Huntington Quarterly Autumn 2022

There had never been a bigger win on the national stage

for Marshall University’s football program.

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This now-iconic photo shows running back Khalan Laborn celebrating a touchdown with lineman Eric Meeks.

talking about well into the celebratory night. It was the topic of discussion at sports bars and watering holes from the Linebacker Inn in South Bend to the Union Pub &Grill in Huntington. The conclusion seemed almost unanimous. There had never been a bigger win on the national stage for Marshall University’s football program. On the WSAZ-TV live postgame show from South Bend, Marshall’s former head coach Bob Pruett put this one in perspective. The man who coached the Thundering Herd to many of its all time great wins told anchor Tim Irr that this one stands alone. “It’s the best,” Pruett said. “The best team, the best coach, the best everything won today.” It’s an interesting conversation to be had. Marshall’s upset over Xavier in 1971 the year after the plane crash might be viewed as the most im portant win in school history. The 1992 national championship victory over Youngstown State was

Offensive lineman Tristen Bittner captured the emotion of the upset victory over No. 8-ranked Notre Dame as he ran off the field.

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