1998 Marshall Thundering Herd football team

1998 Marshall Thundering Herd football
MAC champion MAC East Division co-champion Motor City Bowl champion
MAC Championship Game, W 23–17 vs. Toledo
Motor City Bowl, W 48–29 vs. Louisville
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Division	East Division
Record	12–1 (7–1 MAC)
Head coach	Bob Pruett (3rd season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Tony Petersen (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Gunter Brewer (3rd season)
Defensive coordinator	Kevin Kelly (3rd season)
Home stadium	Marshall University Stadium
Seasons ←  1997 1999  →

1998 Mid-American Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Marshall xy$		7	–	1					12	–	1
Miami (OH) x		7	–	1					10	–	1
Bowling Green		5	–	3					5	–	6
Ohio		5	–	3					5	–	6
Akron		3	–	6					4	–	7
Kent State		0	–	8					0	–	11
West Division
Toledo x		6	–	2					7	–	5
Western Michigan		5	–	3					7	–	4
Central Michigan		5	–	3					6	–	5
Eastern Michigan		3	–	6					3	–	8
Northern Illinois		2	–	6					2	–	9
Ball State		1	–	7					1	–	10
Championship: Marshall 23, Toledo 17
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant

The 1998 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was Marshall's second season competing at the NCAA Division I-A level. The team won their second consecutive Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship and was invited to the Motor City Bowl.

In the 1998 season Marshall was quarterbacked by future National Football League (NFL) starter Chad Pennington and featured future NFL player Doug Chapman as the starting running back. The team finished the season with an overall record of 12–1 repeated as champions of the MAC East Division with a 7–1 conference mark.

Marshall met and defeated Toledo in the MAC Championship Game for the second year in a row. By virtue of the win they were invited to the Motor City Bowl where they played the Louisville Cardinals. Marshall won the game 48–29, marking the first bowl game victory in the history of Marshall football.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 5	at Akron	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH		W 27–16	15,623
September 12	Troy State *	Marshall University Stadium Huntington, WV		W 42–12	25,625
September 19	at South Carolina *	Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC		W 24–21	78,717	[1]
September 26	at Eastern Michigan	Rynearson Stadium Ypsilanti, MI		W 26–23	13,611
October 3	Miami (OH)	Marshall University Stadium Huntington, WV		W 31–17	33,204
October 10	at Ohio	Peden Stadium Athens, OH (Battle for the Bell)		W 30–23	21,728
October 17	Kent State	Marshall University Stadium Huntington, WV		W 42–7	23,481
October 24	Ball State	Marshall University Stadium Huntington, WV		W 42–10	21,534
October 31	at Bowling Green	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH		L 13–34	11,237
November 7	Central Michigan	Marshall University Stadium Huntington, WV		W 28–0	23,082
November 21	Wofford *	Marshall University Stadium Huntington, WV		W 29–27	18,477
December 4	Toledo	Marshall University Stadium Huntington, WV (MAC Championship)	ESPN2	W 23–17	28,085
December 23	vs. Louisville *	Pontiac Silverdome Pontiac, MI (Motor City Bowl)	ESPN	W 48–29	38,016
*Non-conference game Homecoming

Awards and honors

• Bob Pruett, MAC Coach of the Year
• Chad Pennington, First Team All-MAC
• Doug Chapman, First Team All-MAC
• LaVorn Colclough, First Team All-MAC
• Mike Guilliams, First Team All-MAC
• Daninelle Derricott, First Team All-MAC
• Rogers Beckett, First Team All-MAC
• Ricky Hall, First Team All-MAC
• Giradie Mercer, First Team All-MAC ^[2]

References

1. "Wright throws costly interceptions". The Herald. September 20, 1998. Retrieved October 16, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
2. "1998 Toledo Football Recap". September 8, 2023.