Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
8 8 A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M It's only about a 380-mile drive from State College to Marshall's campus in Huntington, W.Va. The home of the Thundering Herd is closer to Penn State than all but three of the Big Ten cam- puses the Nittany Lions visit on a regu- lar basis, yet the two teams have played each other only twice, with the most recent of those games taking place at New Beaver Field in 1930. It's been nearly a century since Penn State's 65-0 rout of the visiting Herd, and the two programs are finally getting reacquainted. The Marshall team that Penn State will welcome in September is getting set for its second season un- der coach Tony Gibson, who arrived in Huntington after a successful six-year stint as defensive coordinator at NC State. While Gibson came to Marshall with a reputation as a defensive guru, the Thundering Herd wasn't very good at stopping people last year. It allowed 30.25 points and 410.6 yards per game, ranking 107th and 106th in the FBS, re- spectively, in those categories. This year, Marshall has gotten a boost from the return of senior linebacker Ja- vae Gilmore, who had 63 tackles, in- cluding a team-best 11.5 for loss, in his first season after transferring from Mis- sissippi State. It also brings back red- shirt junior edge rusher Braydin Ward, who had 5 sacks in 2025 to lead the team. The cornerback corps is getting an overhaul after Marshall allowed a whopping 261.7 passing yards per game to rank 127th in the FBS. Redshirt ju- nior Eddie Pleasant III arrives from Buffalo, while redshirt senior Terrente Hinton has signed on after previously playing for Gibson at NC State. They'll join a secondary that boasts a veteran returnee in redshirt senior safety Day- tione Smith. Even if it's able to patch its holes on the defensive side of the ball, the Herd will likely need redshirt senior quarter- back Carlos Del Rio-Wilson to play hero ball like he did for much of last year. Del Rio-Wilson, a Syracuse transfer, was outstanding in 2025, completing 66.8 percent of his passes for 2,043 yards and 17 touchdowns, with only 5 inter- ceptions. He was also the Herd's lead- ing rusher with 660 yards and 6 touch- downs. Del Rio-Wilson loses his top target in Demarcus Lacey, but redshirt se- nior tight end Toby Payne is back after catching 37 passes for 393 yards and 3 scores, while the team's top returning wideouts — seniors Adrian Norton and De'Andre Tamarez — combined to make 59 catches for 758 yards and 7 TDs. Marshall is only two years removed from winning the Sun Belt Conference title under head coach Charles Huff, a former Penn State assistant who's now at Memphis. The Herd might not be ready to return to those heights in 2026, but Del Rio-Wilson's develop- ment, coupled with some astute por- tal moves, could nudge this team in the right direction. — Matt Herb S E P T . 5 | 3 : 3 0 P. M . | F S 1 | B E A V E R S T A D I U M | S T A T E C O L L E G E , P A . GAME 1 MARSHALL RISING STAR JAVAE GILMORE | LB A former Rivals four-star prospect from Amite, La., Gilmore spent three uneventful seasons at Mississippi State before joining the Thundering Herd. He didn't record his first tackle for loss until four games into his redshirt soph- omore campaign, but he blossomed last year with his new team, leading the Herd with 11.5 TFLs. Continued improvement is expected now that the 6-foot-4, 213-pound line- backer has found the right fit in head coach Tony Gibson's defense. QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Penn State leads, 2-0 Head Coach: Tony Gibson (5-7 in one season at Marshall; career coaching re- cord: same) 2025 Record: 5-7, 3-5 Sun Belt (East) Returning Starters: 9 (6 offense, 3 de- fense) RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: QB Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (660 yards, 6 TD) Passing: QB Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (2,043 yards, 17 TD) Receiving: TE Toby Payne (393 yards, 3 TD) Tackles: LB Javae Gilmore (63) Sacks: DE Braydin Ward (5) Interceptions: S Daytione Smith (3) After playing in only 14 games in three seasons at Syracuse, quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson shined last year at Marshall, completing nearly 68 percent of his passes for 2,043 yards. PHOTO COURTESY MARSHALL ATHLETICS 2026 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2025 Result Sept. 5 at Penn State — Sept. 12 Middle Tennessee W, 42-28 Sept. 19 at Missouri State L, 21-20 Sept. 26 Gardner-Webb — Oct. 3 at James Madison L, 35-23 Oct. 10 Coastal Carolina L, 44-27 Oct. 20 South Alabama — Oct. 31 at Old Dominion W, 48-24 Nov. 7 at Georgia Southern L, 24-19 Nov. 14 Appalachian State L, 26-24 Nov. 21 Georgia State W, 30-18 Nov. 28 at Louisiana Monroe —