Marshall rolls 59-0 in dazzling debut for QB Wells

Updated Sep. 5, 2020 5:03 p.m. ET

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — Grant Wells threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns to set and tie school records for a debut quarterback and Marshall rolled past Eastern Kentucky 59-0 on Saturday in both teams' season opener.

Wells, a redshirt freshman, was 16-of-23 passing with his 307 yards besting Stan Hill’s 202-yard game in 2002, and his four touchdowns tying another mark.

Marshall scored on every possession — eight touchdowns and a field goal — except those cut short the half and the game's end.

Wells threw touchdown passes in the first half ranging from 2 to 42 yards to Xavier Gaines, Talik Keaton, Garet Morrell and Jaron Woodyard. Brenden Knox ran for another TD and Shane Ciucci added a field goal for a 38-0 halftime lead.

Wells completed his day in the third quarter by leading another touchdown drive. The Herd added two more touchdowns and finished with eight different players scoring TDs.

The Herd piled up 627 yards offense, 345 in the air and 282 on the ground. The shutout was the first for Marshall since beating Kent State 21-0 in 2017.

Marshall made 12,000 tickets available for the game in 38,000-seat Joan C. Edwards Stadium. The school's plan was to have fans seated in every other row with no more than six in a group allowed and two seats empty on either side of groups. Masks were mandated and tailgating wasn't permitted.

The Colonels, under first-year head coach Walt Wells, opted out of the Ohio Valley Conference's move to possibly play in the spring, and stuck to a fall slate of games.

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