Friendly Reminder: Marshall Thundering Herd Still Undefeated All-Time Against Legendary Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Program

In the grand tapestry of college football, certain matchups etch themselves into legend not because they’ve been played dozens of times, but because of the weight of the upset, the gravity of the moment, and the echo it leaves through time. For the Marshall Thundering Herd, one such iconic moment came on a sunny September Saturday in 2022, when they walked into Notre Dame Stadium and emerged with a victory that would reverberate through college football lore for years. And here’s a friendly reminder—Marshall is still undefeated against Notre Dame.

That’s right. Undefeated. The record stands at 1-0, a pristine, unblemished mark of triumph over one of the sport’s most revered programs. While some may chuckle at the significance of a single game, for Marshall, it represents something much bigger: validation, pride, and the beautiful unpredictability of college football.

To understand the magnitude of that 2022 upset, one must first appreciate the difference in pedigree. Notre Dame, with its 11 national championships, Heisman Trophy winners, and legions of NFL alumni, is widely viewed as college football royalty. The Fighting Irish play under the bright lights of national scrutiny every fall, their every move broadcast and dissected by analysts and fans alike. They enter most seasons with playoff hopes and championship dreams.

Marshall, by contrast, comes from more modest roots. Their rise through the ranks of college football has been marked by both tragedy and triumph. The story of the 1970 plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 people, including players, coaches, and fans, cast a long and painful shadow over the program—a shadow they’ve slowly, resolutely stepped out from over the decades. Marshall’s resilience is a story of rebuilding not just a football program, but a community’s spirit. Their move up to the FBS level, their dominance in the MAC during the late 1990s, and eventual landing in the Sun Belt, all speak to a program unafraid of challenges.

So, when the 2022 season placed Marshall on the same field as Notre Dame, the disparity in resources, recruiting, and exposure couldn’t have been starker. Few gave the Thundering Herd a real shot. Notre Dame was ranked No. 8 in the country, coming off a narrow loss to Ohio State and playing their first home game under newly appointed head coach Marcus Freeman. The Fighting Irish were expected to get back on track—and Marshall was supposed to be little more than a stepping stone.

Instead, Marshall seized the moment.

The game plan, executed to near perfection by head coach Charles Huff and his staff, featured a gritty and punishing run game, anchored by the dynamic Khalan Laborn. The Florida State transfer racked up over 160 rushing yards, plowing through Notre Dame’s defense with relentless physicality. Quarterback Henry Colombi, a veteran presence, made smart throws and avoided costly mistakes. And most importantly, Marshall’s defense played with heart, toughness, and discipline, intercepting Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner twice—including a decisive fourth-quarter pick-six by Steven Gilmore that sealed the 26-21 victory.

It was a masterclass in how to win as an underdog. Marshall didn’t just get lucky. They out-executed, out-coached, and out-played Notre Dame on its own turf. The win wasn’t fluky or flammable—it was concrete and clear.

That singular victory did more than just move Marshall to 2-0 on the season and give them a signature win. It sparked conversations across the country about the widening parity in college football. It reminded fans and pundits alike that the so-called Group of Five programs are fully capable of standing toe-to-toe with the sport’s traditional powerhouses.

For Notre Dame, the loss stung. It cast doubt over Freeman’s readiness as a first-year head coach and exposed vulnerabilities in a team expected to compete for a College Football Playoff berth. While the Fighting Irish rebounded in the weeks and seasons that followed, that blemish remains—Marshall walked into South Bend and walked out with a win, and there’s no erasing that.

In the years since, Notre Dame has tried to rewrite its narrative. They’ve recruited well, remained relevant nationally, and continued their pursuit of postseason glory. But here’s the quirky truth that still floats just outside the spotlight: they’ve never avenged that loss. In fact, they’ve never even had the chance. The programs haven’t met again. There are no announced rematches scheduled. As it stands, Marshall remains 1-0. And in college football, where traditions run deep and rivalries stretch for decades, an undefeated record against Notre Dame—no matter how few the games—is a rare badge of honor.

This isn’t to say that Marshall claims superiority over Notre Dame in football history. That would be disingenuous. But in their one and only on-field meeting, when the scoreboard hit zero and the echoes of Notre Dame Stadium faded into the West Virginia hills, it was the Herd—not the Irish—who held the bragging rights.

For Marshall fans, that day became an instant classic. Social media exploded with celebration. The image of the team hoisting the green “We Are…Marshall” banner amid a sea of stunned Irish faithful became emblematic of everything the program stands for: perseverance, unity, and a refusal to be overlooked.

There are reminders of that win scattered across the Marshall program even now. Players who were part of that game wear it like a badge of honor. Recruits hear about it when they visit campus. It’s a reminder that, under the right circumstances, the Herd can beat anyone.

As for Notre Dame, it remains a chapter they’d rather not reread. The 2022 season ultimately fell short of their lofty goals, and while they’ve enjoyed more prominent moments since, that game continues to exist like a splinter in their football mythology. Programs like USC, Michigan, and Alabama have all been more frequent thorns in Notre Dame’s side, but there’s something uniquely haunting about losing to a team you’ve only faced once—and never beaten.

Of course, in the grand scheme of college football history, one game between Marshall and Notre Dame might not shift the balance of power. But that’s not the point. The point is that in a sport driven by passion, pageantry, and moments, Marshall’s win in South Bend stands as a monument to belief and execution. It’s the type of result that makes college football unlike any other sport.

And maybe one day, the Irish will get their rematch. Maybe they’ll schedule a home-and-home or meet Marshall again in a bowl game. Until then, though, the record remains frozen in time—Marshall 1, Notre Dame 0.

So here’s your friendly reminder: the Thundering Herd is still undefeated against Notre Dame. And that’s a stat no one—not even the Irish—can change without stepping back onto the field and proving otherwise.

Until then, it’s Marshall’s moment. Forever etched in the record books. Forever 1-0.