here that this kid does thatƵs really, really good.Ƶ
No doubt Braxton been the driving force on MarshallƵs offense, but the Dukes have one of the top-ranked defenses in the SBC and Huff said it all starts up front.
ƵTheyƵre able to create havoc and disruption with their front four so they donƵt have to add guys to the box. They donƵt have to add guys in the blitz as much,Ƶ Huff said. ƵIt keeps your defense a little more consistent when you donƵt have to find a way to create a pass rush (or) find a way to create tackles for loss. When those four guys up front can do that, it helps.Ƶ
James Madison has a remarkable plus-17 turnover margin in 2024 and has only played one game this season without forcing one, that coming in a 34-20 loss to Appalachian State last Saturday.
The Dukes have not lost at home this season, where they are 58-4 since the start of the 2016 season. One of those losses was against Marshall in 2022.
Chesney said James Madison isnƵt focused on playing spoiler to the Thundering HerdƵs title hopes, but rather ending the regular season on a high note after a loss to Appalachian State knocked them out of the running for the East Division crown last week.
ƵI donƵt think anybodyƵs looking and going, ƵLetƵs try to ruin this for anyone,ƵƵ Chesney said. ƵI think weƵre just trying to play our best football, period, make sure that weƵre clicking on all cylinders and that weƵre aggressive as we can be and that weƵre not leaving anything to chance. And thatƵs what this whole weekƵs going to be about.Ƶ
The visiting team has one each of the last two regular-season meetings in this series as members of the Sun Belt Conference, but the timing of the game in 2024 sets up for a picture-perfect ending to the year with a win-and-in scenario.
ItƵs quite literally how the coaching staff drew it up.
ƵWe kind of went through the schedule this summer before we kind of got into the season and just kind of said, hey man, letƵs make this game for the championship,Ƶ Huff said. ƵThat was the motto, just kind of do everything we need to do throughout the season, to where we get to the end and we got one more round.Ƶ
ItƵs an 8 p.m. kickoff in Harrisonburg and the game will be broadcast on ESPNU. According to the forecast, itƵs also expected to be the coldest game the Thundering Herd has played in this year, estimated to be below freezing at the start of the game.
