Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Historic win likely vaults Herd into Top 25
9/11/2022 2:26:00 AM | Football, Word on the Herd
Marshall pulls off the unlikely in South Bend
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — In the twilight of the third quarter, inside of one of college football's most historic and iconic stadiums, repeated chants of "Let's Go Herd!" cascaded down the northeast stands as the eighth-ranked hosts, Notre Dame, trailed visiting Marshall.
In the final 15 minutes, the college football program with the most Heisman Trophy winners, most All-Americans and most College Football Hall of Famers could not withstand its visitors from Huntington, West Virginia, in front of a sellout crowd, the 10th-largest to ever witness Marshall play a football game.
The first Sun Belt Conference team to ever visit South Bend finished the historic victory as Marshall defeated Notre Dame, 26-21, Saturday night.
This is what first-year Director of Athletics Christian Spears said to the football team after its season opening win against Norfolk State. Spears, who was awarded the game ball that night, encouraged the football players gathered around him to "believe before it happens."
A week later, Marshall football was trending on the social media website Twitter. College football was abuzz. On the same night, Marshall had defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, Appalachian State had defeated No. 6 Texas A&M and Georgia Southern had defeated Nebraska – all Sun Belt East cohorts knocking off major conference opponents on the road.
"We talked about the difference in this game was our collective best was better than their individual best," second-year head coach Charles Huff said Saturday night in the bowels of Notre Dame Stadium.
Huff's team is now destined for the Top 25.
"We talked about the difference in the game was going to be Marshall can't beat Marshall," Huff said. "We knew we could not turn the ball over. We knew we could not have a bunch of penalties … We knew on the other side it was going to be important that we got some of those turnovers and got some of those penalties."
Marshall got those turnovers, as Huff wanted. The Fighting Irish were minus-3 on turnover in the game – all interceptions. Cornerback Micah Abraham snagged the first, and then cornerback Steven Gilmore and defensive lineman Owen Porter snagged the others late in the game. Gilmore's included a 37-yard touchdown return for a "Pick 6," and seemingly sealed the game for the Herd.
"In house, no disrespect to Notre Dame, we expected it because we talked about this summer this team being expected to win," Huff said.
Marshall's defense starred throughout, holding the host Fighting Irish without a score through five possessions. Notre Dame (0-2) punted on its first, third and fifth drives, was stopped on downs on another and had a ball intercepted by Micah Abraham on the other. That is the second consecutive week Abraham has picked off a pass.
The Herd (2-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) struck first on a 10-play, 79-yard drive that ended when Khalan Laborn, making the most of the opportunity in Rasheen Ali's absence, plunged into the end zone for a touchdown. Marshall missed the extra point and led, 6-0.
Notre Dame regained the lead late in the second quarter when quarterback Tyler Buchner scored from 1-yard out. The Irish led 7-6 until 15 seconds left before intermission when Rece Verhoff, who missed the extra point, made a 21-yard field goal. Marshall led, 9-7, at halftime and college football took notice.
Verhoff added another short field goal, this time from 20 yards, with 3:54 left of the third quarter, and it appeared Marshall had taken control. But Notre Dame struck back quickly with its most impressive offensive possession of the game, marching 75 yards on eight plays in 3:57 before Buchner scored again. A 2-point conversion keeper by Bucher put Notre Dame up 15-12 with 14:57 left of the game.
Marshall took command from there. The Herd took the lead for good when transfer quarterback Henry Colombi found tight end Devin Miller for a 3-yard TD pass with 5:16 left of regulation. That made the score 19-15 in favor of the Herd.
Then, Gilmore came up with the Pick 6 – a 37-yard return that all but finished off the Irish. Notre Dame did score with 14 seconds left, but could not recover the onside kick to give itself a chance.
Marshall players, coaches and staff spilled onto the field as the clock struck all zeroes. The Herd had its second win ever against a Top 10 team. The team plane landed at Tri-State Airport late Saturday night, and dozens of fans greeted the team buses upon exit from the tarmac. In the West Lot of Joan C. Edwards Stadium, hundreds of the Marshall faithful welcomed the team back to Huntington after the historic win.
"I hope the people in Huntington smile a little bit brighter tonight," Huff said, before adding:
"You got to know that the people who cheer for you on Saturday afternoons care about you deeper than winning or lose, so when you win it magnifies that feeling of winning a little bit more."
Chuck McGill is the Associate Athletic Director for External Engagement and Fan Experience at Marshall University and a nine-time winner of the National Sports Media Association West Virginia Sportswriter of the Year award. In addition to HerdZone.com's Word on the Herd, McGill is the editor of Thundering Herd Illustrated, Marshall's official athletics publication. Follow him on Twitter (@chuckmcgill).
