Jacob Clark found Jeron Askren for an eight-yard touchdown to beat Marshall in 2025, completing the winning drive that delivered Missouri State’s first FBS victory. The Bears arrive at the rematch behind different offensive contributors. Skyler Locklear completed 17 of 20 passes for 258 yards in last Saturday’s 48-14 win over Lindenwood, and Isaiah Myers caught five passes for 155 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown.
Marshall visits Missouri State on Saturday, September 19, at 5:30 p.m. Central on CBSSN. Fan Watch gives the Bears a 45% chance to win, close enough to settle in expecting a competitive afternoon. No outside result warrants a rooting detour this week. The interactive guide has the forecast, with the model explained in the methodology.
Casey Woods took his first head-coaching job after four seasons as SMU’s offensive coordinator and chief of staff. He inherited a program that went 7-6 overall and 5-3 in Conference USA in 2025. Sustaining that standard means rebuilding substantial offensive production. Clark threw for 3,244 yards and 28 touchdowns in his final collegiate season, while Shomari Lawrence ran for 1,021 yards.
Woods does have a quarterback and coordinator with shared experience. Mark Cala and Locklear both arrived from UTEP, where Cala called the offense during the second half of 2025 and Locklear started the final seven games. Their work against Lindenwood gave fans something concrete to carry forward after Texas A&M monopolized the opener, running 85 plays to Missouri State’s 40 and holding the ball for 43:03. Locklear’s efficient afternoon showed that the passing game could sustain production; it did not settle where the Bears belong in CUSA.
After the Lindenwood win, Woods described Locklear as coming out “hunting,” while Myers described an offense featuring explosive downfield shots. Marshall presents a specific obstacle to that ambition. Middle Tennessee completed 25 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns against the Herd last week, but none went longer than 15 yards. Missouri State should have opportunities to complete passes; creating the long gains that Myers supplied is the harder task.
Watch whether Locklear can take those shots without forcing them. Jmariyae Robinson’s five catches for 40 yards against Lindenwood supplied another way to move the ball. If Marshall keeps receivers in front of it again, productive shorter completions can keep the Bears from needing a spectacular play on every possession.
Protection belongs in that conversation. Locklear took only one sack against Lindenwood, and the News-Leader reported that he worked effectively from a well-protected pocket. Starting center Isaiah Villanueva, however, left in the first half and spent the rest of the game in a boot. In a September 14 update, Woods called Villanueva, kicker Yousef Obeid and receiver Makai Cope questionable. If Villanueva cannot play Saturday, the Bears will need to keep Locklear’s pocket clean with a replacement at center. Punter Stewart McDonald handled place-kicking with Obeid absent against Lindenwood, making the kicking personnel another detail to check when scoring chances arrive.
The defense can help by keeping Marshall out of comfortable rushing situations. New coordinator Jack Curtis brought an aggressive approach to a unit that allowed 26 rushing touchdowns in 2025. Missouri State held Lindenwood to 118 net rushing yards and no rushing touchdown, though three sacks accounting for 21 lost yards helped lower that rushing total. Against FCS opposition, that was encouraging progress; Curtis’ defenders still need to stop ordinary runs as reliably as they create losses.
Askren offers the most personal thread through the rematch. He was listed as a starter against Lindenwood without recording a reception. His next catch would give Locklear another contributor alongside Myers and Robinson. Watch whether the Bears can involve him while preserving the downfield opportunities that made their latest win so productive.