South Alabama Jaguars vs Marshall Thundering Herd Prediction, 10/20/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: South Alabama Jaguars vs Marshall Thundering Herd

Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Location: Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, WV

TV: ESPN2

Odds/Point Spread: Thundering Herd (+2.5)

Total/Over-Under: 64.5

The South Alabama Jaguars (4-2) are en route to Joan C. Edwards Stadium on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 where they will attempt to beat the Marshall Thundering Herd (3-3). South Alabama opens this matchup as 2.5-point favorites from Vegas oddsmakers. The total is 64.5.

The South Alabama Jaguars come into this matchup with a record of 4-2 this season. In their last contest, the Jaguars took the field against the Arkansas State Red Wolves and notched a win by a score of 56-49. The South Alabama Jaguars ended up running the ball 50 different times and tallied 296 yds, which had them averaging 5.9 yards per tote. In all, they tallied 60 plays which converted into 372 yds. South Alabama gave up 32 pass completions on 43 tries for a total of 418 yds, and a completion rate of 74.4%. In the running game, the Jaguars conceded 98 yards on 27 attempts, which is 3.6 yards per run allowed.

Regarding putting points on the board, the South Alabama Jaguars have an average of 38.8 points per outing. As a team they are averaging 220.3 yards via the ground game ranking them 16th in the nation. The Jaguars have earned 2,627 total yards this season. With reference to getting in the endzone, South Alabama has totaled 10 touchdowns via the pass and 18 rushing touchdowns. South Alabama has compiled 133 1st downs offensively, and they have been flagged for 39 infractions for 349 yds. They have surrendered the ball 3 times.

The Jaguars are ranked 131st in D-1 in terms of the opposition scoring, allowing 34.5 points per game. Opposing teams are running for an average of 5.8 yards per rushing attempt and 164.2 yards on the ground per game on the campaign. Overall, they have conceded 985 yards on the ground through 6 games. Regarding yards through the air, the Jaguars have conceded 1,589 yds which has them ranked 112th in the nation. They have relinquished 264.8 yards per game via the pass in addition to allowing a completion percentage of 67.9%. In total, they have surrendered 429.0 yards per game which has them ranked 127th in the country. They have relinquished 15 touchdowns through the air and 14 touchdowns via the ground game.

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The Thundering Herd head into this game 3-3 for this year. The last time they took the gridiron, the Thundering Herd took a loss by a score of 27-21 when they played the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Marshall conceded 45 rushing attempts for 235 yds (5.2 yards per rush). The Thundering Herd secondary conceded a completion percentage of 44.4%, surrendering 73 yards on 8 out of 18 passing. The Thundering Herd finished the contest with a total of 505 yds on 78 plays (6.5 yards per play). Marshall ran the football for 5.4 yards per tote, finishing with 221 yds on 41 carries.

In relation to this team's ability to score points, the Thundering Herd rank 109th in Division 1 with an average of 22.0 points per contest. The Marshall Thundering Herd hold an average of 406.5 yards/outing, which ranks them 58th in college football. The Marshall offense has totaled 352 yds of penalties on 39 infractions, which ranks 87th in D-1 in terms of making mistakes. They have given away 7 interceptions while allowing opponents to recover 7 fumbles and they have been able to obtain 130 1st downs. During this campaign so far, the Thundering Herd have compiled 1,487 yards through the air along with holding an average of 247.8 passing yards per game, ranking them 50th in D-1. They hold an average of 158.7 rushing yards per game and have run for 952 yards for this year.

Marshall has given up a total of 1,163 yards via the ground game (193.8 yards per outing) and 8 touchdowns via the rush on the season. They have given up 16 touchdowns through the air as well as 253.5 yards/outing, which has them in 119th in the nation. Over the course of the season, they have conceded 202 points in total. They have totaled 2 fumbles recovered and 3 picks so far this season. The Thundering Herd defense has participated in 396 plays, which is 40th in the nation. The Thundering Herd are allowing 33.7 points per contest, which has them 129th in the country.

Who will win tonight's Jaguars/Thundering Herd college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Jaguars -2.5

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