SBC FOOTBALL 365 PREVIEW — MARSHALL

Submitted by the Sun Belt Confrence

NEW ORLEANS — Marshall will kick off its 2023 season on Saturday, Sept. 2, when it hosts Albany at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT on ESPN+. 

The Thundering Herd’s non-conference schedule also includes trips to East Carolina (Sept. 9) and NC State (Oct. 7) and a home game against Virginia Tech (Sept. 23). In addition to annual contests against its East Division rivals, Marshall’s conference slate features a trip to South Alabama (Nov. 18) and a visit from Arkansas State (Nov. 25) out of the West Division. 

Marshall was picked to finish fourth in the hotly-contested East Division in last month’s 2023 Sun Belt Conference Football Preseason Coaches Poll, where the top four teams were separated by just 10 points. 

Head coach Charles Huff will guide a roster that returns three All-Sun Belt selections from 2022 and had six players named to the 2023 Preseason All-Sun Belt teams to pace the East Division. 

The Thundering Herd went 9-4 overall in 2022, including a statement 26-21 win over then-No. 8/9 Notre Dame in Week 2 and a 5-3 record in conference play. As part of a conference-record seven-team Sun Belt contingent in Bowl Season, Marshall capped its inaugural Sun Belt campaign with a 28-14 victory over UConn in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. 

To listen to head coach Charles Huff, redshirt sophomore quarterback Cam Fancher and redshirt senior defensive lineman Owen Porter’s comments from the 2023 Sun Belt Football Media Days, download the latest Around the Sun podcast episode on Apple Podcasts, Pandora or Spotify—among other platforms—or visit the Sun Belt Conference YouTube page
2023 SCHEDULE
9/2      Albany
9/9      at East Carolina
9/23    Virginia Tech
9/30    Old Dominion*
10/7    at NC State
10/14  at Georgia State*
10/19  James Madison*
10/28  at Coastal Carolina*
11/4    at App State*
11/11  Georgia Southern*
11/18  at South Alabama*
11/25  Arkansas State*

2022 ALL-SUN BELT RETURNERS
First Team
DL – Owen Porter, Marshall (RS Sr., DL – Huntington, W.Va.) 
DB – Micah Abraham, Marshall (RS Sr., DB – Tampa, Fla.) 

Honorable Mention
LB – Eli Neal (Sr., LB – Memphis, Tenn.)

2023 PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT SELECTIONS
First Team
OL – Logan Osburn, Marshall (RS Jr., OL – Ona, W.Va.) 
DL – Owen Porter, Marshall (RS Sr., DL – Huntington, W.Va.)
LB – Eli Neal, Marshall (Sr., LB – Memphis, Tenn.) 
DB – Micah Abraham, Marshall (RS Sr., DB – Tampa, Fla.) 

Second Team
RB – Rasheen Ali, Marshall (RS So., RB – Cleveland, Ohio) 
OL – Ethan Driskell, Marshall (RS Jr., OL – Louisville, Ky.)