RECAP: Marshall Upsets #8 Notre Dame In South Bend, 26-21

It was a historic day for the Marshall Thundering Herd football program as they faced the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend, Indiana. The Herd would pick up their second-ever win against a top ten team by a score of 26-21.

Marshall quarterback Henry Colombi would finish with 145 yards through the air on 16 completions and a touchdown. Running back Khalan Laborn carried the ball 31 times for 163 yards and a touchdown. Marshall would total 219 rushing yards as the carries were once again split between Laborn and a handful of others, including a thirty yard gallup by Talik Keaton.

The Marshall defense would pick off Notre Dame quarterbacks three times throughout the day while bringing constant pressure against the Irish backfield.

The Herd totaled 364 offensive yards to Notre Dame’s 351.

The first half was a defensive battle that concluded with a score of 9-7. Marshall struck first. Florida State transfer Laborn ended a 10-play, 79-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run. The Herd would miss the extra point.

Marshall DB Micah Abraham would pick off Notre Dame’s Tyler Buchner on the next drive, but the Herd would not convert it to points.

Notre Dame would score their first touchdown with about three minutes remaining in the second quarter. A pair of completions from Buchner to tight end Michael Mayer would bring the Irish to the one-yard line before Buchner would punch it in himself.

Just before the end of the first half, Rece Verhoff would make a 21-yard field goal to give the Herd the lead. That capped a 12-play, 74-yard drive. The only points of the third quarter would be another Verhoff field goal, this time from 20 yards out.

The Irish would get their next score similarly to how they got their first touchdown: with a long drive marked by heavy tight end involvement, capped off by a one-yard Buchner touchdown run.

Marshall would punt on the next possession, but would get a huge defensive stop on the ensuing Notre Dame possession and set themselves up well for what would happen next. The Herd marched 94 yards in 11 plays for a score, capped by a touchdown pass from Colombi to tight end Devin Miller.

To extend their lead, Marshall corner Steven Gilmore would pick off Buchner and run it back 37 yards to the end zone.

Buchner would leave the game for the Irish after an apparent injury and would be replaced by Drew Pyne. Pyne would throw an interception, Marshall would not move the ball much in their own territory, and then barely get a terrible punt off. This gave Herd fans some anxiety as the Irish had the ball back in Marshall territory. Pyne would find Mayer in the end zone on fourth down. The Irish would go for the two point conversion, but Pyne would be sacked by the blitzing Herd.

The Irish would attempt the onside kick, but it would be recovered by Corey Gammage to fully secure the victory.

The Herd move to 2-0 on the year while Notre Dame moves to 0-2. Marshall plays next on September 17 at Bowling Green.