Marshall hasn't had much luck against Texas recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Mavericks will welcome the Tigers at 7:30 p.m. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.
On Friday, a win is a win, as they say, even a pretty close 7-3 victory over Mt. Pleasant. Given the Mavericks' advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 95th, while the Tigers are ranked 342nd) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Marshall's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB five times. The heavy lifting was done by Blanton Hale and Da'Vaughn Tucker, who racked up four sacks between them. Marshall received some extra help from Justin Murry, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Texas). They blew past Whitehouse 64-21 on Friday. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 37-0.
Marshall better keep an eye on Tradarian Ball. He was instrumental in Texas' win, rushing for 70 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries, while also catching one TD. That's the most rushing touchdowns Ball has posted since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was Kameron Wrightner, who threw for 148 yards and a pair of TDs on only 12 passes.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Texas, adding 14 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Justin Lamay, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Marshall's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Texas, their victory bumped their record up to 5-1.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Alton Henderson and Wrightner. Henderson just won't slow down this season and has averaged 78.6 passing yards per game. Wrightner has been a dominant force too and has thrown 20 touchdowns while averaging 239.3 passing yards per game.
Marshall and Texas were neck-and-neck in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, but Marshall came up empty-handed after a 43-42 loss. Will the Mavericks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
