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    • South Mississippi Marshall: What to look for
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    South Mississippi Marshall: What to look for

    Vaseline Posted on

    – By Bill Cornwell

    Can Marshall end a long losing streak?

    The Herd brings an eight-game road skid dating back to the start of the 2023 season into Saturday’s 3 p.m. matchup at South Mississippi.

    Marshall’s last road win came on September 9, 2023 at East Carolina.

    Against the struggling Golden Eagles (1-7, 0-4), the Herd (5-3, 3-1) hopes to stay in the thick of the race for a Sun Belt Conference East Division title.

    The match at MM Roberts Stadium will be broadcast on ESPN+.

    The teams are meeting for the 15th time, with Southern Miss leading the series 8-6. The Golden Eagles have won the last three meetings after Marshall won the previous five

    Here are three things to look out for during the game:

    Decline by committee?

    Marshall’s offense pulled off a scare in last week’s 28-23 win over ULM, with a second-half injury to the Herd’s top running back AJ Turner. Turner came off the field with a noticeable limp in the third quarter and did not return to the game. He is expected to play this week against the Golden Eagles. Turner racked up 49 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Warhawks, but his injury also helped Marshall show he has solid depth in the running back room.

    Jordan Houston and Ethan Payne picked up the offensive slack in Turner’s absence, combining for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Like Turner, Houston again showed the ability to spark drives with long runs, this time a 45-yard run early in the fourth quarter that set up a 33-yard touchdown pass from Braylon Braxton to Christian Fitzpatrick.

    Don’t be surprised if Marshall head coach Charles Huff and offensive coordinator Seth Doege find ways to get all three backs in the game in key situations.

    Spirited effort from Golden Eagles?

    This is a question more focused on Southern Miss. It’s been a miserable year for the Golden Eagles with a single win after just over two months of football. The frustrations in Hattiesburg led to the firing of head coach Will Hall last month in his fourth season.

    Hall’s top assistant, Reed Stringer, will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season and remains hopeful his team will be ready to challenge Marshall on Saturday.

    Southern Miss had last week off, and although Stringer lost his interim coaching match at James Madison two weeks ago, the Golden Eagles are no less talented, especially on defense.

    The Golden Eagles’ primary focus must be squarely on the flock to give themselves a chance to clear the upset.

    Finish strong and don’t forget

    In Marshall’s final road game on Oct. 12 at Georgia Southern, the Mountaineers squandered a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter and fell short, 24-23. It seemed that the herd would go to victory, because the task was simply to limit mistakes and finish the game.

    Instead, disaster struck for the Herd with three turnovers, crippling penalties and defensive mistakes that allowed Georgia Southern to recover.

    A mantra for Marshall this week, clearly articulated by Huff, is that good teams find ways to finish and prevail, especially away from home.

    Huff hopes the lessons learned from the team’s most recent outing will push his team to focus and perform.

    Bowl qualification is on the line for the Herd on Saturday, along with a chance to stay alive in the Sun Belt Conference East Division race. No more incentive is needed.

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