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Wk 8 · 2026

South Alabama Jaguars at Marshall Thundering Herd — Tue, Oct 20

Tue, Oct 20 · Joan C. Edwards Stadium, Huntington, WV · ESPN2

Weather at kickoff

51°F clear
8% chance of precipitation · wind 3 mph
Forecast from Open-Meteo
Sun Belt · 4-2
at
7:30pET
no line posted yet
Ratings differential USA by 7.1

What is at stake

A Sun Belt game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the race.

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

South Alabama: -5.9#90
Efficiency margin
Marshall: -15.4#123
South Alabama: 32.2
Offense (pts/100)
Marshall: 25.6
South Alabama: 29.1
Defense (pts/100)
Marshall: 32.0
South Alabama: 71.2
Pace (plays/g)
Marshall: 70.0
South Alabama: 6.15
Yards / play
Marshall: 5.81
South Alabama: 7.27
Yards / play allowed
Marshall: 6.78
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

South Alabama: 38.8
Points / game
Marshall: 22.0
South Alabama: 34.5
Points allowed
Marshall: 33.7
South Alabama: 438
Yards / game
Marshall: 406
South Alabama: 429
Yards allowed
Marshall: 447
South Alabama: 265
Pass yds allowed
Marshall: 254
South Alabama: 164
Rush yds allowed
Marshall: 194
South Alabama: 0.50
Turnovers / game
Marshall: 2.33
From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

South Alabama form

W 56-49at ARSTW 52-35vs ULML 21-45at UKW 41-36vs OHIOL 24-28at TULN
2026 season

Marshall form

L 21-27vs CCUL 17-45at JMUW 36-35vs GWEBW 30-24at MOSTW 28-26vs MTSU
2026 season

South Alabama this season

Straight up4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Against the spread4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Over / under5-1 · 83% (6 games)

Marshall this season

Straight up3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Against the spread1-5 · 17% (6 games)
Over / under3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 2

OpponentSouth AlabamaMarshall
UL Monroe
Sun Belt
vs W 52-35 previewat Wk 13 · scheduled preview
App State
Sun Belt
vs Wk 13 · scheduled previewvs Wk 11 · scheduled preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, South Alabama leads 1–0 · South Alabama won the last one
1 meeting in 2006–2026 · average margin 28.0 points toward South Alabama
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20232023-11-18Marshall 0 — 28 South Alabamaat USASouth Alabama

South Alabama leaders 2026 regular season

PassingJared Hollins QB #756/92, 855 YDS, 7 TD, 2 INT
Bishop Davenport QB #440/59, 450 YDS, 3 TD
RushingKeenan Phillips RB #380 CAR, 444 YDS, 5 TD
PJ Martin RB #092 CAR, 423 YDS, 6 TD
Trae'von Dunbar RB #2145 CAR, 248 YDS, 4 TD
ReceivingBrendan Jenkins WR #1221 REC, 355 YDS, 3 TD
Anthony Eager WR #111 REC, 305 YDS, 4 TD
Jeremiah Jones-Thomas WR #222 REC, 261 YDS, 1 TD
Micah Woods WR #68 REC, 127 YDS
Defense
TacklesCole Blaylock S #1442
Jordan Williams LB #4833
Dallas Young S #831
SacksStephen Johnson DL #561.5
Damyrion Darby CB #241.5
Masey Lewis DL #181
InterceptionsDamyrion Darby CB #243
D.J. Moore S #11
Jaylen Moson CB #121

Marshall leaders 2026 regular season

PassingCarlos Del Rio-Wilson QB #788/134, 1004 YDS, 6 TD, 2 INT
Zion Turner QB #115/24, 155 YDS, 2 INT
RushingCarlos Del Rio-Wilson QB #760 CAR, 209 YDS, 2 TD
Jo'Shon Barbie RB #642 CAR, 207 YDS, 2 TD
Khalil Wilkins QB #417 CAR, 121 YDS
ReceivingXayvion Turner-Bradshaw WR #522 REC, 324 YDS, 4 TD
Toby Payne TE #8119 REC, 147 YDS
Owen Sweeney WR #2010 REC, 128 YDS
De'Andre Tamarez WR #04 REC, 106 YDS
Defense
TacklesCaleb Clark-Glover DB #039
Cannon Lewis LB #2734
Daytione Smith S #1728
SacksJavae Gilmore LB #51
Kelvon McBride EDGE #71
Terrente Hinton S #31
InterceptionsEddie Pleasant III CB #81
Zah Jackson S #191
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.