The 2008 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University

Marshall University

Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....

 in National Collegiate Athletic Association

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 during the 2008 season

2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season

The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...

. Marshall competed as a member of the East Division of Conference USA

Conference USA

Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...

, and played their home games at Joan C. Edwards Stadium

Joan C. Edwards Stadium

The Joan C. Edwards Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. It can hold 38,019 spectators and includes twenty deluxe, indoor suites, 300 wheelchair-accessible seating, a state-of-the-art press-box, fourteen concession areas, and...

. The Thundering Herd were led by fourth-year head coach Mark Snyder

Mark Snyder

Mark Snyder is the former head coach of the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team in Huntington, West Virginia. He is currently the defensive coordinator at the University of South Florida...

. Marshall finished the season with a 4–8 record (3–5).

Before the season, Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

ranked Marshall the 115th team in the FBS (out of 120) and predicted they would finish with a 1–11 record. Against 11th-ranked Wisconsin

2008 Wisconsin Badgers football team

The 2008 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were coached by Bret Bielema and played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin....

, the Herd led 14–0 in the second quarter, but gave up 51 unanswered points in the remainder of the game. Later in the season, Marshall upset Houston

2008 Houston Cougars football team

The 2008 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH, represented the University of Houston in the college football 2008-2009 season. It was the 63rd year of season play for Houston...

, 37–23, after having led 37–9 earlier in the final period. The following week, they lost in overtime

Overtime (sports)

Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...

 to favorite East Carolina

2008 East Carolina Pirates football team

The 2008 East Carolina Pirates football team represented East Carolina University in the college football season of 2008-09. and plays their home games in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium...

 by a field goal

Field goal (football)

A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...

, 19–16. Marshall held Rice

2008 Rice Owls football team

The 2008 Rice Owls football team represented Rice University in the 2008 football season. The Owls played six home games at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas The Owls finished the season with an overall record of 10-3 and a conference record of 7-1 in David Bailiff's second season.-Coaching...

 quarterback Chase Clement

Chase Clement

Chase Austin Clement is a professional American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He played college football for Rice.-College career:...

 to 84 passing yards in the first half, which was tied at 7, but went on to lose, 35–10. In the season closer, they proved competitive for eventual Conference USA runners-up

2008 Conference USA Championship Game

The 2008 Conference USA Football Championship Game was played on December 6, 2008 at Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma to determine the 2008 football champion of the Conference USA . The game featured the East Carolina Pirates, the East Division champions, and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, the West...

 Tulsa

2008 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team

The 2008 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team represented the University of Tulsa in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team's head coach was Todd Graham, in his second year at Tulsa. They played home games at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma and competed in the...

.

Schedule