HUNTINGTON, W. VA. - (WGNS)- “Close” may work with horseshoes and hand grenades — but not football, and certainly not on a humid Saturday (9/12/2026) night in Huntington, W. VA. Middle Tennessee State pushed Marshall to the brink, trading punches all evening, but the Thundering Herd held on for a 28–26 win that left the Blue Raiders walking off the field knowing they were just one play away.
The game had that classic back‑and‑forth feel from the opening kickoff. Marshall struck first, MTSU answered, and neither team ever led by more than eight. It was the kind of contest where every possession felt like a turning point — and in the fourth quarter, that proved true.
Marshall grabbed momentum early in the final frame when Zion Turner’s stretch toward the goal line resulted in a fumble recovered by Xayvion Turner‑Bradshaw for a touchdown. Minutes later, after Roman Gagliano’s first collegiate interception, the Herd punched in another score from two yards out. Suddenly, Marshall led 28–20 and the clock wasn’t exactly friendly.
But MTSU didn’t blink. Gagliano marched the offense downfield, finding AJ Jones twice — first for a clutch first down, then for a touchdown with 50 seconds left. That set up the moment everyone in Huntington held their breath for: the two‑point conversion. The Blue Raiders needed one play to tie it. Instead, the pass sailed high, and Marshall ran out the remaining seconds to secure its first win of the season and a second straight victory over MTSU.
Statistically, the teams were nearly mirror images. Middle Tennessee finished with 352 total yards — 243 through the air and 109 on the ground — while Marshall posted 310 yards with a slightly stronger rushing attack. Each team turned it over once. The difference, in the end, was timing.
The Blue Raiders drop to 1‑1 and now turn their attention back home. Next Saturday, Sept. 19, the Nevada Wolf Pack comes to Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff. And yes — WGNS will have every snap, just as we’ve done as far back as 1947.
