BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — In college football, fortunes can change on a dime.
Last week, it was all smiles for Marshall with their upset win over Notre Dame. But those smiles would turn upside down Saturday night, as the Herd was upended in overtime by Bowling Green 34-31 at Doyt L. Perry Stadium.
The Herd quickly jumped out to a 14-0 lead thanks to two long touchdown passes from Henry Colombi. The first score, a 51-yard pass to Corey Gammage and the second, a 78- yard strike to Caleb McMillan to give Marshall two score lead after the first quarter.
Colombi had a big day throwing for 338 yards while completing 23 of 24 passes and had two touchdowns through the air. His 78-yard strike to McMillan would be the longest completion of his career.
Bowling Green would finally manage to a score as quarterback Matt McDonald would hit Odieu Hiliare for a 25-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to seven with 12:36 left in the second quarter.
Marshall (2-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) responded with a 9-play, 69-yard drive that was capped off by a 5-yard touchdown run by Khalan Laborn. Rece Verhoff kicked the extra point to extend Marshall's lead to 21-7.
However the lead would not last for long, as McDonald would add two more touchdown tosses of 27 and 30-yards to tie the game up at 21 heading into halftime.
McDonald finished the game with 282 yards through the air, completing 27 of 45 passes and four touchdown passes. He also added 24-yards rushing.
Bowling Green (1-2, 0-0 MAC) would take their first lead of the game as Harold Fannin Jr would plunge in from one yard out to cap off a 14-play, 80 yard drive that chewed up nearly six minutes. Mason Lawler kicked the extra point and the Falcons lead 28-21 with 13:08 remaining in the game.
Marshall would manage to pin the Falcons deep and force a three-and-out deep in their own territory. After the punt, the Herd would be set up with favorable field position at their own 47.
Backup quarterback Cam Fancher would check into the game for the Herd, looking to provide a spark for an offense that had not scored since the midway point of the second period.
Well, the move proved fruitful as Fancher would lead the Herd down the field accounting for 39 of the 53-yards needed to find the endzone.
Laborn would get to finish off the drive as he darted into the endzone from 8-yards out and the Herd had tied the game at 28 with 5:43 left in the game.
Laborn finished the game with his third consecutive game of 100-plus yards, as he massed 157 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns.
For the rest of the fourth quarter, neither team could manage to get close enough for a scoring opportunity and meant this one would have to be decided in overtime.
Marshall would get possession to begin overtime but a holding call would bog down the drive and the Herd would settle for a 38-yard field goal by Verhoff to lead 31-28.
On the first snap of Bowling Green's possession, PaSean Wimberly would rip off a 23-yard gain to the 2-yard line. On the very next play, McDonald would hit Taron Keith on a play-action pass for the score and the 31-28 win.
Colombi finished the night going 23 for 34 passing for 338 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Despite the loss, Colombi recorded his second 300-yard passing game of his career and first a member of the Herd.
Gammage caught seven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. That is Gammage's second career 100-yard receiving game.
On the defensive side, Herd linebackers Charlie Gray and Abraham Beauplan tallied nine tackles each to lead the team.
Defensive linemen Owen Porter and Damion Barber Jr. each recorded a sack.
Marshall travels to Troy on Saturday, for their Sun Belt Conference debut. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be shown on the NFL Network.
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