Week 11 Preview: James Madison vs Marshall

After dropping a crucial matchup to Coastal Carolina on Halloween eve, Marshall will look to regroup against a tough opponent, as they’ll welcome James Madison to Huntington, W.V. The Dukes currently lead the Sun Belt East division with a perfect 5-0 conference record and ride a six game win streak. Since joining the Sun Belt in 2022, Marshall leads the overall series at 2-1.

Marshall

After a haunting 44-27 defeat on Thursday to Coastal Carolina, the reigning champs of the Sun Belt need to right the ship against a tough James Madison team. This upcoming game will be the Thundering Herd’s “Play for the 75” game, honoring the lives lost in the 1970 plane crash.

Despite an uncharacteristic performance by quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, the Thundering Herd offense has been humming up to this point in the season. The dual-threat quarterback currently leads the Thundering Herd in both passing and rushing yards with 1286 passing and 417 rushing respectively. Del Rio-Wilson adds a layer of complexity to the offense that will be difficult for James Madison to stop for all four quarters.

However, despite the Thundering Herd’s 18th-ranked rushing offense, the Dukes rank 5th in all of FBS against the run. Additionally, Marshall’s 103rd-ranked passing offense will find it difficult to move the ball against the 18th-ranked passing defense from James Madison.

The key to the Thundering Herd will be creating their own opportunities on defense. Marshall is currently tied for 22nd in turnover margin at .67 and ranked 27th in team sacks with 21. The defense will look to lean on Senior cornerback Boogie Trotter and Redshirt Freshman defensive lineman Braydin Ward to help disrupt a balanced James Madison offense. Trotter leads the team in interceptions (5) while Ward leads the team in sacks (4).

The defending champs will have to get creative on offense while remaining poised on defense if they want a chance to slow James Madison.

James Madison

The Dukes have been a thorn in the side of the Sun Belt East since joining the conference in 2022. James Madison currently sits at a 7-1 record (5-0 conference) and riding a six game win streak heading into Huntington after their bye.

James Madison boasts a rather balanced offensive attack, headlined by Redshirt Junior quarterback Alonza Barnett III and Redshirt Junior running back Wayne Knight.

Barnett III has been getting it done through the air with 1516 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Knight ranks 40th in FBS rushing yards with 659 yards while also posting five touchdowns.

Much like the Thundering Herd, the Dukes have been scoring at a high clip. Most recently putting up back-to-back 50+ point games and scoring 30+ in five of their eight games this season (27th in FBS scoring offense).

The most potent part of this Dukes team has been their defense. Ranking 5th in rushing defense and 18th against the pass. James Madison has been reliant on their potent defensive line and linebackers with four players having a total of three sacks a piece. Leading the defense is Senior linebacker Trent Hendrick with 58 total tackles (21 solo), five tackles for loss and three sacks.