2020 Marshall Thundering Herd football team

2020 Marshall Thundering Herd football
2020 Marshall Thundering Herd football
C-USA East Division champion
C-USA Championship Game, L 13–22 vs. UAB
Camellia Bowl, L 10–17 vs. Buffalo
Conference	Conference USA
	East Division
Record	7–3 (4–1 C-USA)
Head coach	Doc Holliday (11th season);
Offensive coordinator	Tim Cramsey (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Pro spread
Defensive coordinator	Brad Lambert (2nd season)
Co-defensive coordinator	J. C. Price (2nd season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	Joan C. Edwards Stadium
	Seasons ← 2019 2021 →

2020 Conference USA football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
East Division
Marshall xy	4	–	1	7	–	3
Florida Atlantic	4	–	2	5	–	4
Western Kentucky	4	–	3	5	–	7
Charlotte	2	–	2	2	–	4
Middle Tennessee	2	–	4	3	–	6
FIU	0	–	3	0	–	5
West Division
UAB xy$	3	–	1	6	–	3
UTSA	5	–	2	7	–	5
Louisiana Tech	4	–	2	5	–	5
North Texas	3	–	4	4	–	6
Rice	2	–	3	2	–	3
Southern Miss	2	–	4	3	–	7
UTEP	0	–	4	3	–	5
Championship: UAB 22, Marshall 13
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Note: Due to COVID-19, Old Dominion opted out of the season.

The 2020 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Thundering Herd played their home games at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia, and competed in the East Division of Conference USA (CUSA). They were led by eleventh-year head coach Doc Holliday.

The game against Middle Tennessee marked the 50th anniversary of the crash of Southern Airways Flight 932, which took place on November 14, 1970, and killed 75 people, 70 of whom were connected to the Marshall football program.

Preseason

CUSA media days

The CUSA Media Days will be held virtually for the first time in conference history.^[1]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
Media poll (East Division)
1	Charlotte
2	FIU
3	Florida Atlantic
4	Marshall
5	Middle Tennessee
6	Old Dominion
7	Western Kentucky

Schedule

Marshall announced its 2020 football schedule on January 8, 2020.^[2] The 2020 schedule originally consisted of 6 home and 6 away games in the regular season.

The Thundering Herd had games scheduled against Boise State, East Carolina, Ohio, Old Dominion, and Pittsburgh, which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7] These were partially replaced with games against Appalachian State, Eastern Kentucky, and UMass.

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 5	1:30 p.m.	Eastern Kentucky*		Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV	ESPN	W 59–0	12,001
September 19	3:30 p.m.	No. 23 Appalachian State*		Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV	CBS	W 17–7	12,050
October 10	7:30 p.m.	at Western Kentucky		Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	Stadium	W 38–14	4,428
October 17	6:00 p.m.	at Louisiana Tech		Joe Aillet Stadium Ruston, LA	CBSSN	W 35–17	7,140
October 24	2:30 p.m.	Florida Atlantic	No. 22	Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV	Stadium	W 20–9	12,002
November 7	2:30 p.m.	UMass*	No. 16	Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV	ESPN+	W 51–10	11,711
November 14	12:00 p.m.	Middle Tennessee	No. 16	Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV	CBSSN	W 42–14	12,224
December 5	12:00 p.m.	Rice	No. 21	Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV	ESPN+	L 0–20	10,429
December 18	7:00 p.m.	UAB		Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV (C-USA Championship Game)	CBSSN	L 13–22	8,324
December 25	2:30 p.m.	vs. Buffalo*		Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL (Camellia Bowl)	ESPN	L 10–17	2,512
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after November 24 released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

^[8]

Game summaries

Eastern Kentucky

Game One – Eastern Kentucky Colonels at Marshall Thundering Herd

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colonels	0	0	0	0	0
Thundering Herd	21	17	14	7	59

at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, West Virginia

Date: Saturday, September 5, 2020
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C) • Wind: ENE 3 mph
Game attendance: 12,000
TV announcers (ESPN): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), Katie George (sideline)
Pregame line: Marshall –25.5

Game information

First quarter

(12:19) MRSH – Xavier Gaines 22 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 2:41; Marshall 7–0)
(8:04) MRSH – Brendan Knox 8 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 4 plays, 70 yards, 1:31; Marshall 14–0)
(2:01) MRSH – Talik Keaton 21 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:05; Marshall 21–0)

Second quarter

(10:02) MRSH – Garet Morrell 2 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 15 plays, 72 yards, 6:12; Marshall 28–0)
(6:07) MRSH – Shane Ciucci 23 yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 1:37; Marshall 31–0)
(3:07) MRSH – Jaron Woodyard 42 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 1 play, 42 yards, 0:06; Marshall 38–0)

Third quarter

(7:04) MRSH – Sheldon Evans 6 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 5:05; Marshall 45–0)
(0:43) MRSH – Lawrence Papillon 13 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 2:47; Marshall 52–0)

Fourth quarter

(4:02) MRSH – Amir Richardson 3 yard pass from Luke Zban, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 8:22; Marshall 59–0)

Statistics	EKU	MRSH
First downs	7	34
Plays–yards	47–166	83–627
Rushes–yards	31–86	54–282
Passing yards	80	345
Passing: comp–att–int	10–16–1	22–29–0
Time of possession	25:37	34:23

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Eastern Kentucky	Passing	Parker McKinney	7/10, 71 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Quentin Pringle	6 carries, 39 yards
	Receiving	Keyion Dixon	3 receptions, 34 yards
Marshall	Passing	Grant Wells	16/23, 307 yards, 4 TD
	Rushing	Knowledge McDaniel	14 carries, 93 yards
	Receiving	Talik Keaton	2 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD

Appalachian State

Game Two – No. 23 Appalachian State Mountaineers at Marshall Thundering Herd

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 23 Mountaineers	7	0	0	0	7
Thundering Herd	7	3	7	0	17

at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, West Virginia

Date: Saturday, September 19, 2020
Game time: 3:45 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Clear and Sunny • Temperature: 69 °F (21 °C) • Wind: SSW 8 mph
Game attendance: 12,050
Referee: M. Vandervelde
TV announcers (CBS): Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst), Sherree Burruss (sideline)
Pregame line: App State –4.5

Game information

First quarter

(12:29) MRSH – Brenden Knox 2 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 2:31; Marshall 7–0)
(7:11) APP – Jalen Virgil 11 yard pass from Zac Thomas, Chandler Staton kick (Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 5:18; Tied 7–7)

Second quarter

(2:28) MRSH – Shane Ciucci 29 yard field goal (Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 6:08; Marshall 10–7)

Third quarter

(4:44) MRSH – Grant Wells 12 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 2 plays, 79 yards, 0:34; Marshall 17–7)

Statistics	APP	MRSH
First downs	26	22
Plays–yards	72–364	70–379
Rushes–yards	33–96	45–216
Passing yards	268	163
Passing: comp–att–int	22–39–1	11–25–1
Time of possession	28:01	31:59

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
App State	Passing	Zac Thomas	22/38, 268 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Camerun Peoples	12 carries, 57 yards
	Receiving	Thomas Hennigan	5 receptions, 88 yards
Marshall	Passing	Grant Wells	11/25, 163 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Brenden Knox	28 carries, 138 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Xavier Gaines	2 receptions, 68 yards

At Western Kentucky

Game Three – Marshall Thundering Herd at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Thundering Herd	14	14	10	0	38
Hilltoppers	0	0	7	7	14

at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, Kentucky

Date: Saturday, October 10, 2020
Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Partly Cloudy • Temperature: 68 °F (20 °C) • Wind: E 6 mph
Game attendance: 4,428
Referee: Billy Williams
TV announcers (Stadium): Chris Hassel (play-by-play), A. J. Hawk (analyst)
Pregame line: Marshall –7.0

Game information

First quarter

(14:22) MRSH – Brenden Knox 45 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:38; Marshall 7–0)
(2:21) MRSH – Sheldon Evans 5 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:30; Marshall 14–0)

Second quarter

(2:14) MRSH – Brenden Knox 1 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 1:49; Marshall 21–0)
(0:27) MRSH – Brenden Knox 9 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 1:33; Marshall 28–0)

Third quarter

(9:20) MRSH – Tavante Beckett 38 yard fumble return, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 4 plays, 13 yards, 1:42; Marshall 35–0)
(2:22) MRSH – Shane Ciucci 28 yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 34 yards, 5:20; Marshall 38–0)
(0:00) WKU – Kevaris Thomas 2 yard rush, Brayden Narveson kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:22; Marshall 38–7)

Fourth quarter

(0:06) WKU – Dalvin Smith 26 yard pass from Kevaris Thomas, Brayden Narveson kick (Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 1:37; Marshall 38–14)

Statistics	MRSH	WKU
First downs	17	15
Plays–yards	61–344	64–294
Rushes–yards	40–182	25–85
Passing yards	162	209
Passing: comp–att–int	16–22–0	21–39–0
Time of possession	34:41	25:19

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Marshall	Passing	Grant Wells	16/22, 162 yards
	Rushing	Brenden Knox	15 carries, 107 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Broc Thompson	4 receptions, 94 yards
WKU	Passing	Kevaris Thomas	9/18, 148 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Kevaris Thomas	7 carries, 30 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Xavier Lane	4 receptions, 74 yards

At Louisiana Tech

Game Four – Marshall Thundering Herd at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Thundering Herd	7	7	14	7	35
Bulldogs	0	3	7	7	17

at Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, Louisiana

Date: Saturday, October 17, 2020
Game time: 6:02 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Partly Cloudy • Temperature: 70 °F (21 °C) • Wind: S 10 mph
Game attendance: 7,140
Referee: Chris Bynum
TV announcers (CBSSN): Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst), AJ Ross (sideline)
Pregame line: Marshall –13.5

Game information

First quarter

(5:36) MRSH – Grant Wells 1 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 4:43; Marshall 7–0)

Second quarter

(10:04) LT – Jacob Barnes 35 yard field (Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 5:11; Marshall 7–3)
(1:57) MRSH – Brenden Knox 1 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 6:20; Marshall 14–3)

Third quarter

(7:34) MRSH – Brenden Knox 7 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:56; Marshall 21–3)
(5:41) LT – Adrian Hardy 12 yard pass from Luke Anthony, Jacob Barnes kick (Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 1:53; Marshall 21-10)
(3:09) MRSH – Artie Henry 46 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:32; Marshall 28–10)

Fourth quarter

(11:03) MRSH – Corey Gammage 26 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 5:49; Marshall 35–10)
(0:36) LT – Isaiah Graham 9 yard pass from Aaron Allen, Jacob Barnes kick (Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 4:45; Marshall 35–17)

Statistics	MRSH	LT
First downs	25	17
Plays–yards	71–402	58–267
Rushes–yards	47–175	24–7
Passing yards	227	260
Passing: comp–att–int	19–24–1	26–34–1
Time of possession	35:11	24:29

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Marshall	Passing	Grant Wells	19/24, 227 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Brenden Knox	32 carries, 125 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Artie Henry	3 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD
La Tech	Passing	Luke Anthony	18/25, 180 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Israel Tucker	4 carries, 20 yards
	Receiving	Adrian Hardy	9 receptions, 102 yards, 1 TD

Florida Atlantic

Game Five – Florida Atlantic Owls at No. 22 Marshall Thundering Herd

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Owls	0	6	3	0	9
No. 22 Thundering Herd	7	0	10	3	20

at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, West Virginia

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2020
Game time: 2:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Cloudy• Temperature: 52 °F (11 °C) • Wind: S 6 mph
Game attendance: 12,002
Referee: Rodney Burnette
TV announcers (Stadium): Chris Hassel (play-by-play), A. J. Hawk (analyst)
Pregame line: Marshall –19.0

Game information

First quarter

(5:40) MRSH – Brenden Knox 58 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 5 plays, 79 yards, 2:08; Marshall 7–0)

Second quarter

(2:28) FAU – Malcolm Davidson 11 yard rush, Vladimir Rivas PAT blocked (Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 5:53; Marshall 7–6)

Third quarter

(8:12) FAU – Vladimir Rivas 43 yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 6:48; FAU 9–7)
(6:24) MRSH – Artie Henry 41 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 4 plays, 81 yards, 1:48; Marshall 14–9)
(3:13) MRSH – Shane Ciucci 35 yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 2:25; Marshall 17–9)

Fourth quarter

(10:53) MRSH – Shane Ciucci 22 yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:20; Marshall 20–9)

Statistics	FAU	MRSH
First downs	17	19
Plays–yards	68–234	64–385
Rushes–yards	37–86	30–134
Passing yards	148	251
Passing: comp–att–int	18–30–1	18–31–2
Time of possession	33:12	26:48

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
FAU	Passing	Nick Tronti	18/30, 148 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Malcolm Davidson	8 carries, 62 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jordan Merrell	5 receptions, 48 yards
Marshall	Passing	Grant Wells	18/31, 251 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Brenden Knox	25 carries, 101 yards
	Receiving	Corey Gammage	6 receptions, 79 yards

UMass

Game Six – UMass Minutemen at No. 16 Marshall Thundering Herd

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Minutemen	7	3	0	0	10
No. 16 Thundering Herd	14	17	13	7	51

at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, West Virginia

Date: Saturday, November 7, 2020
Game time: 2:35 p.m. EST
Game weather: Clear and Sunny• Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Wind: Calm
Game attendance: 11,711
Referee: Rodney Burnette
TV announcers (ESPN+): Mark Martin (play-by-play), Jake Griffith (analyst)
Pregame line: Marshall –45.0

Game information

First quarter

(13:28) MRSH – Brenden Knox 45 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:32; Marshall 7–0)
(7:01) MASS – Samuel Emilus 2 yard pass from Will Koch, Jeremy Martin kick (Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:48; Tied 7–7)
(2:02) MRSH – Brenden Knox 14 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 4:59; Marshall 14–7)

Second quarter

(9:52) MRSH – Corey Gammage 19 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 3:00; Marshall 21–7)
(6:04) MRSH – Shane Ciucci 43 yard field goal (Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 2:13; Marshall 24–7)
(2:38) MASS – Jeremy Martin 46 yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 3:26; Marshall 24–10)
(0:38) MRSH – Sheldon Evans 11 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 2:00; Marshall 31–10)

Third quarter

(6:47) MRSH – Xavier Gaines 13 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci rush failed (Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:12; Marshall 37–10)
(3:46) MRSH – Xavier Gaines 16 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 2 plays, 16 yards, 0:44; Marshall 44–10)

Fourth quarter

(13:04) MRSH – Knowledge McDaniel 14 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:37; Marshall 51–10)

Statistics	MASS	MRSH
First downs	12	33
Plays–yards	55–190	73–495
Rushes–yards	29–41	41–267
Passing yards	149	228
Passing: comp–att–int	17–26–0	21–32–0
Time of possession	26:53	33:07

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UMass	Passing	Will Koch	12/18, 99 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Ellis Merriweather	10 carries, 31 yards
	Receiving	Taylor Edwards	1 reception, 37 yards
Marshall	Passing	Grant Wells	21/30, 228 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Brenden Knox	14 carries, 118 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Artie Henry	5 receptions, 71 yards

Middle Tennessee

Game Seven – Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at No. 16 Marshall Thundering Herd

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Blue Raiders	0	7	7	0	14
No. 16 Thundering Herd	7	14	21	0	42

at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, West Virginia

Date: Saturday, November 14, 2020
Game time: 12:06 p.m. EST
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 48 °F (9 °C) • Wind: WSW 3 mph
Game attendance: 12,224
Referee: Joe Lehring
TV announcers (CBSSN): Carter Blackburn (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst), Jenny Dell (sideline)
Pregame line: Marshall –23.5

Game information

First quarter

(7:18) MRSH – Willie Johnson 3 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 2 plays, 7 yards, 0:44; Marshall 7–0)

Second quarter

(10:29) MTSU – Jarrin Pierce 4 yard pass from Asher O'Hara, Crews Holt kick (Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 2:53; Tied 7–7)
(3:08) MRSH – Hayden Hagler 1 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 2:25; Marshall 14–7)
(0:32) MRSH – Corey Gammmage 17 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 4 plays, 47 yards, 1:00; Marshall 21–7)

Third quarter

(11:32) MRSH – Corey Gammmage 28 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 4 plays, 92 yards, 1:34; Marshall 28–7)
(6:51) MTSU – Asher O'Hara 2 yard rush, Crews Holt kick (Drive: 3 plays, 28 yards, 1:02; Marshall 28–14)
(5:40) MRSH – Sheldon Evans 26 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:11; Marshall 35–14)
(7:18) MRSH – Willie Johnson 23 yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 3 plays, 55 yards, 1:09; Marshall 42–14)

Statistics	MTSU	MRSH
First downs	18	26
Plays–yards	68–303	75–520
Rushes–yards	23–56	38–184
Passing yards	247	336
Passing: comp–att–int	30–45–0	25–37–0
Time of possession	24:46	35:14

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Middle Tennessee	Passing	Asher O'Hara	29/44, 241 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Asher O'Hara	11 carries, 39 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jarrin Pierce	9 receptions, 90 yards, 1 TD
Marshall	Passing	Grant Wells	25/37, 336 yards, 5 TD
	Rushing	Brenden Knox	16 carries, 70 yards
	Receiving	Willie Johnson	8 receptions, 137 yards, 2 TD

Rice

Game Eight – Rice Owls at No. 21 Marshall Thundering Herd

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Owls	7	3	10	0	20
No. 21 Thundering Herd	0	0	0	0	0

at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, West Virginia

Date: Saturday, December 5, 2020
Game time: 12:05 p.m. EST
Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 43 °F (6 °C) • Wind: WNW 6 mph
Game attendance: 10,429
Referee: Ken Antee
TV announcers (ESPN+): Jake Griffith (play–by–play) and Dave Wilson (analyst)
Pregame line: Marshall –24.5

Game information

First quarter

(1:06) RICE – Jordan Myers 1 yard rush, Collin Riccitelli kick (Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 6:48; Rice 7–0)

Second quarter

(5:49) RICE – Collin Riccitelli 39 yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:21; Rice 10–0)

Third quarter

(9:24) RICE – Collin Riccitelli 40 yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 2:21; Rice 13–0)
(7:50) RICE – Naeem Smith 36 yard interception return, Collin Riccitelli kick (Drive: 3 plays, -5 yards, 1:34; Rice 20–0)

Statistics	RICE	MRSH
First downs	17	19
Plays–yards	63–213	63–245
Rushes–yards	46–127	28–80
Passing yards	86	165
Passing: comp–att–int	10–14–0	18–35–5
Time of possession	36:26	23:34

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Rice	Passing	JoVoni Johnson	10/14, 86 yards
	Rushing	Ari Broussard	19 carries, 62 yards
	Receiving	Jake Bailey	7 receptions, 57 yards
Marshall	Passing	Grant Wells	18/35, 165 yards, 5 INT
	Rushing	Brenden Knox	20 carries, 76 yards
	Receiving	Talik Keaton	7 receptions, 48 yards

UAB (Conference USA Championship)

Game Nine – UAB Blazers at Marshall Thundering Herd (Conference USA Championship)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Blazers	3	6	0	13	22
Thundering Herd	0	0	7	6	13

at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, West Virginia

Date: Saturday, December 18, 2020
Game time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 34 °F (1 °C) • Wind: W 3 MPH
Game attendance: 8,324
Referee: Jon Noli
TV announcers (CBSSN): Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analyst) and Jenny Dell (sideline)

Game information

First quarter

(1:45) UAB – Matt Quinn 30-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 6:10; UAB 3–0)

Second quarter

(11:55) UAB – Hayden Pittman 19-yard pass from Tyler Johnston III, Matt Quinn kick failed (Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:54; UAB 9–0)

Third quarter

(6:17) MRSH – Artie Henry 7-yard pass from Grant Wells, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 2:06; UAB 9–7)

Fourth quarter

(14:55) UAB – Matt Quinn 42-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 6:22; UAB 12–7)
(5:55) UAB – Matt Quinn 48-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 40 yards, 6:47; UAB 15–7)
(5:38) MRSH – Xavier Gaines 70-yard pass from Grant Wells, Grant Wells pass failed (Drive: 1 play, 70 yards, 0:17; UAB 15–13)
(4:02) UAB – Trea Shropshire 71-yard pass from T Johnston III, Matt Quinn kick (Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:36; UAB 22–13)

Statistics	UAB	MRSH
First downs	21	10
Plays–yards	74–468	51–268
Rushes–yards	52–216	27–130
Passing yards	252	138
Passing: comp–att–int	12–22–0	8–24–1
Time of possession	41:26	18:34

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UAB	Passing	Tyler Johnston III	12/22, 252 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Spencer Brown	30 carries, 149 yards
	Receiving	Trea Shropshire	5 receptions, 180 yards, TD
Marshall	Passing	Grant Wells	8/23, 138 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Brenden Knox	17 carries, 67 yards
	Receiving	Xavier Gaines	1 reception, 70 yards, TD

Buffalo (Camellia Bowl)

Game Ten – Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Buffalo Bulls (2020 Camellia Bowl)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Thundering Herd	0	7	3	0	10
Bulls	0	10	0	7	17

at Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama

Date: Saturday, December 25, 2020
Game time: 2:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 41 °F (5 °C) • Wind: W 13 mph
Game attendance: 2,512
Referee: Edwin Lee (The American)
TV announcers (ESPN): Bill Roth (play-by-play), Dustin Fox (analyst) and Lauren Sisler (sideline)
ESPN game summary

Game information

First quarter: No scoring plays
Second quarter

(11:43) UB – Kyle Vantrease 1 yard rush, Alex McNulty kick (Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:31; Buffalo 7–0)
(5:33) UB – Alex McNulty 25 yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 37 yards, 4:20; Buffalo 10–0)
(0:42) MRSH – Knowledge McDaniel 2 yard rush, Shane Ciucci kick (Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 4:51; Buffalo 10–7)

Third quarter

(8:48) MRSH – Shane Ciucci 21 yard field goal (Drive: 15 plays, 60 yards, 6:12; Tied 10–10)

Fourth quarter

(1:09) UB – Kevin Marks 2 yard rush, Alex McNulty kick (Drive: 13 plays, 88 yards, 6:18; Buffalo 17–10)

Statistics	MRSH	UB
First downs	16	21
Plays–yards	59–248	70–295
Rushes–yards	37–134	43–155
Passing yards	114	140
Passing: comp–att–int	13–22–0	16–27–1
Time of possession	24:33	35:27

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Marshall	Passing	Grant Wells	13/20, 114 yards
	Rushing	Sheldon Evans	18 carries, 79 yards
	Receiving	Corey Gammage	6 receptions, 88 yards
Buffalo	Passing	Kyle Vantrease	16/27, 140 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Kevin Marks	35 carries, 138 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jovany Ruiz	7 receptions, 61 yards

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Final
AP	—	—*	RV	25	RV	RV	RV	22	19	16	16	15 T	17	15	RV	RV	RV	RV
Coaches	—	—*	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	25	18	15	15	15	16	15	RV	RV	RV	RV
CFP	Not released												21	21	—*			Not released

Players drafted into the NFL

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
4	138	Josh Ball	OT	Dallas Cowboys

References

^ "Conference USA to hold virtual football media days due to COVID-19". ktsm.com. May 5, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
^ "Pittsburgh, Boise State Highlight Marshall's 2020 Football Schedule". Marshall University Department of Athletics. January 8, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
^ "ACC Announces Plans for Football and Fall Olympic Sports". TheACC.com. July 29, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
^ "Old Dominion postponing football and fall sports". The Virginian Pilot. August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
^ Silverstein, Adam; Patterson, Chip (August 8, 2020). "MAC becomes first FBS conference to cancel 2020 college football season for the fall". CBSsports.com. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
^ McMurphy, Brett (August 10, 2020). "Sources: Mountain West Cancels Fall Football Season". WatchStadium.com. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
^ "ECU-Marshall football game canceled ahead of plane crash 50th anniversary". WITN.com. November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
^ "2020 Marshall Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved March 11, 2020.

[1] "Conference USA to hold virtual football media days due to COVID-19". ktsm.com. May 5, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.

[2020sched-2] "Pittsburgh, Boise State Highlight Marshall's 2020 Football Schedule". Marshall University Department of Athletics. January 8, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.

[aac-3] "ACC Announces Plans for Football and Fall Olympic Sports". TheACC.com. July 29, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.

[4] "Old Dominion postponing football and fall sports". The Virginian Pilot. August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.

[5] Silverstein, Adam; Patterson, Chip (August 8, 2020). "MAC becomes first FBS conference to cancel 2020 college football season for the fall". CBSsports.com. Retrieved August 8, 2020.

[6] McMurphy, Brett (August 10, 2020). "Sources: Mountain West Cancels Fall Football Season". WatchStadium.com. Retrieved August 11, 2020.

[7] "ECU-Marshall football game canceled ahead of plane crash 50th anniversary". WITN.com. November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.

[8] "2020 Marshall Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved March 11, 2020.

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v t e Marshall Thundering Herd football
Venues	Central Field (1895–1927) Fairfield Stadium (1928–1990) Joan C. Edwards Stadium (1991–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Appalachian State East Carolina Ohio: Battle for the Bell West Virginia: Friends of Coal Bowl
Culture & lore	Marco the Bison "Sons of Marshall" Marching Thunder Plane crash Marshall University: Ashes to Glory We Are Marshall
People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold