Luke Creasy

Ward, a product of Riverside High School in his second season with the Thundering Herd football team, dropped back into coverage and quickly reverted back to his days as a Warrior, hauling in the pass from Golden Eagles quarterback Ethan Crawford for his first career interception.

HUNTINGTON — Every player on Marshall University's football team read the message posted on the locker room door before taking the field against Southern Miss and it showed.

The Thundering Herd hoped to change the narrative that it couldn't close out games on the road and so to avoid giving the Golden Eagles the opportunity to stay competitive, Marshall put its foot on the gas and kept it there.

Southern Indiana held a lead over the Marshall men's basketball team for all of 36 seconds after Damoni Harrison sank the first points of the contest but for the rest of the night, the Screaming Eagles scratched and clawed but never could get over the hump against the Thundering Herd

Southern Indiana held a lead over the Marshall men's basketball team for all of 36 seconds after Damoni Harrison sank the first points of the contest but for the rest of the night, the Screaming Eagles scratched and clawed but never could get over the hump against the Thundering Herd

"None of us were here, so for us to be sole decision makers without involving or seeking counsel from people that it truly means something to, I think that would be incorrect," Marshall football head coach Charles Huff said.

"None of us were here, so for us to be sole decision makers without involving or seeking counsel from people that it truly means something to, I think that would be incorrect," Marshall football head coach Charles Huff said.

Led by Ryan Nutter's seven assists, the Herd was able to capitalize on some of the very same looks they missed on just two days earlier and it proved to be the difference in the game.

It starts with watching the 'We Are Marshall' movie for a baseline understanding of what it took to rebuild the Marshall football program and it continues each and every summer, spring and fall while for as long as they are a part of the football program.

The Thundering Herd dominated the match, even after playing a man down for the final 30 minutes, earning a 1-0 win by way of an own-goal to advance to the conference championship game at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon against the West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown after they defeated Kentucky 2-1 Wednesday evening.