The Marshall Thundering Herd football statistical leaders  are individual statistical leaders of the Marshall Thundering Herd football  program in various categories,[ 1] passing , rushing , receiving , total offense , defensive stats, and kicking . Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. The Thundering Herd represent Marshall University  in the NCAA  Division I FBS  Sun Belt Conference . 
Although Marshall began competing in intercollegiate football in 1895,[ 1] 
These lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons: 
 Since 1950, seasons have increased from 10 games to 11 and then 12 games in length.  With the exception of the World War II  years, freshmen were not allowed to play until the 1971 season  in the aftermath of the crash of Southern Airways Flight 932 . The NCAA allowed freshmen at all schools to start playing in 1972 .  Bowl games  only began counting toward single-season and career statistics in 2002.[ 2] Although bowl games were not counted toward single-season and career statistics until 2002, games in NCAA championship tournaments have always been included. This is relevant because Marshall had a very successful tenure in Division I-AA, now known as the Football Championship Subdivision . When Marshall first played at the I-AA level in 1982, the tournament involved 12 teams; it expanded to 16 teams in 1986, remaining at that size through Marshall's final I-AA season in 1996. The Herd were regularly involved in the division's championship tournament , advancing to the championship game seven times and winning it twice. Several single-season records date from this era. These lists are updated through the end of the 2020 season . 
 
Passing  
Passing yards         Career     Rk   Player   Yards   Years       1  Rakeem Cato 14,079  2011  2012  2013  2014     2  Chad Pennington 13,143  1995  1997  1998  1999     3  Byron Leftwich 11,903  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002     4  Michael Payton 9,411  1989  1990  1991  1992     5  Chase Litton 8,335  2015  2016  2017     6  Todd Donnan  7,050  1991  1992  1993  1994     7  John Gregory  7,020  1986  1987  1988  1989     8  Carl Fodor 6,655  1982  1983  1984  1985     9  Tony Petersen 6,501  1986  1987     10  Grant Wells 5,623[ 3]   2019  2020  2021   
     Single season     Rk   Player   Yards   Year       1  Tony Petersen 4,902  1987     2  Byron Leftwich 4,268  2002     3  Rakeem Cato 4,201  2012     4  Byron Leftwich 4,132  2001     5  Rakeem Cato 3,916  2013     6  Rakeem Cato 3,903  2014     7  Chad Pennington 3,799  1999     8  Michael Payton 3,610  1992     9  Grant Wells 3,532[ 3]   2021     10  Chad Pennington 3,480  1997   
       
   
  
Passing touchdowns   
Rushing  Complete yardage totals for Jackie Hunt  and John Zontini are not available because such specific statistics were not always kept back then. However, the Marshall record book estimates career totals for them and includes them in the official career rushing yards list.[ 1] 
 
Rushing yards         Career     Rk   Player   Yards   Years       1  Chris Parker 5,924  1992  1993  1994  1995     2  Doug Chapman 4,016  1996  1997  1998  1999     3  Ron Darby  3,903  1986  1987  1988  1989     4  Jackie Hunt 3,900 1939  1940  1941     5  Ahmad Bradshaw 2,982  2004  2005  2006     6  John Zontini  2,900 1931  1932  1933  1934     7  Darius Marshall 2,857  2007  2008  2009  2010     8  Brenden Knox  2,852[ 10]   2018  2019  2020     9  Rasheen Ali 2,831[ 11]   2020  2021  2022  2023     10  Glenn Pedro  2,724  1990  1991  1992  1993   
     Single season     Rk   Player   Yards   Year       1  Chris Parker 1,833  1995     2  Devon Johnson 1,767  2014     3  Chris Parker 1,750  1993     4  Chris Parker 1,728  1994     5  Ahmad Bradshaw 1,523  2006     6  Khalan Laborn 1,513[ 12]   2022     7  Ron Darby  1,506  1987     8  Rasheen Ali 1,401[ 11]   2021     9  Brenden Knox  1,387[ 10]   2019     10  Erik Thomas  1,296  1996   
       
   
  
Rushing touchdowns   
Receiving  
Receptions   
Receiving yards         Career     Rk   Player   Yards   Years       1  Mike Barber 4,262  1985  1986  1987  1988     2  Darius Watts 4,031  2000  2001  2002  2003     3  Josh Davis 3,889  2001  2002  2003  2004     4  Tommy Shuler  3,563  2011  2012  2013  2014     5  Randy Moss 3,467  1996  1997     6  Tim Martin  2,886  1993  1994  1995  1996     7  Nate Poole 2,775  1997  1998  1999     8  Troy Brown 2,746  1991  1992     9  Cody Slate 2,619  2006  2007  2008  2009     10  Aaron Dobson 2,398  2009  2010  2011  2012   
     Single season     Rk   Player   Yards   Year       1  Mike Barber 1,757  1987     2  Randy Moss 1,709  1996     3  Troy Brown 1,654  1992     4  Randy Moss 1,647  1997     5  Darius Watts 1,417  2001     6  Sean Doctor 1,372  1987     7  Mike Barber 1,325  1988     8  Brian Dowler  1,197  1991     9  Josh Davis 1,191  2002     10  Mike Barber 1,180  1986   
       
   
  
Receiving touchdowns   
Total offense  Total offense  is the sum of passing and rushing statistics. It does not include receiving or returns.[ 21] 
 
Total offense yards         Career     Rk   Player   Yards   Years       1  Rakeem Cato 14,918 2011  2012  2013  2014     2  Chad Pennington 13,048 1995  1997  1998  1999     3  Byron Leftwich 12,084 1998  1999  2000  2001  2002     4  Michael Payton 9,704 1989  1990  1991  1992     5  Todd Donnan  7,057 1991  1992  1993  1994     6  John Gregory  6,720 1986  1987  1988  1989     7  Bernard Morris 6,705 2004  2005  2006  2007     8  Carl Fodor 6,377 1982  1983  1984  1985     9  Tony Petersen 6,268 1986  1987     10  Chris Parker 5,924 1992  1993  1994  1995   
     Single season     Rk   Player   Yards   Year       1  Tony Petersen 4,737 1987     2  Rakeem Cato 4,385 2014     3  Byron Leftwich 4,267 2002     4  Rakeem Cato 4,232 2012     5  Byron Leftwich 4,224 2001     6  Rakeem Cato 4,210 2013     7  Chad Pennington 3,902 1999     8  Michael Payton 3,744 1992     9  Bernard Morris 3,637 2007     10  Grant Wells 3,588 [ 3] 2021   
       
   
  
Touchdowns responsible for  "Touchdowns responsible for" is the official NCAA term for combined passing and rushing touchdowns.[ 22] 
  
Defense  
Interceptions   
Tackles             Single season     Rk   Player   Tackles   Year       1  John Spellacy  189  1987     2  William King  178  1993     3  Duran Smith  160  2002     4  Max Yates 159  2001     5  Bill Yanossy  157  1974   
     Single game     Rk   Player   Tackles   Year   Opponent       1  Charles Henry  30  1972 Miami (Ohio)   
   
   
  
Sacks   
Kicking  
Field goals made   
References    ^ a b c   "2015 Marshall Thundering Herd Record Book"  (PDF) . HerdZone.com . Archived from the original  (PDF)  on September 27, 2016. Retrieved August 20,  2016 .^ "NCAA changes policy on football stats" . ESPN.com . AP. August 28, 2002. Retrieved August 20,  2016 .^ a b c   "Grant Wells" . ESPN.com .^ a b c d   GMAC Bowl ^ a b c   "Litton with 2 TD passes; leads Marshall past Charlotte 34-10" . ESPN.com . October 31, 2015.^ a b c d   I-AA Playoff game  ^ "Marshall comes back at Tulsa 45-34" . ESPN.com . November 14, 2013.^ a b   "Brandon Doughty's 8 TD passes, 2-point conversion sink Marshall" . ESPN.com . November 28, 2014.^ "Litton throws 6 TD's, Marshall blasts Morgan St 62-0" . ESPN.com . September 10, 2016.^ a b   "Brenden Knox" . ESPN.com .^ a b c d   "Rasheen Ali" . ESPN.com .^ a b   "Khalan Laborn" . ESPN.com .^ "No. 23 Marshall beats Florida Atlantic 35-16" . ESPN.com . October 25, 2014.^ "Marshall vs. Florida Atlantic Box Score" . ESPN.com . October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 19,  2019 .^ "Corey Gammage" . ESPN.com .^ "Caleb TerBush throws 4 TDs, leads Purdue past Marshall" . ESPN.com . September 29, 2012.^ "Rakeem Cato ties TD mark as Marshall wins Boca Raton Bowl" . ESPN.com . December 23, 2014.^ Boca Raton Bowl ^ "Marshall at NC State boxscore" . ESPN.com . September 9, 2017.^ MAC Championship Game ^ "2022 Football Bowl Subdivision Records"  (PDF) . NCAA. p. 12. Retrieved October 2,  2022 .^ "2022 Football Bowl Subdivision Records"  (PDF) . NCAA. p. 12. Retrieved October 2,  2022 .^ a b   "Micah Abraham" . ESPN.com .^ a b   "Mike Green" . ESPN.com .^ "Individual Career History"  (PDF) . HerdZone.com . Archived from the original  (PDF)  on September 28, 2016. Retrieved December 10,  2016 .^ "Koby Cumberlander" . ESPN.com .^ "Owen Porter" . ESPN.com .^ "Justin Rohrwasser" . ESPN.com .^ "Marshall rallies past Louisiana Tech in Conference USA title game" . ESPN.com . December 6, 2014.^ Conference USA Championship Game ^ "Marshall vs. Western Kentucky boxscore" . ESPN.com . October 26, 2019.^ "Marshall vs. Old Dominion Box Score" . ESPN.com . November 5, 2022. Retrieved December 3,  2022 .   
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