Old Dominion’s stout defense was on display during last Thursday’s shutout against Troy.
The Monarchs won 33-0 and held the Trojans to just 138 yards in last week’s Sun Belt Game of the Week. ODU has surrendered only six total points in its last two outings.
While some teams in the Sun Belt have non-conference games this week, this week’s game features a pair of squads which are still competing for bowl-eligibility and are looking to cap the season on a high note under first-year head coaches.
How To Watch Marshall-App State
The game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday and will air on ESPN+.
Marshall-App State Betting Odds
Marshall is a 4.5-point college football betting odds favorite over App State as of this writing. The Over/Under is at 54.5.
Marshall-App State Coaches & Records
MU: Tony Gibson (5-5 overall/at Marshall)
APP: Dowell Loggains (4-6 overall/at App State)
Last meeting: Marshall won 52-37 last year at home.
Marshall Preview
For a program that suffered as much turnover as the Thundering Herd did in the offseason, I think Gibson has his team playing well. Outside of a loss to Georgia in Week 1, they’ve been in every game. There’s a chance they get to seven victories or even eight with a bowl win.
Following a two-game losing skid, the Thundering Herd bounced back with a win over Georgia State last week to improve to 5-5 overall and 3-3 in league play.
Statistically, it was quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson’s best performance of his career. The redshirt junior finished with 321 passing yards and three scores while completing 81.5% of his passes. He added 97 yards on the ground. In nine games, Del Rio-Wilson has 1,761 yards and 17 TDs through the air and 584 yards and four scores on the ground.
Del Rio-Wilson’s favorite target is wide receiver Demarcus Lacy, who has 582 yards and five TDs on 49 receptions. Tight end Toby Payne has added 31 catches for 363 yards and three scores. While Del Rio-Wilson is the team’s leading rusher, Antwan Roberts has added 464 yards on the ground.
The Herd are averaging 32.6 points and 405.6 yards per game.
Marshall’s 20 forced turnovers are the second most in the league only behind Southern Miss. Led by Boogie Trotters’ five interceptions — and two pick-sixes — the Herd have 13 interceptions on the year. Trotter is also tied for the team lead in tackles (54) with linebacker Kerion Martin. Javae Gilmore has 52 tackles, and his 10 tackles for loss rank second in the league.
Despite the big plays defensively, Marshall’s defense has been inconsistent this season, so we’ll see how it fares against a sporadically effective App State offense.
App State Preview
It’s been a rocky past month for the Mountaineers, who are on a four-game losing streak and were just dominated by James Madison in a 58-10 defeat.
They sit at 4-6 overall and 1-5 in conference play, and their only league win was against Georgia State. Three of their five Sun Belt losses have come by one possession.
App State has bounced between QBs AJ Swann and JJ Kohl this season with both guys taking a significant amount of snaps. Swann has 1,495 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions while Kohl has 1,060 yards, nine TDs, and two picks. Both players have struggled with consistency.
However, Swann exited last week’s game with an injury and is listed as out this week, meaning Kohl will get the start.
Wideout Jaden Barnes has remained steady for much of the season despite the constant changes at quarterback. He has 55 catches for 608 yards and seven touchdowns.
Running back Rashod Dubinion was leading the Sun Belt in rushing until recently. He has 821 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. He is averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
Against JMU, the Mountaineers only had one rushing yard. They are averaging 24.9 points and 388.7 yards per game.
An area App State has really struggled this season is sustaining drives. It has only converted on 33.1% of third downs, which is the second-lowest mark in the league.
Much like the offense, App State’s defense has been up-and-down and is allowing 30.4 points and 412.3 yards per game. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Colton Phares leads the team with 74 tackles and has added two sacks and two interceptions. Ethan Johnson’s 11 pass breakups are tied for most in the league.
Marshall-App State Prediction
I predict Marshall wins but App State covers the 4.5-point spread.
I typically don’t like picking against App State at home, but the Mountaineers have been more vulnerable there this year, losing their last two. Marshall has also been more consistent, and it’s hard for me to trust App State’s defense against Del Rio-Wilson.
I think this will be a competitive game, and if App State can find some rhythm offensively, then I think it can win. But it’s hard to know if the offense will show up or not.
