# 2024 Marshall Thundering Herd football team

The 2024 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University in the Sun Belt Conference's East Division during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Thundering Herd are led by Charles Huff in his fourth year as the head coach. The Thundering Herd played home games at the Joan C. Edwards Stadium, located in Huntington, West Virginia.
The Thundering Herd won their first conference title since 2014, and their first since moving to the Sun Belt.
On December 8, Charles Huff departed the program to be the head coach of Southern Miss. Huff left Marshall with a 32–20 record. That same day, Marshall announced the hiring of NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson as their next coach.
Following a win in the Sun Belt Championship Game, Marshall agreed to play Army in the Independence Bowl. However, on December 14, following the departure of head coach Huff and a mass exodus of starters into the NCAA transfer portal, the team withdrew from the bowl game. Marshall was subsequently fined $100,000 by the Sun Belt Conference for opting out of the bowl.

## Offseason
### Coaching changes

On November 26, 2023, offensive coordinator Clint Trickett was fired by the Thundering Herd after serving two seasons in the position. On December 5, 2023, the Thundering Herd hired Seth Doege to be their offensive coordinator. He was previously the tight ends coach at Purdue.

## Preseason
### Media poll

In the Sun Belt preseason coaches' poll, the Thundering Herd were picked to finish fifth place in the East division.
Media poll (East division) :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Appalachian State | 96 (12) |
| 2 | James Madison | 79 (2) |
| 3 | Coastal Carolina | 67 |
| 4 | Georgia Southern | 50 |
| 5 | Marshall | 49 |
| 6 | Old Dominion | 32 |
| 7 | Georgia State | 19 |
Offensive lineman Logan Osburn was named to the preseason All-Sun Belt second team offense.

## Schedule

The football schedule was announced March 1, 2024.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 5:00 p.m. | Stony Brook* | Joan C. Edwards StadiumHuntington, WV | ESPN+ | W 45–3 | 25,032 |
| September 7 | 4:30 p.m. | at Virginia Tech* | Lane StadiumBlacksburg, VA | The CW | L 14–31 | 65,632 |
| September 21 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 3 Ohio State* | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH (Big Noon Kickoff) | FOX | L 14–49 | 103,871 |
| September 28 | 3:30 p.m. | Western Michigan* | Joan C. Edwards StadiumHuntington, WV | ESPN+ | W 27–20 | 18,723 |
| October 5 | 3:30 p.m. | Appalachian State | Joan C. Edwards StadiumHuntington, WV (rivalry) | ESPN+ | W 52–37 | 28,023 |
| October 12 | 8:00 p.m. | at Georgia Southern | Paulson StadiumStatesboro, GA | ESPNU | L 23–24 | 24,048 |
| October 17 | 7:00 p.m. | Georgia State | Joan C. Edwards StadiumHuntington, WV | ESPN2 | W 35–20 | 20,703 |
| November 2 | 3:30 p.m. | Louisiana–Monroe | Joan C. Edwards StadiumHuntington, WV | ESPN+ | W 28–23 | 21,478 |
| November 9 | 3:00 p.m. | at Southern Miss | M. M. Roberts StadiumHattiesburg, MS | ESPN+ | W 37–3 | 20,502 |
| November 16 | 1:00 p.m. | Coastal Carolina | Joan C. Edwards StadiumHuntington, WV | ESPN+ | W 31–19 | 24,175 |
| November 23 | 7:30 p.m. | at Old Dominion | S.B. Ballard StadiumNorfolk, VA (Oyster Bowl) | ESPNU | W 42–35 | 18,083 |
| November 30 | 8:00 p.m. | at James Madison | Bridgeforth StadiumHarrisonburg, VA | ESPNU | W 35–33 $^{2OT}$ | 23,341 |
| December 7 | 7:30 p.m. | at Louisiana | Cajun FieldLafayette, LA (Sun Belt Championship Game) | ESPN | W 31–3 | 20,067 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### vs Stony Brook (FCS)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seawolves (FCS) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Thundering Herd | 7 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 45 |
at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV
* Date: Saturday, August 31, 2024
* Game time: 5:00 PM
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 76 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 25,032
* Referee: Jeremy Parker
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Mark Martin (play-by-play) and Carl Lee (analyst)
* Pregame line: Marshall –32.5
| Statistics | STBK | MRSH |
| First downs | 15 | 27 |
| Plays–yards | 80–252 | 68–549 |
| Rushes–yards | 47–94 | 36–259 |
| Passing yards | 158 | 290 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–33–1 | 21–32–0 |
| Time of possession | 35:38 | 24:22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Stony Brook | Passing | Malachi Marshall | 10/20, 96 yards, 1 INT |
| Stony Brook | Rushing | Roland Dempster | 13 carries, 37 yards |
| Stony Brook | Receiving | Jayce Freeman | 2 receptions, 58 yards |
| Marshall | Passing | Braylon Braxton | 7/11, 141 yards, 2 TD |
| Marshall | Rushing | A. J. Turner | 8 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD |
| Marshall | Receiving | Christian Fitzpatrick | 4 receptions, 97 yards, 1 TD |

### at Virginia Tech

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Thundering Herd | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Hokies | 7 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
at Lane Stadium • Blacksburg, VA
* Date: Saturday, September 7, 2024
* Game time: 4:30 PM
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 65,632
* Referee: Justin Elliot
* TV announcers (The CW): Thom Brennaman (play-by-play), Max Browne (analyst), and Treavor Scales (sideline)
* Pregame line: Virginia Tech –20.5
| Statistics | MRSH | VT |
| First downs | 12 | 20 |
| Plays–yards | 62–278 | 72–338 |
| Rushes–yards | 26–147 | 51–208 |
| Passing yards | 131 | 130 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 13–36–1 | 14–21–0 |
| Time of possession | 23:35 | 36:25 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Marshall | Passing | Stone Earle | 13/36, 131 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Marshall | Rushing | A.J. Turner | 6 carries, 103 yards |
| Marshall | Receiving | Christian Fitzpatrick | 4 receptions, 73 yards, 1 TD |
| Virginia Tech | Passing | Kyron Drones | 14/21, 130 yards, 1 TD |
| Virginia Tech | Rushing | Bhayshul Tuten | 22 carries, 120 yards, 1 TD |
| Virginia Tech | Receiving | Stephen Gosnell | 2 receptions, 54 yards |

### at No. 3 Ohio State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Thundering Herd | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| No. 3 Buckeyes | 7 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 49 |
at Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH
* Date: Saturday, September 21, 2024
* Game time: 12:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • Wind: W 5 mph
* Game attendance: 103,871
* Referee: Bryan Banks
* TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), and Jenny Taft (sideline reporter)
* Pregame line: Ohio State –39.5
| Statistics | MRSH | OSU |
| First downs | 18 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 70–264 | 57–569 |
| Rushes–yards | 43–125 | 31–280 |
| Passing yards | 139 | 289 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–27–0 | 18–26–1 |
| Time of possession | 36:15 | 23:45 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Marshall | Passing | Stone Earle | 16/21, 132 yards, TD |
| Marshall | Rushing | A. J. Turner | 7 carries, 32 yards |
| Marshall | Receiving | Elijah Metcalf | 8 receptions, 68 yards, TD |
| Ohio State | Passing | Will Howard | 16/20, 275 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Ohio State | Rushing | Quinshon Judkins | 14 carries, 173 yards, 2 TD |
| Ohio State | Receiving | Emeka Egbuka | 5 receptions, 117 yards, TD |

### vs Western Michigan

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 3 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 20 |
| Thundering Herd | 7 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV
* Date: Saturday, September 28, 2024
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Rain • Temperature: 72 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 18,723
* Referee: Greg Sujack
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Keith Morehouse (play-by-play) and Mark Martin (analyst)
* Pregame line: Marshall –3.5
| Statistics | WMU | MRSH |
| First downs | 21 | 20 |
| Plays–yards | 69–318 | 64–420 |
| Rushes–yards | 41–192 | 39–243 |
| Passing yards | 126 | 177 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 15–28–0 | 15–25–0 |
| Time of possession | 31:29 | 28:31 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Hayden Wolff | 15/28, 126 yards, 1 TD |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Jaden Nixon | 23 carries, 146 yards, 1 TD |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Anthony Sambucci | 4 receptions, 56 yards |
| Marshall | Passing | Stone Earle | 15/25, 177 yards, 3 TD |
| Marshall | Rushing | A. J. Turner | 9 carries, 124 yards |
| Marshall | Receiving | Elijah Metcalf | 4 receptions, 52 yards |

### vs Appalachian State (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mountaineers | 3 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 37 |
| Thundering Herd | 7 | 21 | 10 | 14 | 52 |
at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV
* Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C)
* Game attendance: 28,023
* Referee: Tim Barker
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Mark Martin (play-by-play) and Keith Morehouse (analyst)
* Pregame line: Marshall –3.0
| Statistics | APP | MRSH |
| First downs | 32 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 84–473 | 53–365 |
| Rushes–yards | 40–180 | 39–236 |
| Passing yards | 293 | 129 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 26–44–2 | 8–14–0 |
| Time of possession | 35:34 | 24:26 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Joey Aguilar | 26/44, 293 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Joey Aguilar | 10 carries, 55 yards |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Kaedin Robinson | 8 receptions, 94 yards |
| Marshall | Passing | Braylon Braxton | 8/14, 129 yards, 3 TD |
| Marshall | Rushing | Braylon Braxton | 15 carries, 140 yards, 2 TD |
| Marshall | Receiving | Jordan Houston | 1 reception, 75 yards, 1 TD |

### at Georgia Southern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Thundering Herd | 6 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 23 |
| Eagles | 3 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 24 |
at Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA
* Date: Saturday, October 12, 2024
* Game time: 8:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 24,048
* Referee: Trennis Livingston
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Lowell Galindo (play-by-play) and Fozzy Whittaker (analyst)
* Pregame line: Georgia Southern –1.5
| Statistics | MRSH | GASO |
| First downs | 18 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 72–389 | 74–422 |
| Rushes–yards | 43–200 | 33–93 |
| Passing yards | 189 | 329 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–29–1 | 26–41–1 |
| Time of possession | 31:03 | 28:57 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Marshall | Passing | Stone Earle | 9/17, 97 yards, INT |
| Marshall | Rushing | A. J. Turner | 14 carries, 97 yards |
| Marshall | Receiving | Christian Fitzpatrick | 5 receptions, 49 yards |
| Georgia Southern | Passing | JC French | 16/26, 194 yards, INT |
| Georgia Southern | Rushing | JC French | 11 carries, 25 yards |
| Georgia Southern | Receiving | Dalen Cobb | 6 receptions, 93 yards |

### vs Georgia State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Thundering Herd | 11 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 35 |
at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV
* Date: Thursday, October 17, 2024
* Game time: 7:00 PM
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 20,703
* Referee: Jeremy Parker
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Matt Schumacker (play-by-play) and Dustin Fox (analyst)
* Pregame line: Marshall –8.5
| Statistics | GAST | MRSH |
| First downs | 23 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 72–427 | 57–427 |
| Rushes–yards | 36–218 | 37–295 |
| Passing yards | 209 | 132 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 21–36–0 | 11–20–1 |
| Time of possession | 34:42 | 25:18 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Georgia State | Passing | Zach Gibson | 19/32, 192 yards, 2 TD |
| Georgia State | Rushing | Freddie Brock | 18 carries, 124 yards |
| Georgia State | Receiving | Dorian Fleming | 7 reception, 66 yards |
| Marshall | Passing | Braylon Braxton | 11/20, 132 yards, TD, INT |
| Marshall | Rushing | A. J. Turner | 15 carries, 177 yards, 3 TD |
| Marshall | Receiving | Toby Payne | 4 receptions, 53 yards |

### vs Louisiana-Monroe

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Warhawks | 7 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 23 |
| Thundering Herd | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV
* Date: Saturday, November 2, 2024
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 21,478
* Referee: Ted Pitts
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Mark Martin (play-by-play) and Keith Morehouse (analyst)
* Pregame line: Marshall –10.5
| Statistics | ULM | MRSH |
| First downs | 17 | 20 |
| Plays–yards | 58–388 | 62–364 |
| Rushes–yards | 45–239 | 43–198 |
| Passing yards | 149 | 166 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 9–13–1 | 10–19–0 |
| Time of possession | 32:27 | 27:33 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Louisiana–Monroe | Passing | Aidan Armenta | 9/13, 149 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Louisiana–Monroe | Rushing | Ahmad Hardy | 25 carries, 207 yards, TD |
| Louisiana–Monroe | Receiving | James Jones | 2 receptions, 43 yards, TD |
| Marshall | Passing | Braylon Braxton | 10/19, 166 yards, TD |
| Marshall | Rushing | Jordan Houston | 9 carries, 80 yards |
| Marshall | Receiving | Charles Montgomery | 4 receptions, 68 yards |

### at Southern Miss

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Thundering Herd | 3 | 14 | 17 | 3 | 37 |
| Golden Eagles | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS
* Date: Saturday, November 9, 2024
* Game time: 3:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • Wind: SE 7 mph
* Game attendance: 20,502
* Referee: Tim Barker
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Jason Baker (play-by-play) and Austin Davis (analyst)
* Pregame line: Marshall –13.5
| Statistics | MRSH | USM |
| First downs | 21 | 8 |
| Plays–yards | 72–526 | 58–183 |
| Rushes–yards | 47–267 | 40–113 |
| Passing yards | 259 | 70 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 16–25–1 | 5–18–3 |
| Time of possession | 33:25 | 26:35 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Marshall | Passing | Braylon Braxton | 14/21, 220 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Marshall | Rushing | Ethan Payne | 13 carries, 104 yards, 1 TD |
| Marshall | Receiving | Christian Fitzpatrick | 2 receptions, 78 yards |
| Southern Miss | Passing | Ethan Crawford | 5/18, 70 yards, 3 INT |
| Southern Miss | Rushing | Rodrigues Clark | 8 carries, 61 yards |
| Southern Miss | Receiving | Tiaquelin Mims | 1 reception, 35 yards |

### vs Coastal Carolina

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chanticleers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 19 |
| Thundering Herd | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV
* Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 24,175
* Referee: Trennis Livingston
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Mark Martin (play-by-play) and Keith Morehouse (analyst)
* Pregame line: Marshall –9.0
| Statistics | CCU | MRSH |
| First downs | 20 | 17 |
| Plays–yards | 76–391 | 63–254 |
| Rushes–yards | 36–124 | 32–35 |
| Passing yards | 267 | 219 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 21–40–1 | 20–31–0 |
| Time of possession | 30:52 | 29:08 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Coastal Carolina | Passing | Ethan Vasko | 21/39, 267 yards, TD, INT |
| Coastal Carolina | Rushing | Braydon Bennett | 19 carries, 67 yards, TD |
| Coastal Carolina | Receiving | Bryson Graves | 6 receptions, 87 yards |
| Marshall | Passing | Braylon Braxton | 21/30, 219 yards, 3 TD |
| Marshall | Rushing | Jordan Houston | 9 carries, 33 yards |
| Marshall | Receiving | Carl Chester | 4 receptions, 69 yards |

### at Old Dominion

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Thundering Herd | 3 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 42 |
| Monarchs | 0 | 7 | 21 | 7 | 35 |
at S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA
* Date: Saturday, November 23, 2024
* Game time: 7:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 51 °F (11 °C) • Wind: NW 13 mph
* Game attendance: 18,083
* Referee: Marshall Lewis
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Leger Douzable (analyst)
* Pregame line: Old Dominion –3.0
| Statistics | MRSH | ODU |
| First downs | 21 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 66–469 | 77–513 |
| Rushes–yards | 42–259 | 46–286 |
| Passing yards | 210 | 227 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 13–24–0 | 19–31–1 |
| Time of possession | 26:04 | 33:56 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Marshall | Passing | Braylon Braxton | 13/24, 210 yards, 3 TD |
| Marshall | Rushing | Braylon Braxton | 18 carries, 140 yards |
| Marshall | Receiving | Christian Fitzpatrick | 2 reception, 69 yards, TD |
| Old Dominion | Passing | Cotlon Joseph | 19/31, 227 yards, TD, INT |
| Old Dominion | Rushing | Colton Joseph | 25 carries, 158 yards, 2 TD |
| Old Dominion | Receiving | Isiah Paige | 7 receptions, 103 yards |

### at James Madison

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | Total |
| Thundering Herd | 0 | 0 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 35 |
| Dukes | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 33 |
at Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA
* Date: Saturday, November 30, 2024
* Game time: 8:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 26 °F (−3 °C) • Wind: SW 2 mph
* Game attendance: 23,341
* Referee: Ted Pitts
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Lowell Galindo (play-by-play) and Fozzy Whittaker (analyst)
* Pregame line: James Madison –3.5
| Statistics | MRSH | JMU |
| First downs | 17 | 22 |
| Plays–yards | 63–261 | 72–382 |
| Rushes–yards | 38–141 | 53–244 |
| Passing yards | 120 | 138 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 13–25–0 | 14–19–1 |
| Time of possession | 24:27 | 35:33 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Marshall | Passing | Braylon Braxton | 13/24, 120 yards, TD |
| Marshall | Rushing | Jordan Houston | 6 carries, 50 yards |
| Marshall | Receiving | Bralon Brown | 3 receptions, 39 yards |
| James Madison | Passing | Alonza Barnett III | 14/19, 138 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| James Madison | Rushing | Jobi Malary | 16 carries, 106 yards, TD |
| James Madison | Receiving | Omarion Dollison | 4 receptions, 46 yards, TD |

### at Louisiana (Sun Belt Championship)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Thundering Herd | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Cajun Field • Lafayette, Louisiana
* Date: Saturday, December 7, 2024
* Game time: 7:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 45 °F (7 °C) • Wind: W 2 mph
* Game attendance: 20,067
* Referee: Trennis Livingston
* TV announcers (ESPN): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Sam Acho (analyst), and Lauren Sisler (sideline reporter)
* Pregame line: Louisiana –4.0
| Statistics | MRSH | LA |
| First downs | 25 | 11 |
| Plays–yards | 70–410 | 60–255 |
| Rushes–yards | 44–217 | 28–56 |
| Passing yards | 193 | 199 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–26–0 | 13–32–1 |
| Time of possession | 33:56 | 26:04 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Marshall | Passing | Braylon Braxton | 18/26, 193 yards, 2TD |
| Marshall | Rushing | Jordan Houston | 17 carries, 117 yards, TD |
| Marshall | Receiving | Tychaun Chapman | 8 receptions, 86 yards, TD |
| Louisiana | Passing | Chandler Fields | 4/8, 104 yards |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Zylan Perry | 6 carries, 25 yards |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Lance LeGendre | 4 receptions, 81 yards |