Herd Takes Norfolk: Marshall Beats Old Dominion 36-23 Behind a 100-Yard Kick-Six
TJ Lester scored twice, a 100-yard return of a missed field goal tied Marshall's longest play ever, and the defense forced four turnovers as the Thundering Herd won 36-23 at Old Dominion to move to 5-3.
Halloween in Norfolk turned into a treat for the Thundering Herd. Marshall beat Old Dominion 36-23 on Saturday afternoon at S.B. Ballard Stadium, riding a fast start, a jaw-dropping play at the end of the first half and a defense that kept taking the ball away.
The win moves Marshall to 5-3 on the season and 2-2 in Sun Belt play. Old Dominion falls to 2-7.
Lester sets the tone early
Marshall wasted no time. Running back TJ Lester punched in a 4-yard touchdown run on the Herd's opening drive, then broke loose for a 49-yard touchdown later in the first quarter. Lester finished with two touchdowns and 76 rushing yards on just eight carries. A 35-yard field goal made it 17-7 after one quarter.
A kick-six to close the half
The play folks will be talking about all week came with four seconds left before halftime. Old Dominion lined up for a 55-yard field goal that would have cut the lead to one score. The kick came up short, Marshall's Turner-Bradshaw caught it in the end zone and raced 100 yards the other way for a touchdown. The return tied the record for the longest play in program history and sent the Herd to the locker room up 27-10.
Defense and a perfect leg close it out
Old Dominion answered early in the third quarter with a 44-yard interception return for a touchdown to make it 27-17, but that was as close as the Monarchs would get. Marshall's kicker went a perfect 5-for-5 on field goals, adding kicks of 34, 30 and 24 yards in the second half to stretch the lead to 36-17. Old Dominion scored a late touchdown with 3:54 left, and its two-point try failed.
The Herd defense forced four turnovers, picking off three passes and recovering a fumble. Linebacker Brayden Hall led the way with 11 tackles. On offense, Marshall leaned on the ground game, running the ball 54 times for 196 yards and holding the ball for more than 35 minutes.
It wasn't always pretty, as both teams were flagged more than 10 times, but a road win in the Sun Belt is a road win, and this one came with a highlight for the ages.
Huntington, enjoy this one tonight. We are... Marshall!
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