By GRANT TRAYLOR

Associate Athletic Director of Strategic Communications

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Marshall Football is looking to wrap up the Sun Belt Conference’s East Division title at 8 p.m. Saturday when the team travels to Bridgeforth Stadium to take on James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va. The game will be shown nationally on ESPNU.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Watch: ESPNU
Listen: Live
Live Stats: StatBroadcast 
Game notes: Marshall | JMU
Twitter: @HerdFB
Instagram: @Herd_FB

PRE-GAME NOTES

Marshall is looking to solidify the Sun Belt Conference’s East Division title with a win on Saturday. In doing so, the Herd would clinch a spot in the 2024 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Football Championship Game. Marshall clinches a berth in the 2024 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Football Championship with a win or a Georgia Southern loss.

Marshall comes into the game with an 8-3 record and 6-1 record in the Sun Belt East Division. After being picked to finish 5^th in the East Division in the preseason, the Herd is assured of finishing no lower than 2^nd.

Marshall quarterback Braylon Braxton comes in as the reigning SBC Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for 350 total yards, which included throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for 140 yards, in last week’s 42-35 win at Old Dominion.

JMU is looking to complete an undefeated season at home (currently 5-0 this season). Over their last 50 home games, James Madison is 46-4 at Bridgeforth Stadium, making it one of the toughest places to play in the country.

Among those four home losses during that stretch is a 26-12 loss to Marshall in 2022 – the Herd’s only ever trip to Bridgeforth Stadium. Since that loss, the Dukes have won 12 of their last 13 games at home.

It will be Senior Day for JMU at Bridgeforth Stadium. The Dukes lost on Senior Day last season – a 26-23 overtime loss to App State.

 ABOUT MARSHALL

Marshall comes into Saturday’s contest at 8-3 overall and 6-1 on the season, which has the Herd in first place in the Sun Belt East Division. Head coach Charles Huff is in his fourth season leading the Thundering Herd.

Offensively, the Thundering Herd is 18^th in the nation in rushing yards per game, averaging 205.8 yards per game.

Marshall quarterback Braylon Braxton comes into the game as the reigning Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Herd to a turnover-free performance in a 42-35 win at Old Dominion last week. Braxton threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another 140 in the win.

On the defensive side, the Herd is led by defensive end Mike Green, one of the nation’s premier defensive players and someone who was honored this week as a Bednarik Award semifinalist. Green ranks No. 1 in FBS in sacks (15.0), tackles for loss (20.0), sack yardage (126), TFL yardage (137) and is also No. 1 among all FBS defensive linemen in tackles (76).

Marshall linebacker Jaden Yates also leads all FBS players in total tackles with 105. Defensive backs J.J. Roberts and Jacobie Henderson are ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the SBC in passes defended with 14 and 11 respectively.

For a more in-depth look at Marshall football, visit HERE.

ABOUT JAMES MADISON

James Madison comes into Saturday’s game at 8-3 overall and 4-3 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Dukes are coached by Bob Chesney, who is in his first year leading the program.

JMU is led offensively by talented quarterback Alonza Barnett III, who has thrown for 2,460 yards with 24 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

Defensively, the Dukes are excellent, starting with defensive linemen Eric O’Neill and linebacker Khairi Manns. O’Neill currently has 9.0 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss on the season – both of which rank right behind Marshall’s Mike Green. Manns has 53 tackles on the season with 8.0 sacks to his credit.

JMU leads the nation in turnover margin at +17. The Dukes have 25 takeaways to their credit (17 interceptions, 8 fumble recoveries) and they have turned the ball over just eight times in 11 games.

For more information about James Madison, visit HERE.

SERIES HISTORY

This will be the fifth all-time meeting between Marshall and James Madison with the Herd holding a 3-1 advantage in the series. Marshall earned a 26-12 win at Bridgeforth Stadium in 2022 while JMU won last year’s contest, 20-9, in Huntington.