Ole Miss RB Barry Clark plunges forward for a first down. The Herd defense would have the last laugh however, holding the Rebels to 1 score, en-route to another convincing win.

Thundering Herd Shines, Ferguson Leaves Game: Status Uncertain

(5) Marshall 41 - Ole' Miss 7

[Huntington, WV] Granted a fortunate schedule filled with home games to start the season, the young Thundering Herd have done their part and taken full advantage. This weekend the Rebels of Ole' Miss presented the most recent challengers to stop the run-away Herd but instead wound up with a face-full of dirt and another tally in the Loss column.

The highly-touted Canadian RB Ron Ferguson was fed a full work-load as he ran 30 times for 250 yards and 1TD (2 fumbles, 0 lost). Unfortunately, he was once again forced to leave the game, this time suffering a stinger on a nasty hit from DT William Clough. Coach Holliday responded to the latest injury to his star RB, "You can say the kid is in the hunt for the Heisman, but he needs to find a way to stay on the field. We'll know more in a few days when the swelling goes down and see if he'll be able to practice with the rest of the team. If not, I'm comfortable that Gonzalez will be able to step in and carry the torch."

QB Larry Ricketts who has been hot to start the year, was very efficient going 15 for 24, with 4TDs and 0INTs, including a heads-up Hot Read, dumping the ball off to FB Thomas Helms just over the head of a blitzing linebacker, and he scampered 19 yards into the end-zone.

Defensively, Marshall was opportunistic as they forced 3 turnovers (2FR, 1INT) and the secondary had a bend-but-don't break mentality which made the game's score slightly more lop-sided than it was. CB Lewis McGinnis had a team-high 7 tackles, and the game's lone interception and the defensive front-7 was able to keep the running game bottled-up so there were plenty of opportunities to pin their ears back and attack the QB.

Next week, Marshall will once again play the part of gracious hosts as they welcome the #7 ranked LSU Tigers. This will be a tough test for The Herd as the Bayou Bengals (5-1) lead the SEC West Division and have quite a formidable offense to contend with. This game will be in Primetime at 8pm Eastern.

Marshall WR Ronald Stewart runs free in the open-field, during Saturday night's primetime match-up.

Tigers Geaux Down, Marshall Improves to 7-0

(3) Marshall 31 - (7) LSU 10

[Huntington, WV] These are indeed the salad days for the Marshall University faithful! After Saturday night's throttling of the (7) Tigers; people are beginning to mention the Marshall Thundering Herd along with the elite teams in the NCAA. Coming out of this season's recruiting season most of the pundit's openly mocked the way AD Garrok put the team together; including the hosts of the nationally-syndicated radio show 'The Grind'. Well a number of teams have been forced to eat their words as the Herd have been running wild over every opponent put in their way.

This game, with the starting RB Ron Ferguson out of action once more, it was widely accepted that RB Graham Gonzalez would step right in as the focal-point for the offense. Coach Holliday and his lauded running game were stymied over and over in the 1st quarter and Marshall had no choice but to put the ball in the air and right into the teeth of the Tigers defense. QB Larry Ricketts performed adequately completing 24 of 35 passes for 341 yards, 3TDs and 2INTs, but the player of the game was WR Ronald Stewart who hauled in 10 passes and 1TD - and seemed to be there to bail out his QB every time a play broke down.

The Marshall defense was on it's game, holding the LSU QB Timothy Soileau to just 34% passing, 0TDs and 1INT. CB Lewis McGinnis had an interception in his second straight game, and the defense combined for 9 sacks (WLB Morton Perez (3), DT Clinton Canterbury (2), MLB Richard Davis (1), SLB Jeffrey Cline (1), DT Gregory Howard (1), and SLB Christopher Wright (1).

Unfortunately, the injury bug took a bite out of the Herd when late in the game; while trying to run down the clock in garbage time, RB Graham Gonzalez got rolled up on from behind by one of his own offensive linemen and had to be helped off the field, unable to put any pressure on his left leg. There's wide speculation that he may have torn a ligament in his knee and with the status of starting RB Ray Ferguson still very much in doubt for the next number of weeks, the coaching staff will have precious little time to re-design their offense before boarding a plane to Eugene, OR next weekend.

Every team must battle adversity throughout the grueling football season and we will see what the Herd is made of now that it will taste it's first major test of will. Game time for Saturday's game is 4pm local time, 7pm Eastern.

Marshall WR Andres Emert celebrates after scoring the walk-off touchdown in overtime to beat the Oregon Ducks Saturday

Marshall Escapes With Dramatic OT Win In Eugene, OR

(3) Marshall 44 - Oregon 38

[Eugene, OR] After feasting on home-cooking during the first half of the collegiate football season, the Herd came thundering into Eugene, sporting a 7-0 record and the talk of college football. It wasn't a question of if they would beat the Ducks but by how much; and this is why you always have to play the game! The Ducks proved more than game, and they are most likely the best win-less team in football with talent throughout their lineup, and they chose this game to flex their muscles.

Both of the teams' regular running backs were left behind in Huntington due to injury, so Coach Holliday was forced to turn the running duties over to the teams starting TE John Amaya and walk-on RB Elmer Rodriguez and it was clear from the start that the running game was going to struggle to put up yardage all evening.

The first quarter of football saw Marshall take an early lead, only to give up a monster 80-yard TD to Ducks' speedy WR Robert Reyes (his first of 2 on the day). But the real fireworks took place in the second quarter where the teams combined to put up 38pts including Marshall surrendering 2-KR TD's to Richard Riley.

The second half was a see-saw affair with 3 lead changes. Everytime the Herd would go ahead, Oregon had an answer. If it wasn't for an NCAA Player of the Week performance from starting QB Larry Ricketts and his 6TDs this game would have been a laugher for the home-side. Trailing by 3 in the middle of the third frame, Ricketts dropped back and recognized a Duck blitz just in time to dump the ball over the middle to a streaking Amaya out of the backfield who stiff-armed a would-be tackler and rumbled in for a 74-yard score putting Marshall up once more. Hilight: https://ncaa-football.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/184#34132

The Ducks found the answer to reward the raucus with just over 2 minutes left to play in the game as QB Leslie Jacques found Robert Reyes for the second time in the game, again putting the Ducks up by 3. Cue Captain Clutch Ricketts who led a 7-play, 63-yard drive to set up the game-tieing FG with a minute to play.

The teams traded possessions in OT, and after a sack dazed Ricketts, their back-up QB throws an errant ball right into the waiting arms of CB Daniel Reyna just outside of Oregon field goal range. The Ducks were unable to make a first down so they sent their FG unit out to try a long game-winning FG. The kick was up and wide of the target, so once again Ricketts and the rest of the Thundering Herd had 1 last chance to escape Eugene with a win but only 1minute of clock to work with.

After 2 incomplete passes and starting down a 3rd-and-10 on the own 45-yard line Ricketts comes up with this (Audio courtesy of WRUF): https://ncaa-football.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/184#34245



Steve Cotton: Third-and-ten and Ricketts is under center with 2 receivers flanked out right and a single receiver to his left; I-backfield.

Ricketts drops back, looks left ---- and he has a man! Amert beat his man clean off the line. It's a footrace! Noone will catch him! 10 - 5 - TOUCHDOWN!!!!! The Herd pull of a stunning 44-38 OT win. The fans here in Eugene are in stunned silence.

(Sounds of the Marshall team echoing up to the broadcast booth)

Next week the Herd return home to host PAC-12 powers, the Washington Huskies. The boys will have to stay focused this week of practice after such an emotional victory.

Marshall RB Ray Ferguson returned to action with over 100 yards on 11 rushes to carry Marshall over Washington Saturday afternoon.

Herd Stampedes Huskies; Final Unbeaten Team

(2) Marshall 34 - (11) Washington 17

[Huntington, WV] Coming off of last weeks' emotional OT victory in Eugene, OR; the Herd welcomed 11th-ranked Washington to the Joan C. Edwards Memorial Stadium on Saturday to begin the season's second half.

Marshall was bolstered by the news that they would have both their starting RBs back in the lineup together for the first time in close to a month and the coaching staff vowed to take a more measured approach going forward to limit their stars' exposure to injury. RB Ray Ferguson and RB Graham Gonzalez each had 11 carries, and the Herd racked up 226 yards on the ground. QB Larry Ricketts had an efficient game connecting on over 60% of his passes and recording 2 more touchdowns through the air as Heisman talk for the Marshall signal-caller begins to heat up.

Unfortunately for the Huskies, preseason Heisman frontrunner RB Myles Gaskin was unable to get out of neutral the entire game and 2017 is turning into a season that he will most likely want to forget. He had a paltry 21 yards on 16 carries and another 18 yards through the air, but he also coughed up the ball after a big hit from Marshall DE Eddie Parra.

Marshall opened the game up in the second quarter and entered the tunnel at halftime with a commanding 27-7 lead. The Herd would increase their lead to 27 in the third quarter and would coast to a comfortable win. The Huskies did manage 10 points late in 4th quarter garbage time to make the final score look much closer than the game really was.

After beating up on PAC-12 teams for 2 straight weeks, the Herd will battle fellow-Independent Division rival Army who is coming off a demoralizing 16-13 loss to previously winless Alabama. This marks the start of a Division-heavy next few weeks for Marshall as 3 of the next 4 games are against divisional foes, and 3 of 4 are also on the road.

Late word is breaking that Marshall sits atop the college football landscape as #1 in the most current BCS poll!

Black Knights CB Mike Reynolds picked off Marshall twice and had a game-high 10 tackles to the delight of the cadets in attendance Saturday

Repeated Miscues Plague Marshall In Loss To Army

Army 21 - (1) Marshall 18

[West Point, NY] Last weeks 16-13 loss to Alabama lit a fire under the Army squad as they came out with a renewed vigor, catching Marshall off-balance and off-guard all day. It was a series of self-inflicted wounds that ultimately sealed the Herds fate Saturday, as Marshall coughed up the ball 5 times, including 2 interceptions thrown by QB Larry Ricketts - his first in over 3 weeks.

The offense was able to move the ball at will, almost doubling up Army in yardage, but they were unable to convert in the red-zone and settling for field goals cost them the win today. Army was full credit for the win as they were around the ball all game; imposing their will in the running game and doing just enough through the air when it mattered. The day was won by Army CB Mike Reynolds who had a career day with 2INTs, 10 tackles, and 30% catches allowed which secured him NCAA Player of the Week honors.
With the game in doubt late in the 4th quarter, the Herd squandered their chances, and when pressed to go for it on 4th down (which they did on 2 different occasions), Ricketts inexplicably threw the ball away on 4th-and-2, and on the next series, playing a hunch Coach Holliday put in back-up QB Dean Wynn (who had the Herd only TD pass on the day), only to fumble the exchange and end the game.

There is no time to dwell on defeat for Marshall as they will need to prepare for the Naval Academy's star QB James Sherwood and the rest of the high-octane Midshipman offense.

Thundering Herd WR Jeffery Brandt watches as the ball slips through his fingers as Marshall lost to Navy 25-17 Saturday.

Navy Cruises In Win Over Suddenly Slumping Herd

Navy 25 - (4) Marshall 17

[Annapolis, MD] For the second times in as many games, the Marshall offense was rendered ineffective against a high-pressure defense, this time belonging to the Naval Academy. QB Larry Ricketts was under heavy barrage from the Naval Destroyers on defense as they sacked the freshman 6 times, forced a fumble, and came up with an interception. The offense wasn't able to move the ball with any consistency and wound up almost being doubled up in yardage and overwhelmingly abused in time of possession. Just when Marshall looked to be putting on a surge in the 3rd quarter where they pulled ahead 17-16 ever so briefly, Navy picked themselves back up and returned to the fight with renewed vigor.

Where in games past the defense had held strong in getting the ball back for the team, this week they just couldn't get off the field. It was 1 step forward, and 2 steps back. The lone bright spot was in holding Navy to just 50% red zone conversions - the score was misleading, this game was nowhere near as close as it appeared in the 4th quarter.

We may only be 2 weeks removed from Marshall being the #1 team in the country, but you'd never know it by listening to the radio call-in shows where it's clear the fans are not impressed with the teams play in these past 2 divisional games. Next week will present another tough test as Marshall will once again be on the road, this time to the Horseshoe in Columbus, OH to take on the Big 10 leading Ohio State Buckeyes.

Thundering Herd QB Larry Ricketts is welcomed to the 'Shoe by Ohio State's DE Jeffery Mahmood

Situation Critical As Marshall Loses Third Straight

Ohio State 26 - (6) Marshall 13

[Columbus, OH] If you had your choice of teams to face after losing two straight, this Ohio State team wouldn't be atop your list, and they showed why this past Saturday night in Primetime. The much-ballyhooed pregame festivities and hype-machine were billing this as a 'Do-Or-Die' match-up with play-off implications on the line.

After 2 K 'Mean' Dean Green field goals, it was time to hear from an old friend...

https://ncaa-football.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/253#47146
RB Ray Ferguson shrugs off 2 Buckeyes and rumbles into the endzone to tie the game at 6-apiece which held up as the score-line until halftime.

The teams would trade touchdowns in the 3rd quarter and again - just as last week - the Herd faded in the 4th quarter, unable to mount any substantial offensive pressure. Ohio State RB John Boswell was the difference in this game, keeping the Buckeye offense on the field with over 230 yards of total offense.

The Lumbering Herd will make their way home to the thus-far friendly confines of Joan C. Edwards Stadium after a woe-full 0-3 road trip. Waiting with their boots polished, and pants pressed are the Cadets of West Point for a return engagement after besting the previously unblemished Bison. Another heated divisional match-up, at home, coming off their worst stretch of games this season - much will be learned about this team in the coming days....

WR Andres Emert jukes past an Army defender and goes on to leap into the endzone for 1 of his 2TD catches on the day

Crucial Home Victory Sees Marshall Stop The Bleeding After 0-3 Road Trip

(6) Marshall 35 - Army 27

[Huntington, WV] Vengeance was on the mind of every member of the Thundering Herd as Homecoming Week gripped the West Virginia campus of Marshall University. Coming off a 0-3 road-trip which saw the home side fall from #1 in the Power 12 Poll all the way down to #6 and in danger of falling out of the Bowl picture for the first time this season. The boosters packed into their RV's as the town of Huntington swelled by well over 50,000 souls who all bleed Kelly Green & White in the hopes that the Herd could avenge their loss to Army which started the slide to begin with.

Down 10-7 at the start of the second quarter, Offensive Captains G Michael Conroy & FB Thomas Helms held an impromptu huddle on the sidelines in the first sign of veteran leadership all season. They got in their teammates faces, and challenged each and every player's manhood - demanding nothing less than 100% commitment to the team; no more worrying about personal stats, touches, or TV time. The only thing that mattered was a win.

And boy did they respond.

First it was RB Ray Ferguson with a long TD run; and next possession WR Ronald Stewart got into the game with a 61-yard TD catch of his own.

Marshall would lead at halftime at 21-10 but they we not done yet.

Coming out from the break WR Andres Emert would score 2TDs in the third quarter to open up the game for a lead they would never relinquish. The Black Knights did put a scare into the Marshall coaching staff by breaking off 17-straight points in the 4th quarter, but they just ran out of time to complete the comeback as the Marshall student body would rush the field and tear down the goal posts in jubiliant celebration.

This ends the home portion of Marshall's schedule as the final 3 games of the year will be played on the road, starting in Berkeley, CA against the #9 California Golden Bears. Cal has been one of the more dominant defensive teams in all of college football all year long and this game will have enormous Bowl ramifications as Marshall, Cal and the Washington Huskies are all battling for the final 2 Bowl spots left in the Elite Conference.

The game-ball was awarded to Thundering Herd K Ronald Osborne who accounted for all the scoring by the visitors as Marshall ran away with a hard-fought 9-3 victory in Week 14 action against the Cal Bears

Osborne Tames Bears as Herd Kicks Their Way To Victory

(6) Marshall 9 - (7) California 3

[Berkeley, CA] In a game with everything to play for, you knew that both teams were going to bring their very best to the table. Both the Thundering Herd and the Golden Bears are hustling to keep ahead of the Washington Huskies who have come on of late.

This was a true defensive gem by both squads as the quarterbacks were confused, frustrated, flumoxed, perplexed, and all around confounded. Here's a clip we had of Bears QB Rodney Williams going into the locker room at halftime: https://youtu.be/jvMX1Yan0Es. The 2 QBs combined to be 34 of 77 passing (44%), 400 yards, 0TDs, 3INTs, and 7 sacks. This was NOT an oil-painting of a game.

The turning point came late in the 3rd Quarter as the teams would trade INTs - first it was CB Lawrence Alston picking off Marshall QB Larry Ricketts, and on the very next play Bears QB Rodney Williams would laser a ball towards WR Mike Shelton only to have CB Lewis McGinnis step infront of the receiver and grab ahold of his 3rd pick on the year. Aided by a Targetting penalty to Bears stud SS James Rambo on the following play and Marshall was set up for the go-ahead FG early in the 4th.

The Bears had plenty of chances to get themselves back in the game as the Thundering Herd RBs combines for 3 fumbles, but the Bears found themselves precious inches-short of coming up with the ball each time and that was truly the margin of victory for this game.

The Herd will be donning their winter coat as they mosey on over to South Bend, IN for the return engagement of Week 4s stunning 35-13 upset victory over the Fighting Irish. Again, not much separates these 2 teams atop the Independent Division with Notre Dame holding a slim 1-game victory and Marshall with the tie-breaker.

Fighting Irish QB Brandon Wimbush celebrates his first of 3 TD passes in Notre Dame's Independent Conference clinching win over rival Marshall

Notre Dame Avenges Earlier Loss; Clinches Independent Conference Crown

(3) Notre Dame 41 - (5) Marshall 9

[South Bend, IN] The Fighting Irish were fighting mad after an earlier loss in Huntington, WV to the surprising Thundering Herd in late September - one of only 2 losses to this point in the season. In that game Fighting Irish QB Brandon Wimbush had a difficult day with Marshall's pressure defense and QB Larry Ricketts was efficient enough to put the Herd on top with their signature win on the season so far. But that was then; and this is now.





The Golden Domers were on their game from the very start - urged on by close to 80,000 screaming fans - the defense was able to hold Marshall to FGs twice and give their offense a chance to decipher the defense that had confounded them for 6 quarters.

Marshall took a slim 9-7 lead into half-time as the fans in South Bend were starting to get on their team with a smattering of boo's as the teams made their way to the tunnel for half-time. It was well know that this game would likely decide which team would walk away with the Conference Title, and a 1st Round Bye in the upcoming Bowl playoff schedule.

That's when the young Notre Dame QB emerged as a leader for his team - getting in teammates faces at half-time, challenging them to bring it in the second half. And bring it they did! 34 unanswered points (4TDs, 2FGs) a near-perfect 145.14 QB passer rating for Wimbush, 9 catches for 220yards and 3TDs to Heisman candidate WR Quincy Brown and triplet RB Josh Adams got into the act with 18 rushes for 135yards.

Congratulations to the inaugural Independent Conference Champions, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish!



Marshall will lick their wounds, and prepare for a showdown with the improved-of-late Alabama Crimson Tide next week. With a Bowl berth all sewn up for the Thundering Herd, word is that there will be a number of starters sitting for the game to nurse their injuries and prepare for THE Ohio State Buckeyes in the Sun Bowl.