Marshall strangest games, No. 9: Herd's first win in Texas a long time coming

Marshall running back Kevin Grooms (37) celebrates with offensive lineman Clint Van Horn (78) after the Thundering Herd’s 54-51 win against Rice on Sept. 22, 2012 in Houston. Grooms scored the winning touchdown in overtime for Marshall.

Marshall’s move to Conference USA brought this unwanted byproduct: long, futile journeys to the state of Texas.

That started in the 2004 Fort Worth Bowl, a wasted week that ended with the Thundering Herd meekly losing 32-14 to Cincinnati. From 2005-12, the scheduling rotation sent the Herd to one of four schools in the Lone Star State each fall.

From 2005-11, those resulted in long, losing trips home. Southern Methodist had a strange effect on head coaches —…