Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
9-3 , 7-1
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8-4 , 4-4
Marshall Football Tops JMU in Double-OT For SBC East Title
12/1/2024 1:56:00 AM | Football
Herd rallies from 17-point deficit, defeats Dukes 35-33 to advance to 2024 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Championship
HARRISONBURG, Va. – Marshall Football had a night to remember forever at Bridgeforth Stadium on Saturday night.
Marshall rallied back from the fifth-largest deficit in program history, earning a 35-33 double-overtime win over James Madison to win the Sun Belt East Division title in exciting fashion in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
With the win, Marshall will play in the 2024 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Football Championship at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 7. The site for that game will be announced on Sunday morning by the league.
"That's what happens when everyone pulls the rope in the same direction," Marshall Football coach Charles Huff said. "Even when it gets rocky, even when things don't seem to be going your direction, you keep believing, praying and working. That's what these guys have done!"
The victory was Marshall's sixth in a row, continuing one of the nation's longest winning streaks – albeit in memorable fashion.
Marshall's comeback was complete in the second overtime after Tychaun Chapman took in a reverse for a 10-yard touchdown that tied the game at 33.
After that, Marshall ran a shift offensively with quarterback Braylon Braxton moving out wide and running back Ethan Payne moving behind center. Payne pitched the ball on a reverse to Braxton, who then fired a pass to wide receiver Chuck Montgomery for the game-winning two-point conversion that set off a wild celebration for the Herd.
"I knew if Doc (Chapman) got it in his hands what he would do with it," Braxton said. "On the 2-point conversion, we've been repping it with the shift. We knew Chuck was going to be wide open. We just had to get him the ball and the rest was history."
Marshall forged the second overtime after a clutch 49-yard field goal by Rece Verhoff in the first overtime that left things knotted at 27 following the first extra session.
The teams went to overtime tied at 24 after Marshall got a 1-yard plunge on fourth down from Braxton to knot the game with 5:04 left.
Marshall trailed 17-0 in the contest, but Verhoff's 42-yard field goal to open the third quarter got the Herd on the board before the game's biggest swing.
The game's biggest swing happened later in the third quarter when the Herd got two touchdowns in the span of seven seconds to tie the game.
Toby Payne caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Braxton before safety Jadarius Green-McKnight secured the first interception of his Marshall career and returned it 28 yards for a score to tie the game at 17 with 2:11 left in the third.
The Herd now awaits the announcement for the location of the 2024 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Football Championship.
Please stay logged on to Marshall's social media accounts for updates on location and ticket availability.
For all the latest information about Marshall Football, follow @HerdFB on Twitter and @Herd_FB on Instagram.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS and Android.
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Team Stats
MAR 0, JMU 7
JMU - Pettaway,George 5 yd run (Ruelas,Noe kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:17
MAR 0, JMU 14
JMU - Dollison,Omarion 9 yd pass from Barnett III,Alonza (Ruelas,Noe kick) 11 plays, 90 yards, TOP 06:04
MAR 0, JMU 17
JMU - Ruelas,Noe 23 yd field goal 16 plays, 83 yards, TOP 08:32
MAR 3, JMU 17
MAR - Verhoff,Rece 42 yd field goal 12 plays, 48 yards, TOP 05:09
MAR 10, JMU 17
MAR - Payne,Toby 16 yd pass from Braxton,Braylon (Verhoff,Rece kick) 5 plays, 45 yards, TOP 01:37
MAR 17, JMU 17
MAR - Green-McKnight,Jadarius 28 yd interception (Verhoff,Rece kick)
MAR 17, JMU 24
JMU - Malary,Jobi 7 yd run (Ruelas,Noe kick), 10 plays, 65 yards, TOP 06:02
MAR 24, JMU 24
MAR - Braxton,Braylon 1 yd run (Verhoff,Rece kick), 12 plays, 72 yards, TOP 06:05
MAR 27, JMU 24
MAR - Verhoff,Rece 49 yd field goal 4 plays, -6 yards, TOP 00:00
MAR 27, JMU 27
JMU - Ruelas,Noe 38 yd field goal 4 plays, 5 yards, TOP 00:00
MAR 27, JMU 33
JMU - Knight,Wayne 9 yd pass from Barnett III,Alonza () 6 plays, 25 yards, TOP 00:00
MAR 35, JMU 33
MAR - Chapman,Tychaun 10 yd run (Montgomery,Charles pass), 4 plays, 25 yards, TOP 00:00
