Marshall Thundering Herd by 7
Ah, we have an interesting matchup here, folks, between the Georgia State Panthers and the Marshall Thundering Herd. Now these teams certainly have some history. Looking back to 2023, the Panthers did some serious mauling, coming out victorious with a scoreline of 41-24 against the Herd. But memories are short-lived in football!
Circling back to the present, let's consider the regular season records. Both teams have been pretty evenly matched this year, with the Panthers at 2-3 and Herd at 3-3. In recent weeks, the Panthers looked more like kittens against Georgia Southern and Old Dominion, but show their true colors with a win against Vanderbilt. The Herd, on the other hand, charged through Appalachian State and Western Michigan, but couldn't keep the pace with Ohio State and Virginia Tech. So in terms of current form, I can barely separate these two.
We don't have a crystal ball, but we do have stats for the quarterbacks. The Panthers quarterback, Christian Veilleux, despite throwing 6 touchdowns in the past month has also been intercepted 5 times. Accuracy could be an issue there. On the Herd side, we have Stone Earle and Braylon Braxton who've passed for a combined 9 touchdowns with only 1 interception between them, now that's what I call efficiency.
On the offensive end, the Panthers' have Ted Hurst and Freddie Brock who've been leading the charge in the past month. Hurst, a wide receiver, clocked in 325 total yards and 4 touchdowns, while Brock, a running back, racked up 209 yards and 2 touchdowns. For the Herd, AJ Turner and Jordan Houston have been the standout performers, Turner rushing for a monumental 336 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Houston added another 235 yards and a touchdown.
And as even the best offenses know, it's the defense that can make all the difference. The Panthers have a nifty trio in Xavier Robinson, Justin Abraham, and Jyron Gilmore. All three have been rock solid in the past month, making a combined 49 tackles. The Herd's defensive formidable soldiers, Jaden Yates and J.J. Roberts have kept opponents at bay with 32 combined tackles and a forced fumble from Roberts.
Overall, this is anybody's game. You've got two equally mediocre regular season records, similarly underwhelming recent results, talented players on both sides of the ball... it's like comparing apples and slightly different apples. But based on how they've split the workload among their quarterbacks and the defensive efforts they've put in, it does feel like the Herd has an edge.
Albert’s Prediction: Marshall Thundering Herd by 7