Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
James Madison
Marshall Football Hosts JMU In Prime-Time Game
10/18/2023 5:00:00 PM | Football
Herd’s 7 p.m. Thursday matchup with undefeated Dukes will be shown on ESPN
Coach Huff's Weekly Press Conference - James Madison
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Football enjoys its only home game of October under the lights of prime-time as undefeated James Madison visits Joan C. Edwards Stadium for a 7 p.m. matchup that will be shown on ESPN.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Watch:Â ESPN
Listen: Live
Live Stats: StatBroadcastÂ
Game notes: Marshall | James Madison
Twitter:Â @HerdFB
Instagram: @Herd_FB
PRE-GAME NOTES
This Sun Belt Conference SBC battle brings forth two of the marquee East Division programs into the spotlight of prime-time as Marshall and James Madison meet for the fourth time in history.
For Marshall, the game is a return to the friendly confines of Joan C. Edwards Stadium where the Herd is currently 3-0 on the season. The Herd has not been at home since a Sept. 30 win over Old Dominion, which was the team's Homecoming game.
Running back Rasheen Ali continues to rank among the nation's best in several categories, including points scored per game (12.0, 2nd in FBS), rushing touchdowns (1, T-3rd in FBS) and total touchdowns (12, T-3rd in FBS).
James Madison's rush defense is No. 1 in FBS, allowing just 42.8 yards per game, making the matchup a strength vs. strength battle for each side.
ABOUT MARSHALL
Marshall comes into Thursday's contest after a 41-24 loss at Georgia State on Saturday. The Thundering Herd is currently 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the SBC.
Marshall's offense has been led recently by the continued strong play of quarterback Cam Fancher, who completed his final 18 throws of the game – including a perfect 17-of-17 effort in the 2nd half – in the loss at Georgia State.
Fancher's 18 consecutive completions tie a Marshall record set by Grant Wells against North Texas in 2021. Fancher can break the record with a completion on his first attempt on Thursday.
Defensively, the Thundering Herd got a career-high effort last week from safety J.J. Roberts, who finished with 15 tackles while Owen Porter ended the day with 10 tackles and a sack, which put him within a half-sack of breaking into the all-time top-10 in Marshall history.
For a more in-depth look at Marshall football, visit HERE.
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ABOUT JAMES MADISON
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James Madison comes into Joan C. Edwards Stadium as one of only 11 undefeated teams in the country at 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Sun Belt Conference.
The Dukes, who were chosen to finish first in the SBC East Division, feature the nation's top rush defense, allowing just 42.8 yards per game on the ground.
That effort is led by nose guard James Carpenter, who commands lots of attention in the middle of the Dukes' defensive front.
Offensively, the Dukes are led by Jordan McCloud, who has thrown for 1,432 yards and 14 touchdowns with only three interceptions. The receiving tandem of Elijah Sarratt (24 receptions, 385 yards, 3 TDs) and Reggie Brown (20 receptions, 423 yards, 3 TDs) have accounted for 55 percent of the production of the passing game.
For more information surrounding the James Madison football program, visit HERE.
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SERIES HISTORYÂ
Marshall leads the all-time series between the teams, 3-0. Last season, Marshall went to JMU and spoiled Homecoming with a 26-12 win over the Dukes that served as JMU's lone home loss of the season and only the Dukes' second loss in 29 home games over a five-year span.
Marshall's other wins in the series came while both programs were members of Division I-AA (now FCS). The Herd won a 28-21 overtime game in Huntington in 1994 and a 41-12 affair in Huntington in 1987.
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