The boys clad in green from Huntington, West Virginia, had lost a lot of talent during the offseason. Record-setting quarterback Rakeem Cato and veteran wide receiver Tommy Shuler were both lost to graduation, along with a few talented defensive stars. However, Doc Holliday, who has built a powerhouse in the Mountain State, reloaded.

Through a miraculous performance by Tiquan Lang with 2 pick-sixes, and a late-4th quarter drive, Marshall zipped by the Purdue Boilermakers 41-31 to solidify their standing as one of the best non-Power 5 conference teams in the nation.

The huge Marshall crowd was rocking early in this game, as the aforementioned Lang picked off Purdue's Austin Appleby 7 minutes into the game and took it to the house. However, it wasn't long before the Boilermakers went on a lengthy, impressive drive that ended in a D.J. Knox rushing touchdown to knot things up at 7.

Michael Birdsong, the former James Madison Dukes quarterback, got his first snap as the Marshall starter after the Purdue touchdown, and although he did get an eight yard completion to Hyleck Foster, a Devon Johnson run on 3rd down ended in a cloud of dust for no gain, and Marshall was forced to punt. Birdsong would get his next opportunity after a Purdue 3-and-out, and he would make the most of it. The red-headed Junior saw some daylight and took off for a 38 yard run, and later followed it up with a beautiful pass to Devon Johnson for 20 yards resulting in a touchdown for the Herd. Marshall kept the momentum going with a field goal on their next possession to make it 17-7 Herd still in the first quarter.

But Purdue was not to be outdone. Austin Appleby found some critical connections with DeAngelo Yancey, one for 50 yards, and the Boilermakers found the end zone once again via an Appleby to Danny Anthrop 9 yard TD pass. As time in the 1st quarter waned, the tone had been set; it was going to be a long night for defenses.

At the beginning of the 2nd quarter, Purdue took advantage of Marshall's Birdsong fumbling after being sacked by Michael Rouse III. The Boilermakers proceeded to go on another long touchdown drive, capped by Appleby diving in for the score. The West Lafayette natives had come back from 10 down to take the lead, 21-17. This score would hold until halftime, as both defenses toughened up. Purdue, though, was clearly in the driver's seat by the break. They were stuffing the Herd's star running back Devon Johnson, not allowing him to break free.

This game was far from over, and Marshall cleared up their offensive problems at halftime by heavily relying on Michael Birdsong. The Thundering Herd went on a 71 yard drive for 7 more points on a passing-heavy possession, highlighted by a few impressive catches for long gains by Deon-Tay McManus. Purdue answered once again, though, with a run-heavy possession, former Mr. Football of Indiana Markell Jones finishing it off with a 36 yard dash for the score. Marshall would soon inch closer to Purdue with a field goal to make it 28-27.

A series of wild defensive plays ensued, as Taj Letman would pick off Appleby to set the Herd up with great field position. Immediately, Marshall's Birdsong would throw an interception himself, giving Purdue. The men in beige would not capitalize, missing a 44 yard field goal as the 28-27 score held firm. After another Marshall turnover, the Boilermakers would add another field goal to make their total 31.

Marshall had the ball with 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter, and they would go on a valiant 84 yard march down the field. Birdsong once again showed prowess in the pocket, throwing very accurate passes to Davonte Allen and Ryan Yurachek for chunk yardage. With the passionate fanbase loudly chanting 'We Are Marshall', Devon Johnson finished the job with a 6 yard scamper for the touchdown. It was ironic in a way, as the weakest link in the Marshall offense today put his team over the top.

An exclamation point was put on the Thundering Herd win with another Tiquan Lang pick-six, making the game 41-31 in Marshall's favor. Lang was the true MVP of this game, recording 17 tackles and the two interceptions returned for touchdowns.

Ramifications:

Purdue had been looking for its first win on the road vs. a non-conference team since 2007, but once again under Darrell Hazell, disappointment was the result. The Boilermakers are now 4-21 under the former Kent State head coach, as his seat is in an inferno. Austin Appleby did show better skills at quarterback than the team had been getting the past few years, and the team hopes that he is the start of the return to the 'Cradle of Quarterbacks' the university once had. The Big Ten has had a rough week, so Purdue is not alone in the conference's struggles. The team will face off against FCS foe Indiana State next week.

As for Marshall, the party continues. Doc Holliday, who will likely be courted more heavily by big name teams soon to join their programs, has designed a juggernaut in Huntington. Expect this Thundering Herd team to once again be the favorite in the Conference USA. The team will now head up to Athens, Ohio for a date against their rival, the Ohio Bobcats, next Saturday.