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The Marshall Thundering Herd have exploded for 31 points against Massachusetts' defense, already eclipsing their previous tally against the Florida Atlantic Owls two weeks ago. Marshall is way out in front at halftime with a 31-10 lead over UMass.
RB Brenden Knox has led the way so far for the Thundering Herd, as he has rushed for two TDs and 109 yards on 11 carries. UMass has been riding high on the performance of QB Will Koch, who has passed for one TD and 75 yards on 14 attempts.
Who's Playing
Massachusetts @ No. 16 Marshall
What to Know
The Marshall Thundering Herd and the Massachusetts Minutemen have had some time off and are no doubt ready to hit the field. Marshall will play host again and welcome UMass to Joan C. Edwards Stadium, where kick-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday. The Thundering Herd are coming into the matchup with an unblemished 5-0 record.
Marshall beat the Florida Atlantic Owls 20-9 two weeks ago. Marshall can attribute much of their success to RB Brenden Knox, who picked up 101 yards on the ground on 25 carries in addition to snatching one receiving TD. Grant Wells' 58-yard touchdown toss to Knox in the first quarter made for one of the most memorable moments of the afternoon.
Meanwhile, the evening started off rough for UMass three weeks ago, and it ended that way, too. It's hard to picture a worse defeat than the 41 to nothing bruising that they suffered against the Georgia Southern Eagles. The Minutemen were down 38 to nothing at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from. RB Ellis Merriweather had a memorable game, but not in the way you want to be remembered: he rushed for 21 yards on 16 carries.
The Thundering Herd are the favorite in this one, with an expected 44.5-point (!) margin of victory. Those burned by picking them against the spread two weeks ago might want to keep in mind that the squad has never dropped back-to-back games against the spread this season.
Marshall's win lifted them to 5-0 while Massachusetts' loss dropped them down to 0-0. We'll find out if Marshall can add another positive mark to their record or if the Minutemen can shake off the defeat and take the spring out of Marshall's step.
How To Watch
- When: Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Joan C. Edwards Stadium -- Huntington, West Virginia
- TV: ESPN Plus
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds
The Thundering Herd are a big 44.5-point favorite against the Minutemen, according to the latest college football odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Thundering Herd as a 45-point favorite.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
This is the first time these teams have played each other within the last five years.
