Nacogdoches is 1-6 against Marshall since November of 2014 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Nacogdoches Dragons will welcome the Marshall Mavericks at 7:30 p.m. Both might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 868 yards in their previous games.
Nacogdoches is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Whitehouse on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Nacogdoches had to suffer through a 50-23 loss at the hands of Whitehouse. While losing is never fun, the Dragons can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 531st, while the Wildcats are ranked 181st).
Despite the loss, Nacogdoches saw an underclassman step up: Rj Whitaker rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown, and also picked up 45 receiving yards.
Even though they lost, Nacogdoches was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 223 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 162 rushing yards in seven consecutive games.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Nacogdoches, racking up 11 points in total. All came courtesy of Victor Martinez: he went 3-for-3 kicking field goals for nine points, and 2-for-2 kicking extra points for an additional two.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Marshall, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They breezed by Jacksonville at home to the tune of 35-0 on Friday. The result was nothing new for the Mavericks, who have now won five contests by 22 points or more so far this season.
Keyunta Lias had a dynamite game for Marshall, rushing for 147 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 carries. Lias is becoming a predictor of Marshall's success: when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns the team is undefeated (and 1-2 when he doesn't). Raijon Sims was another key player, picking up 143 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Marshall didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Javonta Robertson, Monta Haynes, and DJ Goudeau picked up one apiece.
Nacogdoches now has a losing record at 3-4. As for Marshall, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Nacogdoches has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 239.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Marshall struggles in that department as they've been averaging 320.1. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Nacogdoches took a serious blow against Marshall in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, falling 70-40. Can Nacogdoches avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
