Herd Upsets... A look at some of Marshall's most unlikely wins

Marshall QB, Chad Pennington readies a pass against Clemson in 1999.

On Saturday night the Marshall University football squares off against the #3 ranked Louisville Cardinals. Lamar Jackson, the bonafide favorite to win this year's Heisman trophy, leads an offense averaging 65 points per game including a performance where Louisville scored 63 on then #2 ranked Florida State a week ago. 

To say the Herd, who by contrast are coming off a 65-38 defeat at the hands of Akron, has its hands full Saturday is the year's biggest understatement. It would take a miracle of Biblical proportions for Marshall to find a way to stun America and upset the Cardinals this weekend. But, upsets, even the most unlikely ones, do occasionally happen. So, as a reminder of that let's take a look at four of the biggest upset victories in Marshall football history.

4. Marshall vs. Youngstown State (1992) - In 1991 the Thundering Herd made it all the way to the Division 1-AA National Championship game, only to come up short in a 25-17 loss to Jim Tressel and his Youngstown State Penguins. During the 1992 season, the Herd was led by senior QB Micahel Payton, who managed to top his outstanding junior campaign by throwing for 3,610 yards to go along with his 31 touchdown passes. The lasting memory of this game wouldn't come from Payton's arm but from the foot of senior Willy Merrick. After racing out to a 28-0 lead, the Herd found themselves in a tie ball game with the Penguins in the games final seconds. Merrick, who had come to Marshall as a soccer player, was the team's backup kicker, the starting job belonging to his brother David. However, prior to the game, David was suspended for a violation of team rules, so on the game's final play Willy lined up for his first ever collegiate field goal attempt. The 22-yard kick was true and the Herd captured its first-ever national title by knocking off the defending champions while gaining a measure of revenge for the previous season. "The Kick" as it's simply known by Marshall fans is now a part of the Herd's pantheon of most memorable moments. 

3. Marshall vs. Clemson (1999) - The Herd went 12-1 in 1998 including a win against South Carolina of the SEC. In 1999 the Herd entered the season with high expectations but a season-opening trip to Clemson to face the Tigers in Death Valley loomed large. Unlike, the Gamecocks the year prior (who went just 1-10) the Tigers were a much better football team and Death Valley is one of college football's toughest game day atmospheres. Down 10-6 late in the ballgame Marshall quarterback, Chad Pennington began to orchestrate one of the biggest drives in Herd history. But, each time Marshall started to move the ball penalties threatened to stall the Herd's progress. Officially Marshall's go-ahead possession was a 74-yard drive, but with the penalties, the Herd easily traveled more than 100-yards for what proved to be the game-winning score. Pennington was magnificent completing all six of his passes including a back-shoulder throw to James Williams for a big gain. However, Pennington's biggest play may have been a 12-yard scramble on third-and-10 to keep the Herd's upset bid alive. Finally, Doug Chapman lunged across the goal line on a seven-yard run to give the Herd the lead. The Tigers had a chance to tie but missed a long field goal with 10 seconds to go that assured Marshall's upset victory. Marshall went on to an undefeated season, beating #21 BYU in the Motor City Bowl, while Clemson finished its season with a loss to #15 Mississippi State in the Peach Bowl. 

2. Marshall vs. #6 Kansas State (2003) - The Herd got off to a rocky start in 2003 after starting quarterback Stan Hill went down with a sprained knee in the team's second game that season, a 10-point loss to #12 ranked Tennessee. Backup quarterback Graham Gochneaur took over as the starter in week three in a home game against MAC rival Toledo. But, the Herd offense sputtered with the QB change and the Rockets left Huntington with a 24-17 win. Losing to Toledo coupled with the loss of Hill at quarterback had very few Herd fans hopeful that Marshall could pull off the unthinkable against Darren Sproles and the sixth-ranked Wildcats. However, Gochneaur managed the game well completing 16 of his 24 passes for 106 yards a TD and an interception. He also got plenty of help from Herd running backs Butchie Wallace and Earl Charles, who racked up more than 200 combined rushing yards for the Marshall offense. But, it was the Herd defense that stole the spotlight. Sproles who came into the game averaging 120 yards rushing per game was held to just 77 and Kansas State was stuffed at the goal-line on two different drives. Late, great defensive end Jonathan Goddard made the biggest play of the game when he picked off a K-State pitch and returned it 84-yards for a touchdown. The play tied the game at seven apiece, not only swinging momentum in Marshall's favor but also prevented the Herd from falling behind by two scores as the Wildcats were in scoring range. Kansas State still remains the highest ranked team Marshall has ever defeated. 

1. Marshall vs. Xavier (1971) - I would argue that no season, let alone any wins were as improbable as Marshall's 1971 campaign. Rebuilding the team and program under coach Jack Lengyel after the devastating plane crash on November 14, 1970, that killed all 75 people aboard the flight, the Young Thundering Herd as they were known, wasn't expected to win many games. After a monumental battle to even field a team, the Herd was trounced 29-6 in its opening game against nearby Morehead State. But, in week two, in the first home game since the tragedy, Marshall took on the Xavier Musketeers. The Herd lead 3-0 at halftime but the Musketeers had managed to build a 13-9 lead when Marshall got the ball for the final time with 1:18 to go in the game. Quarterback Reggie Oliver had moved the Young Thundering Herd down to the 13-yard line, but time was quickly ticking off the clock. The Herd snapped the ball on a play called "213 bootleg screen" just as last second on the clock ran out, Oliver rolled to his right while freshman Terry Gardner snuck out to the flat on the opposite side of the field. Oliver floated the ball toward Gardner who caught the pass with one man-to-beat, evaded the would-be tackler thanks to a block by Jack Crabtree, and scooted into the endzone for the go-ahead score. CollegeFootballNews.com recently named that play the 93rd greatest play in college football history and the Xavier win remains the most important victory in the history of the school's football program. Ironically, that game took place on September 25, making Marshall's match-up with Louisville occur on the weekend of the historic win's 45th anniversary.