Marshall beats Gardner-Webb 36-35 on Diaz Nicolas field goal with three seconds left

Marshall trailed Gardner-Webb with less than two minutes left, then turned its last full possession into a 36-35 win. Carlos Del Rio-Wilson moved the Thundering Herd 66 yards in 10 plays, and Jorge Diaz Nicolas made a 32-yard field goal with three seconds remaining at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. The kick finished a game that swung repeatedly in the second half and nearly gave Gardner-Webb a road upset.

Gardner-Webb went ahead 35-27 with 9:24 left on Pennington's 44-yard touchdown pass to Giovanni Adopte. Marshall answered with Del Rio-Wilson's 34-yard touchdown pass to Turner-Bradshaw, but the failed two-point try left the Herd behind 35-33 with 6:06 remaining. The Bulldogs pushed to the Marshall 10 on their next possession before missing a 27-yard field goal with 1:57 left. That miss gave Del Rio-Wilson and Marshall one more opportunity, which became the game-winning drive.

Del Rio-Wilson's passing kept the Herd in a game where it also made costly mistakes. He completed 26 of 38 throws for 386 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Turner-Bradshaw caught seven passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Marshall gained 569 total yards, but committed two turnovers and converted only three of 12 third downs. It led 27-21 at halftime, fell behind on a third-quarter touchdown and narrowed Gardner-Webb's fourth-quarter eight-point lead with a touchdown pass to Turner-Bradshaw.

Gardner-Webb made the game a contest through Pennington's vertical passing. He completed 22 of 33 for 298 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in the ESPN box score. Giovanni Adopte caught seven for 179 yards and two scores, including a 75-yard first-quarter touchdown. Kory Jones caught two scoring passes. The Bulldogs also rushed for 160 yards, led by Christian Vann's 99, and converted nine of 15 third downs. Their 458 total yards and 35 points were enough to put an FBS opponent under pressure into the last minute.

The first half set the tone. Pennington hit Jones for an 11-yard score, then Adopte from 75 yards out. Marshall answered with a 48-yard Del Rio-Wilson pass to Turner-Bradshaw and a 54-yard field goal from Diaz Nicolas. In the second quarter, Ruben Tshilombo recovered a fumble for a Gardner-Webb touchdown, one of several nonroutine turns in a game that never settled into a single rhythm.

The final score leaves Marshall 3-1 and Gardner-Webb 1-4. Marshall's late execution won the game, but the margin reflects how close the Bulldogs came. A missed field goal with under two minutes left opened the door, and Diaz Nicolas used the last chance.