In a less than stellar defensive effort against Old Dominion, linebacker J’Coryan Anderson received the top PFF grade among Marshall’s defenders with an 81.0. Anderson recorded three tackles in the victory.
Defensive Line:
Deeve Harris (seven tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss) led Marshall’s defensive line with receiving a grade of 79.7. TyQaze Leggs (four tackles, one tackle for loss) was the only other defensive lineman to grade above 70 with a 72.0. Dylan Davis and Mike Green round out the top four performers up front with grades of 69.4 and 69.2. Other grades of note: Raquan Thompson: 69.1; Juke Okolo: 68.5; Jabari Ishmael: 64.4; Chris Thomas, Jr.: 63.4; JJ Hawkins: 62.5.
Linebackers:
As noted in the intro, J’Coryan Anderson led the Thundering Herd linebackers grading 81.0. With a team leading 13 tackles, Jaden Yates received a grade of 62.5, while Landyn Watson totaled nine tackles and graded 56.1.
Secondary:
As he has done several times throughout the 2024 season, J.J. Roberts led Marshall’s secondary with a PFF grade of 73.8. Roberts had eight tackles and one pass deflection in the win over the Monarchs. Daytione Smith recorded one tackle and graded 71.7, while Josh Moten had five tackles and an interception on his way to grading 70.6. Ian Foster notched six tackles, one tackle for loss, one pass deflection, and 118 kickoff return yards, earning a grade of 69.4. Other grades of note: Jadarius Green-McKnight: 62.7; Jacobie Henderson: 62.2; Ahmere Foster: 61.5; AG McGhee: 59.4.
In what was a back-and-forth affair against the Monarchs on Saturday night, Braylon Braxton, willed The Herd to a 42-35 victory. With his performance, Braxton earned the top PFF grade among Marshall’s offense with a 91.4 and was also honored as the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week.
Quarterback:
Braylon Braxton put on a dominant performance that the Marshall faithful have been craving for years. Although his completion percentage was not gaudy, going 13 of 24 for 210 yards and three touchdowns, nearly a handful of those incompletes were due to drops by wide receivers. Braxton also carried the ball 18 times for 140 yards, picking up several critical first downs with his legs down the stretch.
Running Backs:
Ethan Payne received the highest mark among Marshall’s running backs with a grade of 72.4. Payne totaled four carries for 12 yards and one touchdown while adding one reception for seven yards. A.J. Turner, who had 10 carries for 53 yards, followed Payne and graded 68.5, despite seeming to disappear in the second half of the contest. Jordan Houston rounds out the running back room with a grade of 59.1 (9 carries, 56 yards, 1 touchdown).
Wide Receivers:
With five different receivers catching passes in the win, it was DeMarcus Harris, who received the top PFF grade at 78.1, despite not recording a stat. Christian Fitzpatrick recorded the next highest grade with a 70.4, while tallying two receptions for 69 yards and one score. Chuck Montgomery and Bralon Brown round of the top four receivers with PFF grades of 68.1 and 62.3. Other grades of note: Carl Chester: 60.3; Tychaun Chapman: 58.3.
Tight Ends:
Although he did not record a reception, Justin Holmes netted the top grade among tight ends at 80.2. Cade Conley followed Homles grading 60.0, with Toby Payne grading 57.1 while tallying one catch for five yards.
Offensive Line:
Despite only playing 11 snaps, Logan Osburn received the highest offensive line grade with a 61.3 (75.8 pass block, 59.7 run block). Jalen Slappy was next in line with a grade of 60.6 (87.0 pass block, 56.0 run block), while Jeremy Jones graded 58.2 (59.9 pass block, 56.6 run block). Shun’Markus Adams, Eric Meeks, and Elijah Ellis complete the offensive line with grades of 49.2 (18.5 pass block – no, that’s not a typo –, 52.8 run block), 48.0 (38.4 pass block, 54.5 run block), and 47.2 (33.1 pass block, 56.2 run block).
