Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
3-2 , 1-0
App State
2-3 , 0-2
Marshall Football Earns Homecoming Win Over App State, 52-37
10/5/2024 8:38:00 PM | Football
Braylon Braxton’s five-TD day leads Herd to big victory on Saturday
Box Score | Coach Huff Post-Game Press Conference | Players' Post-Game Press ConferenceÂ
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Football got its 2024 Sun Belt Conference schedule off to a strong start on Saturday, earning a 52-37 win over Appalachian State in front of 28,023 fans at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
With the win, Marshall is now 3-2 on the season and 1-0 in the SBC.
"I couldn't be more proud of this entire program than I am right now," Marshall Football head coach Charles Huff said. "To battle from December after not a great season, you're picked fifth and don't know about this or that, and continue to battle…these kids are special. They've bought into this program, they've bought into this culture and I'm really proud of them."
Marshall now moves to 69-46-8 all-time in Homecoming contests and has won 11 of its last 12. The 52 points put up were the first time Marshall scored 50 points in a Homecoming contest since 1996 (56-25 win over The Citadel).
The Herd's win came over a team who was selected as the 2024 Preseason favorite to win the SBC East Division. The Mountaineers fell to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in SBC play.
In his first start in a Marshall uniform, quarterback Braylon Braxton accounted for 269 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns. Braxton threw for three touchdowns while rushing for 140 yards and two scores.
"I definitely have been staying ready," Braxton said. "I got here in January and went through all spring with the guys, all fall with the guys, so it was really nothing new to me. I've been with these guys for the better part of eight months now."
It was part of a Marshall rushing performance that went for 236 yards on the ground.
Braxton opened the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown run then found running backs A.J. Turner and Jordan Houston for scores out of the backfield. Houston took a swing pass for a 75-yard score while Turner's 5-yard TD reception gave the Herd a 28-17 lead at halftime.
The game's biggest swing came in the early second quarter when the Herd scored a pair of touchdowns in an 11-second span. Following Houston's 75-yard touchdown, Marshall linebacker J'Coryan Anderson intercepted a pass from App State's Joey Aguilar and returned it 13 yards for a score to push the lead to double-figures early.
"Through practice, we've always had a mindset of what that play would be that we were going through," Anderson said. "Everyone did their job, of course, and it just so happened that I made the play. It was a team-effort thing and I was so happy to be there and get that pick."
Turner added a 29-yard scoring run in the second half and Braxton later found Chuck Montgomery for a 26-yard score as Marshall got plenty of chunk plays in the win.
In addition to Anderson's INT return for a score, Jaden Yates led Marshall with 12 tackles while Mike Green added five tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Jacobie Henderson also had a banner day on the back end with six tackles, two pass breakups and an interception.
Marshall now has won two straight and looks to continue its winning ways on the road next week at Georgia Southern. That is an 8 p.m. kickoff on Oct. 12 and will be shown on ESPNU.
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Team Stats
APP 0, MAR 7
MAR - Braxton,Braylon 3 yd run (Verhoff,Rece kick), 4 plays, 48 yards, TOP 01:45
APP 3, MAR 7
APP - Moore,Jackson 42 yd field goal 10 plays, 51 yards, TOP 04:05
APP 10, MAR 7
APP - Roberts,Kanye 10 yd run (Moore,Jackson kick), 14 plays, 94 yards, TOP 06:26
APP 10, MAR 14
MAR - Houston,Jordan 75 yd pass from Braxton,Braylon (Verhoff,Rece kick) 2 plays, 76 yards, TOP 00:46
APP 10, MAR 21
MAR - Anderson,J'Coryan 13 yd interception (Verhoff,Rece kick)
APP 10, MAR 28
MAR - Turner,A.J. 5 yd pass from Braxton,Braylon (Verhoff,Rece kick) 9 plays, 79 yards, TOP 03:06
APP 17, MAR 28
APP - Stroman,Dalton 21 yd pass from Aguilar,Joey (Moore,Jackson kick) 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:11
APP 17, MAR 35
MAR - Turner,A.J. 29 yd run (Verhoff,Rece kick), 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 03:56
APP 17, MAR 38
MAR - Verhoff,Rece 38 yd field goal 4 plays, 8 yards, TOP 01:49
APP 24, MAR 38
APP - Stroman,Dalton 27 yd pass from Aguilar,Joey (Moore,Jackson kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:16
APP 24, MAR 45
MAR - Montgomery,Charles 26 yd pass from Braxton,Braylon (Verhoff,Rece kick) 10 plays, 65 yards, TOP 05:33
APP 31, MAR 45
APP - Marshall,Ahmani 2 yd run (Moore,Jackson kick), 14 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:07
APP 31, MAR 52
MAR - Braxton,Braylon 35 yd run (Verhoff,Rece kick), 6 plays, 58 yards, TOP 01:49
APP 37, MAR 52
APP - Marshall,Ahmani 2 yd run (), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:03
