HODDESDON, Hertfordshire (Interstat) — Alonza Barnett III threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns and Wayne Knight scored twice as James Madison pulled away from Marshall for a 35-23 victory in an interconference American football game Saturday at The Stewart Edwards Stadium.

The Dukes, ranked in the coaches poll, improved to 8-1 overall, while the Thundering Herd fell to 4-5.

James Madison established control early, marching 80 yards on its opening drive. Barnett capped the series with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Braeden Wisloski, giving the Dukes a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Marshall responded in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 7-6 on a 15-yard touchdown run by Antwan Roberts. The Thundering Herd’s two-point conversion attempt failed. Roberts finished with 121 rushing yards on 20 carries.

James Madison answered with a methodical 75-yard drive, culminating in a 6-yard rushing touchdown by Knight to extend the lead to 14-6. After forcing a Marshall punt, the Dukes drove deep into Herd territory but came away empty after a missed 49-yard field goal attempt by Mateo Suarez.

Marshall capitalized on the miss, driving to the James Madison 31 before settling for a 49-yard field goal from Lorcan Quinn to make it 14-9.

The Dukes struck just before halftime, however. Barnett engineered a 10-play, 80-yard drive in the final two minutes, with Jordan Fuller plunging in from one yard out with 28 seconds remaining to give James Madison a 21-9 lead.

Marshall managed a frantic final drive in the half’s waning seconds, setting up a 52-yard field goal by Quinn as time expired to send the teams to the locker room with James Madison leading 21-12.

James Madison delivered a decisive blow early in the third quarter. On the first play of a drive from their own 20, Barnett connected with Jaylan Sanchez on a deep post route for an 80-yard touchdown, stretching the lead to 28-12.

Marshall refused to go quietly, embarking on a 17-play, 80-yard drive that consumed over eight minutes of the third quarter. Carlos Del Rio-Wilson found Tracy Stephens for a 4-yard touchdown pass, and De’Andre Tamarez connected with Stephens again on a successful two-point conversion, pulling the Thundering Herd to within one score at 28-20.

The Herd defense then came up with a crucial turnover early in the fourth quarter. Barnett was hit as he threw, and his pass was intercepted by Paul Hutson III, who returned it to the James Madison 43. The Marshall offense drove to the 5-yard line but could not find the end zone, settling for a 23-yard Quinn field goal to make it 28-23 with 10:15 remaining.

After both teams exchanged punts, James Madison put the game away. Facing third-and-6 from their own 49 with just over two minutes left, Barnett hit Knight on a short pass that the running back turned into a 49-yard touchdown, breaking tackles down the sideline to seal the 35-23 victory.

Barnett completed 14 of 24 passes for 270 yards and added 32 yards on the ground. Knight was a dual threat, rushing for 87 yards and a score while catching four passes for 79 yards and the clinching touchdown. Sanchez led all receivers with 86 yards on three catches, including the 80-yard score.

For Marshall, Del Rio-Wilson completed 16 of 35 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown and was the team’s leading rusher with 73 yards on 23 carries. The Thundering Herd defense was led by Josh Pierre-Louis with seven tackles, while Jibreel Al-Amin and Javae Gilmore applied consistent pressure.

James Madison travels to face Appalachian State next Saturday, while Marshall visits Georgia State.