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The Marshall Thundering Herd and the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns are set to square off in a Sun Belt matchup at 7:30 p.m. ET Oct. 12 at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. The Thundering Herd will be strutting in after a victory while Louisiana will be stumbling in from a defeat.
When you finish with 279 more yards than your opponent like Marshall did last week, a favorable outcome is almost sure to follow. They took their contest against the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs by a conclusive 28-7 score. The margin was wide but not a surprise since the spread was 31 points in Marshall's favor. RB Khalan Laborn had a stellar game for Marshall as he rushed for two TDs and 191 yards on 35 carries. One of the most memorable plays of the game was Laborn's 78-yard touchdown rush in the fourth quarter.
Marshall's defense was a presence as well, as it collected three interceptions and one fumble. DB Steven Gilmore picked up that interception and then proceeded to rub salt in the wound by taking it back the other way for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, it was all tied up 7-7 at halftime, but the Ragin' Cajuns were not quite the South Alabama Jaguars' equal in the second half when they met last week. Louisiana fell in a 20-17 heartbreaker. Louisiana's loss came about despite a quality game from RB Chris Smith, who picked up 107 yards on the ground on 12 carries. That nimble footwork stands out as the first time Smith has hit the 100-yard rushing mark this season.
The Thundering Herd's win brought them up to 3-2 while Louisiana's loss pulled them down to a reciprocal 2-3. A couple defensive stats to keep an eye on: Marshall ranks fourth in the nation when it comes to rushing yards allowed per game, with only 71.2 on average. As for Louisiana, they enter the matchup with only five passing touchdowns allowed, good for 11th best in the nation.
