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The Marshall Thundering Herd have had a week off and are no doubt ready to get back on the field. The Thundering Herd and the FIU Panthers will face off in a Conference USA battle at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Marshall should still be feeling good after a big win, while FIU will be looking to regain their footing.
Marshall made easy work of the North Texas Mean Green two weeks ago and carried off a 49-21 victory. The team accrued 42 points in the first half and coasted on those for the victory. Marshall's success was spearheaded by the efforts of QB Grant Wells, who passed for two TDs and 323 yards on 32 attempts in addition to punching in three rushing touchdowns, and RB Rasheen Ali, who rushed for two TDs and 109 yards on 20 carries.
Meanwhile, the contest between FIU and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers last week was not a total blowout, but with the Panthers falling 34-19 at home, it was darn close to turning into one. WR Randall St. Felix put forth a good effort for the losing side as he caught five passes for one TD and 104 yards. St. Felix hadn't helped his team much against the Charlotte 49ers three weeks ago, so this was a nice turnaround for him.
The Thundering Herd are the favorite in this one, with an expected 21.5-point margin of victory. Those who got lucky with them against the spread two weeks ago might want to hold off on placing bets this time since the squad has yet to string together back-to-back wins against the spread.
Marshall is now 4-3 while the Panthers sit at 1-6. A pair of defensive numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: Marshall is stumbling into the game with the 221st most rushing yards allowed per game in the nation, having given up 221.6 on average. FIU has experienced some struggles of their own as they are 239th worst in the nation in passing touchdowns allowed, with 17 on the season. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
