Marshall University football players celebrate a 31-3 win over Louisiana in the 2024 Sun Belt Conference championship game Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Marshall University football players celebrate a 31-3 win over Louisiana in the 2024 Sun Belt Conference championship game Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Lafayette, Louisiana.
LAFAYETTE, La. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ” It was a moment a decade in the making and Marshall took its time celebrating a dominant 31-3 win over Louisiana in the 2024 Sun Belt Conference championship football game.
In its first appearance there, the Thundering Herd (10-3) collected its seventh-straight victory and became the first visiting team to win the Sun Belt crown. The team basked in the glory of it until well after the home crowd had cleared out of Cajun Field.
ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœThereÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s a lot of individual attention and a lot of individual gains, I get that, and I support that,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ Marshall head coach Charles Huff said. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœThereÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s a place for that, but in order to win a championship, youÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ve got to give up a little of yourself and buy into something bigger. These guys deserve the utter most respect, utter most praise, utter most buy-in. They deserve a statue on Hal Greer Boulevard for what this team was able to do.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ
Quarterback Braylon Braxton was named the MVP of the game after throwing for 193 yards and two touchdowns and adding 75 more yards on the ground. Running back Jordan Houston notched his first-career 100-yard game, leading the ground attack with 117 yards and scoring the final points with just more than two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Wide receiver Tychaun Chapman reached the end zone for a second consecutive week, snagging his first receiving touchdown of the season and Bralon Brown caught his first touchdown since the regular season opener against Stony Brook.
To see those players show up with a championship on the line meant everything to Braxton.
ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœThose guys put in all the same work as everyone else did,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ the HerdÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s quarterback said. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœSo to see that come to fruition is really big, seeing guys make plays like that.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ
Those were two instances in a night filled with special moments for Marshall, which won just its second football championship in the past two decades. The Herd now done so in three different conferences after winning championship games in both the Mid-American and Conference USA, becoming the first team to do so at the FBS level.
ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœItÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s one of the most gratifying feelings you ever have as a coach when you get to watch a group of guys that get to achieve a goal that they set out to achieve,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ Huff said. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœOne hundred thirty some odd teams set out for the same goal, 14 teams in this conference and to be the team that actually gets there, you canÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™t be more appreciative of their buy-in.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ
Marshall trailed early after a 40-yard field goal from Kenneth Almendares put UL on the board first with 6:42 to go in the opening quarter, but answered with a seven-play, 75-yard drive to take the lead it never surrendered.
ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœOne of the points for us during the pre-game was that the hopes, dreams and what you deserve isnÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™t really how life goes,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ said Marshall linebacker Jaden Yates, who finished with a team-high six tackles. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœIf you want something, youÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ve got to take it. You work and bust your tail for it every day. This is a process-driven program.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ
Louisiana played much of the game without starting quarterback Chandler Fields, who left on the first drive of the second quarter with an injury that Louisiana coach Michael Desormeaux said would likely make him unavailable for the Cajuns bowl game.
He completed four passes for 104 yards before leaving and Daniel Beale completed just nine of 24 passes in his second appearance of the season. Marshall limited the home team to 77 rushing yards.
Luke Creasy is a sports reporter for HD ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ. He can be reached by phone at 304-526-2800.
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