September 5, 2018,  Football  No comments

By Michael Morgan

The Marshall Thundering Herd defeated the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks by a score of 35-28 with strong support from a balanced offensive attack on Saturday in Oxford, Ohio.

The game featured the debuts of kicker Justin Rohrwasser and punter Robert Lefevre. Rohrwasser impressed, making all 5 extra points that he attempted and kicking 4 out of 6 kickoffs for touchbacks. Lefevre punted the ball 6 times and averaged 41.2 yards a kick. The best punt of the game did not come from the punter though.

Quarterback Isaiah Green and the offense came out on a fourth down on the 32 yard-line. Green dropped back, took the snap, and instead of throwing a pass, he turned and punted the ball. The ball hit around the 5-yard line and looked as if it would roll into the end zone, but receiver Tyre Brady prevented a touchback, leaving the RedHawks with bad field position at the 4-yard line.

The return game was led by running back Tyler King. King had 1 kick return for 31 yards, but perhaps the most important play of the game came in the fourth quarter on a punt return.

Miami had the momentum, after closing the deficit that was as much as 21 points in the third quarter, down to 7 and had to punt the ball back to the Herd.

King fielded a punt and saw his opportunity to change the game. He broke a tackle and sped in between two defenders and was off to the races. King was slowed down by the punter, then caught by a defender, but not before he gained 50 yards. This set the Herd up in great field position which later led to the game-winning touchdown, a 21-yard pass from Isaiah Green to Tyre Brady.

Marshall student Taylor Perry was at the game and could not stress her excitement. “When Tyler (King) returned that punt, I almost lost my voice because I was cheering so loud! I knew we had the momentum at that point,” Perry said.

The other side of the special teams almost cost the Herd their lead in the fourth. Miami scored with 3:31 left in the fourth to cut the lead down to just 7, proceeding to kick the ball back to Marshall.

King attempted to field the kick, which took a difficult bounce and went over his head. He ran into the end zone to grab the ball, and instead of kneeing it for a touchback, attempted to return it. He was then tackled at the 2-yard line and lost the ball, which was picked up by a Miami defender in the end zone. Luckily for the Herd, King was ruled down and disaster was avoided.

The Herd held on to win thanks to the offense being able to run out the last 2:22 on the clock. Marshall has now won 11 of their last 12 games against the RedHawks.

Marshall fan Drew Lauhon’s confidence in the team never wavered. “I wasn’t once nervous, even after the bad kick return. This team was not going to blow this game,” Lauhon said.

As long as the Herd limits the mistakes on special teams to a minimum, it will be a strong spot for them, bolstered by Keion Davis and Tyler King.

The Herd return to Huntington next week on Sept. 8 to take on the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. A win over the Colonels would move the Herd to 2-0, just before a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks of the SEC.