1996 Marshall Thundering Herd football
NCAA Division I-AA champion
SoCon champion
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Ranking
Sports NetworkNo. 1[1]
Record15–0 (8–0 SoCon)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorLarry Kueck (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorKevin Kelly (1st season)
CaptainEric Kresser, Tim Martin, Aaron Ferguson, Melvin Cunningham, Billy Lyon, Jermaine Swafford
Home stadiumMarshall University Stadium
(capacity: 30,000)
Seasons
← 1995
1997 →
1996 Southern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 Marshall $^   8 – 0     15 – 0  
No. T–8 East Tennessee State ^   7 – 1     10 – 3  
No. 13 Furman ^   6 – 2     9 – 4  
No. 25 Appalachian State   5 – 3     7 – 4  
The Citadel   3 – 5     4 – 7  
Georgia Southern   2 – 6     4 – 7  
VMI   2 – 6     3 – 8  
Chattanooga   2 – 6     3 – 8  
Western Carolina   1 – 7     4 – 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 1996 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University as a member of Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by first-year head coach Bob Pruett, the Thundering Herd compiled an overall record of 15–0 with mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning the SoCon title. Marshall advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship playoffs, where they beat Delaware in the first round, Furman in the quarterfinals, Northern Iowa in the semifinals, and Montana in the NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game to win the program's second NCAA Division I-AA title. 1996 was Marshall's final season competing at the NCAA Division I-AA level as they moved to NCAA Division I-A competition and joined the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in 1997.

Schedule[edit]

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 77:00 pmHoward*No. 1
W 55–2726,054
September 147:00 pmWest Virginia State*No. 1
  • Marshall University Stadium
  • Huntington, WV
W 42–721,851
September 213:30 pmat No. 13 Georgia SouthernNo. 1
WSAZW 29–1313,977
September 287:00 pmNo. 12 Western Kentucky*No. 1
  • Marshall University Stadium
  • Huntington, WV
W 37–320,755
October 57:00 pmChattanoogaNo. 1
  • Marshall University Stadium
  • Huntington, WV
WSAZW 45–022,078
October 121:00 pmat VMINo. 1
W 45–209,165[2]
October 197:00 pmWestern CarolinaNo. 1
  • Marshall University Stadium
  • Huntington, WV
WSAZW 56–2119,330
October 261:00 pmat No. 20 Appalachian StateNo. 1
SSW 24–1023,458
November 21:00 pmThe CitadeldaggerNo. 1
  • Marshall University Stadium
  • Huntington, WV
WSAZW 56–2521,038
November 92:00 pmat No. 7 East Tennessee StateNo. 1
WSAZW 34–1013,131
November 161:00 pmNo. 12 FurmanNo. 1
  • Marshall University Stadium
  • Huntington, WV
W 42–1722,615[3]
November 301:00 pmNo. 11 Delaware*No. 1
WSAZW 59–1415,429
December 71:00 pmNo. 13 FurmanNo. 1
  • Marshall University Stadium
  • Huntington, WV (NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal)
WSAZW 54–014,096[4]
December 141:00 pmNo. 3 Northern Iowa*No. 1
  • Marshall University Stadium
  • Huntington, WV (NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal)
WSAZW 31–1414,414
December 212:00 pmNo. 2 Montana*No. 1
ESPNW 49–2930,052

Roster[edit]

1996 Marshall Thundering Herd football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
RB 39 Jason Balwanz Fr
RB 22 Doug Chapman Fr
WR 18 LaVorn Colclough So
OT 63 Mike Guilliams Fr
QB 15 Eric Kresser Sr
WR 1 Tim Martin Sr
WR 88 Randy Moss Fr
QB 10 Chad Pennington So
G 52 Brian Reed Injured Sr
G 65 Burt Scarbrough So
C 62 Jason Starkey Fr
RB 3 Erik Thomas Sr
RB 32 Llow Turner Fr
C 66 John Wade Jr
OT 60 Jamie Wilson Sr
TE 87 John White So
WR 2 Mark Wicks Jr
QB 7 Mark Zban Jr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DB 42 Rogers Beckett Fr
DE 5 B. J. Cohen Jr
DB 12 Andy Cowan Fr
DB 25 Melvin Cunningham Sr
LB 4 John Grace Fr
DL 6 Ricky Hall So
DT 86 Billy Lyon Sr
CB 9 Thomas Maxwell Jr
LB 28 Larry McCloud Jr
DE 93 Giradie Mercer Fr
DB 11 Larry Moore Jr
LB 55 Andre O'Neal Fr
CB 8 B. J. Summers Jr
DE 58 Paul Totten So
DT 97 Joe Zeglowitsch So
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
P 41 Chris Hanson So
K 40 Tim Openlander Sr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Larry Kueck – Offensive coordinator
  • Brian Dowler – Wide receivers
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Game summaries[edit]

Howard[edit]

Howard at #1 Marshall
1 234Total
Bison 10 1070 27
• Thundering Herd 10 14247 55

[5]

West Virginia State[edit]

West Virginia State at #1 Marshall
1 234Total
Yellow Jackets 0 007 7
• Thundering Herd 21 1470 42

Georgia Southern[edit]

See also: 1996 Georgia Southern Eagles football team
#1 Marshall at #13 Georgia Southern
1 234Total
• Thundering Herd 10 766 29
Eagles 0 760 13
   
Scoring summary
1MarshallTim Openlander 26-yard field goalMarshall 3–0
4:08MarshallRandy Moss 42-yard pass from Eric Kresser (Openlander kick)Marshall 10–0
1GSUCorey Johnson 1-yard run (kick)Marshall 10–7
4:52MarshallRandy Moss 4-yard pass from Eric Kresser (Openlander kick)Marshall 17–7
3GSUGrant Chestnut fumble recovery in end zone (kick failed)Marshall 17–13
MarshallDoug Chapman 3-yard run (conversion failed)Marshall 23–13
4MarshallJason Wellman 6-yard pass from Eric Kresser (conversion failed)Marshall 29–13

[6]

Western Kentucky[edit]

See also: 1996 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team
#12 Western Kentucky at #1 Marshall
1 234Total
Hilltoppers 0 300 3
• Thundering Herd 10 7614 37
    
Scoring summary
110:57MarshallRandy Moss 3-yard pass from Eric Kresser (Openlander kick)Marshall 3–0
0:21MarshallTim Openlander 22-yard field goalMarshall 10–0
12:11WKUJeff Poisel 37-yard field goalMarshall 10–3
1:12MarshallDoug Chapman 19-yard run (Openlander kick)Marshall 17–3
37:55MarshallTim Openlander 42-yard field goalMarshall 20–3
4:30MarshallTim Openlander 37-yard field goalMarshall 23–3
49:11MarshallMark Wicks 35-yard pass from Eric Kresser (Openlander kick)Marshall 30–3
1:49MarshallLlow Turner 15-yard run (Openlander kick)Marshall 37–3

[7]

Chattanooga[edit]

Chattanooga at #1 Marshall
1 234Total
Mocs 0 000 0
• Thundering Herd 17 1477 45

VMI[edit]

#1 Marshall at VMI
1 234Total
• Thundering Herd 21 14010 45
Keydets 7 0103 20

Western Carolina[edit]

Western Carolina at #1 Marshall
1 234Total
Catamounts 0 777 21
• Thundering Herd 28 2170 56

Appalachian State[edit]

#1 Marshall at #20 Appalachian State
1 234Total
• Thundering Herd 7 0107 24
Mountaineers 7 300 10

The Citadel[edit]

The Citadel at #1 Marshall
1 234Total
Bulldogs 7 936 25
• Thundering Herd 7 141421 56

East Tennessee State[edit]

See also: 1996 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team
#1 Marshall at #7 East Tennessee State
1 234Total
• Thundering Herd 0 101410 34
Buccaneers 3 007 10

Furman[edit]

#12 Furman at #1 Marshall
1 234Total
Paladins 0 1700 17
• Thundering Herd 7 71414 42

Delaware (Division I-AA First Round Playoff Game)[edit]

See also: 1996 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team
#11 Delaware at #1 Marshall
1 234Total
Fightin' Blue Hens 0 1400 14
• Thundering Herd 7 142414 59

Randy Moss caught 8 passes (3 TD) for a school record 288 yards.[8]

Furman (Division I-AA Quarterfinal Playoff Game)[edit]

#13 Furman at #1 Marshall
1 234Total
Paladins 0 000 0
• Thundering Herd 14 101614 54

[9]

Northern Iowa (Division I-AA Semifinal Playoff Game)[edit]

#3 Northern Iowa at #1 Marshall
1 234Total
Panthers 0 0014 14
• Thundering Herd 7 3147 31

[10]

Montana (Division I-AA National Championship)[edit]

See also: 1996 Montana Grizzlies football team and 1996 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game
#2 Montana at #1 Marshall
1 234Total
Grizzlies 0 6023 29
• Thundering Herd 14 91610 49
          
Scoring summary
19:13MarshallRandy Moss 19-yard pass from Eric Kresser (Openlander kick)Marshall 7–0
2:09MarshallDoug Chapman 61-yard run (Openlander kick)Marshall 14–0
214:08MarshallRandy Moss 70-yard pass from Eric Kresser (kick blocked)Marshall 20–0
8:14MarshallOpenlander 20-yard field goalMarshall 23–0
5:05MontanaLarson 40-yard field goalMarshall 23–3
0:15MontanaLarson 27-yard field goalMarshall 23–6
314:05MarshallRandy Moss 54-yard pass from Eric Kresser (Openlander kick)Marshall 30–6
5:03MarshallDoug Chapman 9-yard run (Openlander kick)Marshall 37–6
3:34MarshallSafety, intentional grounding by Ah Yat in the end zoneMarshall 39–6
414:51MarshallRandy Moss 28-yard pass from Eric Kresser (Openlander kick)Marshall 46–6
10:52MontanaDouglass 4-yard pass from Ah Yat (Neil pass from Ah Yat)Marshall 46–14
7:09MontanaBranen 2-yard run (Douglass from Ah Yat)Marshall 46–22
4:18MarshallOpenlander 37-yard field goalMarshall 49–22
2:09MontanaPaffhausen 18 pass from Ah Yat (Larson kick)Marshall 49–29

Randy Moss hauled in 9 passes for 220 yards and 4 TD as the Thundering Herd avenged the previous season's loss to Montana in the title game.[11] [12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Final Sports Network's 1996 Division I-AA College Football Poll". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  2. ^ "Marshall thunders past VMI". The Daily News Leader. October 13, 1996. Retrieved February 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Marshall downs Furman for conference crown". The Times and Democrat. November 17, 1996. Retrieved September 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Marshall rips Furman in I-AA quarterfinal". The Charlotte Observer. December 8, 1996. Retrieved September 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Past and Passes Key Moss's Future". The Washington Post. August 31, 1996. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  6. ^ "Marshall 29, Georgia Southern 13". Associated Press. September 21, 1996. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  7. ^ "Western loses quarterback, then Marshall romps 37-3". The Courier-Journal via Newspapers.com. September 29, 1996. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  8. ^ "Marshall 59, Delaware 14". Chicago Tribune. December 1, 1996. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  9. ^ "Marshall Routs Furman in NCAA I-AA Playoffs". Tulsa World. December 8, 1996. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  10. ^ "Marshall 31, N. Iowa 14". Associated Press. December 14, 1996. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  11. ^ "Moss, Marshall Thunder Montana". The Spokesman-Review. December 22, 1996. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  12. ^ "No Slipping for Marshall, Moss". Chicago Tribune. December 22, 1996. Retrieved January 5, 2019.