Marshall University Athletics

11/14/2026 10:56:00 PM | Football
Herd defense forces three turnovers, but drops contest to Mountaineers
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Football got three takeaways on the defensive side of the football, but could not hold off a second-half surge from App State in a 20-16 loss in front of 23,675 fans at Joan C. Edwards Stadium on Saturday night.
With the loss, Marshall falls to 5-5 overall and 2-4 in Sun Belt Conference action.
"First, I want to thank the crowd tonight. I thought it was awesome. It was a great atmosphere," Marshall head coach Tony Gibson said. "I'm disappointed obviously in the way we played offensively. It's another game with so many missed opportunities – turnovers in the red zone, penalties taking away touchdowns."
The Herd defense kept Marshall in the game with three takeaways and strong defensive play throughout the contest.
Trailing 20-16 and defending a short field, Marshall's defense got a forced fumble by defensive end Cole Funderburk that cornerback Charles McCartherens pounced on to give the Herd possession with a chance to take the lead.
Marshall then executed a fake punt to perfection as Coop Heimbach completed a 25-yard pass to Sherone White to get into App State territory.
However, the drive ended when the Herd was unable to convert a fourth-and-short in App State territory.
Funderburk was on the other end of a fumble early in the contest, recovering a fumble forced by Kelvon McBride on a strip of App State quarterback Henry Hasselback that gave the Herd possession at the App State 41.
After a 28-yard pass from Carlos Del Rio-Wilson to Adrian Norton, the Herd cashed in with a 2-yard touchdown run by T.J Lester to go up 13-3.
It appeared the Herd would go up 20-3, but a fumble through the end zone late in the first half gave App State possession and it led to a field goal for the Mountaineers to set the halftime score at 13-6.
Marshall safety Daytione Smith also put in a strong defensive performance, finishing with an interception and two pass breakups.
Running back Jo'Shon Barbie rushed 17 times for 108 yards while Del Rio-Wilson rushed for 66 yards and threw for 106 yards in the loss.
Marshall returns to action at 4 p.m. next Saturday when the Herd hosts Georgia State for Senior Day at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
For all the latest information about Marshall Football, follow @HerdFB on X 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.
---HerdZone.com---
Players Mentioned
Team Stats

APP 0, MAR 3
MAR - Diaz Nicolas,Jorge 31 yd field goal 4 plays, 3 yards, TOP 01:21

APP 3, MAR 3
APP - London,James 31 yd field goal 9 plays, 34 yards, TOP 02:39

APP 3, MAR 6
MAR - Diaz Nicolas,Jorge 54 yd field goal 9 plays, 39 yards, TOP 03:40

APP 3, MAR 13
MAR - Lester,TJ 2 yd run (Diaz Nicolas,Jorge kick), 4 plays, 41 yards, TOP 01:41

APP 6, MAR 13
APP - London,James 31 yd field goal 11 plays, 67 yards, TOP 01:56

APP 13, MAR 13
APP - Hasselbeck,Henry 1 yd run (London,James kick), 15 plays, 75 yards, TOP 07:03

APP 13, MAR 16
MAR - Diaz Nicolas,Jorge 24 yd field goal 13 plays, 69 yards, TOP 06:49

APP 20, MAR 16
APP - Hasselbeck,Henry 37 yd run (London,James kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:13














