The 1970 Marshall Thundering Herd football team was an American football team that represented Marshall University as an independent during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. In its second season under head coach Rick Tolley, the team compiled a 3–6 record and was outscored by a total of 202 to 138.[1] The team played its home games at Fairfield Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia.
On November 14, Southern Airways Flight 932, which was chartered by the school to fly the Thundering Herd football team, coaches, and fans to Kinston, North Carolina for a game against the East Carolina Pirates and back to Huntington, crashed on approach to Tri-State Airport after clipping trees just west of the runway and impacting nose-first into a hollow. All 75 people on board died, including 37 members of the football team, five coaches, and seven staff members. It was the worst single air tragedy in NCAA sports history. The tragedy was depicted in the movie We Are Marshall (2006) and the documentary film Marshall University: Ashes to Glory (2000).
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|
| September 19 | | Morehead State | | W 17–7 | 11,000 | [2] |
| September 26 | 8:00 p.m. | at Toledo | | L 3–52 | 12,804 | [3] |
| October 3 | 8:00 p.m. | at Xavier | | W 31–14 | 6,535 | [4] |
| October 10 | | Miami (OH) | - Fairfield Stadium
- Huntington, WV
| L 12–19 | 7,000 | [5] |
| October 17 | | Louisville | - Fairfield Stadium
- Huntington, WV
| L 14–16 | 6,500 | [6] |
| October 24 | | Western Michigan | - Fairfield Stadium
- Huntington, WV
| L 3–34 | 10,000 | [7] |
| October 31 | 1:30 p.m. | at Bowling Green | | L 24–26 | 16,073 | [8] |
| November 7 | 1:30 p.m. | Kent State | - Fairfield Stadium
- Huntington, WV
| W 20–17 | 6,231 | [9] |
| November 14 | 2:05 p.m. | at East Carolina | | L 14–17 | 8,711 | [10] |
| November 21 | | at Ohio | | Cancelled | | [11][12] |
|
[13]
Roster
| 1970 Marshall Thundering Herd football team roster
|
| Players
|
Coaches
|
Offense
| Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
|
| QB
|
12
|
Bob Harris
|
Jr
|
| QB
|
14
|
Ted Shoebridge
|
Jr
|
| QB
|
20
|
Rick Lech
|
Jr
|
| RB
|
22
|
Art Harris
|
So
|
| RB/KR
|
25
|
Kevin Gilmore
|
Sr
|
| RB
|
30
|
Dickie Carter
|
Sr
|
| TE
|
35
|
Barry Nash
|
So
|
| OL
|
50
|
Rick Dardinger
|
Sr
|
| OL
|
51
|
Jim Adams
|
Sr
|
| OL
|
52
|
Mike Swartley
|
So
|
| OL
|
53
|
Wes Hickman
|
Jr
|
| OL
|
54
|
Jim Sly
|
Jr
|
| C
|
55
|
Dennis Foley
|
So
|
| C
|
59
|
Allen Skeens
|
So
|
| G
|
60
|
Tom Howard
|
Jr
|
| OL
|
61
|
Mark Andrews
|
Jr
|
| OL
|
63
|
Jack Crabtree
|
So
|
| OL
|
66
|
Pat Norell
|
So
|
| G
|
67
|
Mike Blake
|
So
|
| OT
|
71
|
Bob Patterson
|
Jr
|
| OT
|
73
|
Jon Calvin
|
So
|
| OT
|
76
|
David DeBord
|
Sr
|
| WR
|
80
|
Dennis Blevins
|
Jr
|
| WR
|
82
|
Jack Repasy
|
Jr
|
| WR
|
86
|
John Young
|
So
|
| TE
|
87
|
Freddy Wilson
|
So
|
|
Defense
| Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
|
| DB
|
21
|
Felix Jordan
|
So
|
| DB
|
25
|
Nate Ruffin
|
Jr
|
| DB
|
27
|
Roger Childers
|
So
|
| DL
|
31
|
Willie Bluford
|
Jr
|
| RB
|
33
|
Joe Hood
|
So
|
| LB
|
34
|
Art Shannon
|
Jr
|
| LB
|
35
|
Dave Cyrus
|
Sr
|
| DB
|
40
|
Larry Sanders
|
Jr
|
| DB
|
41
|
Bobby Hill
|
So
|
| DB
|
42
|
Tony Barile
|
So
|
| DB
|
43
|
Stuart Cottrell
|
So
|
| DB
|
44
|
Richard Taglang
|
Jr
|
| DB
|
45
|
Gary Morgan
|
So
|
| LB
|
56
|
Jerry Stainback
|
Sr
|
| DL
|
62
|
Tom Zborill
|
Jr
|
| DL
|
64
|
Greg Finn
|
Jr
|
| DL
|
65
|
Tom Brown
|
Sr
|
| LB
|
68
|
Larry Brown
|
Sr
|
| DL
|
70
|
Ed Deeds
|
Jr
|
| DL
|
72
|
Fred Gaudet
|
Jr
|
| DL
|
74
|
Paul Oden
|
So
|
| DL
|
75
|
Robert Van Horn
|
So
|
| DL
|
77
|
Eddie Carter
|
So
|
| DL
|
79
|
David Withers
|
So
|
| LB
|
81
|
Dave Griffith
|
Sr
|
| LB
|
83
|
Scotty Reese
|
Jr
|
| DE
|
84
|
Pete Naputano
|
Jr
|
| DE
|
85
|
Roger Vanover
|
Jr
|
| DE
|
88
|
Al Saylor
|
So
|
|
Special teams
| Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
|
| PK/P
|
23
|
Marcelo Lajterman
|
So
|
| P
|
32
|
Richard Brautigan
|
So
|
|
- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
|
People listed in bold italics died in the plane crash on November 14, 1970, along with student trainer Donald Tackett.[14]
See also
References
- ^ "2008 Marshall Football Guide" (PDF). Marshall University. 2018. p. 186. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ "Shoebridge leads zippy Marshall past Morehead". The Courier-Journal. September 20, 1970. Retrieved October 7, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rocket steamroller crushes Maeshall". The Blade. September 27, 1970. Retrieved October 7, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Herd's comeback crushes victory bid by XU, 31–14". The Cincinnati Enquirer. October 4, 1970. Retrieved May 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Adams' 53-yard punt return keeps Miami perfect". Dayton Daily News. October 11, 1970. Retrieved October 7, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Louisville place kicker stalls Herd, 16 to 14". Tulsa World. October 18, 1970. Retrieved October 7, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Marshall homecoming spoiled by Western Michigan". The Beckley Post-Herald & Register. October 25, 1970. Retrieved October 7, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Shestina's field goal saves Falcons, 26–24". The Blade. November 1, 1970. Retrieved October 7, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Marshall throttles Kent St". The Lima News. November 8, 1970. Retrieved October 7, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Marshall beaten by Pirates, 17–14". The News and Observer. November 15, 1970. Retrieved March 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Marshall vs Ohio". Special Collections.
- ^ "Memories of Marshall; ex-player says shock of crash never ends". The Blade.
- ^ "Schedule/Results (1970 Marshall)". NCAA Statistics. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ "Plane Crash Memorial November 14, 1970 … Remembered".
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National championship seasons in bold |