COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Marshall comes in at 3-1 with three straight wins, while Coastal Carolina is 1-3 and has dropped two in a row. Marshall is averaging 23.5 points and 372.5 yards per game, with 223.5 passing yards and 149.0 rushing yards per game, while Coastal is scoring 25.0 points and producing 390.5 yards per game, led by 261.3 passing yards per game and 129.3 rushing yards per game. Defensively, Marshall has allowed 32.5 points and 450.8 yards per game, which is a concern, but Coastal has also allowed 23.5 points and 377.0 yards per game, so neither side owns a clear defensive advantage. Marshall’s home record and recent winning run are the clearest reasons to trust the home side in a close game.
Marshall’s home form and stronger overall record make the home side the best straight-up position in a game that should stay competitive. Coastal Carolina can score enough to avoid a blowout, but Marshall’s unbeaten home mark and three-game winning streak give the Thundering Herd the edge in the late stages. The projected finish is Marshall 31, Coastal Carolina 27, which supports a home win and a total in the upper 50s.