They’ve scored 30 points or more nine times this season, including in the divisional playoff and conference championship to advance to Super Bowl LIV.

“It’s definitely just as fun playing in the offense as it is watching it,” Kansas City Chiefs running back Marcus Marshall, a James Madison product, said.

The Chiefs meet the San Francisco 49ers for the Vince Lombardi Trophy on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Though Marshall said he isn’t making the trip to South Florida, he will be rooting on his Chiefs from Atlanta, where he’s currently working out in preparation for next season.

Marshall made Kansas City’s 90-man roster during a tryout at the club’s rookie minicamp this past spring, stayed on with the team through training camp before being moved to the practice squad at the start of the regular season. In mid-October, Marshall was released by the franchise, only to inevitably have Kansas City sign him again early last month to a future contract.

He said one of reasons he initially agreed to tryout with the Chiefs was because of how he thought he could fit in Kansas City.

“In all honesty, I was just looking for the best spot,” Marshall said.

Former JMU running backs coach De’Rail Sims said throughout Marshall’s senior season and afterward during the months and weeks leading into the NFL Draft, the two discussed the opportunities Marshall would have in the NFL.

Sims said when the former Dukes coaching staff landed Marshall as a transfer from Georgia Tech in December of 2016, they believed he’d have a good shot at getting to the NFL given his pedigree and skill level.

Marshall’s dad, Warren Marshall, is a JMU Hall of Famer and had a stint with the Denver Broncos, and Marcus’ brother, Keith Marshall, played at Georgia ahead of a two-year stay with the Washington Redskins.

“It was all about a fit with Marcus,” Sims, now in the same role at East Carolina, said, “and the certain teams that fit his running style and the things he’d be able to do offensively. And I thought the Chiefs were the perfect match because they were very similar offensively to what we did at JMU.

“Then once he got into minicamp and training camp, he said, ‘Coach, it’s the same things y’all taught me.’ … So he kind of had a leg up a little bit and got adjusted quickly in terms of the speed of the NFL, because naturally he was always gifted. Once he got in there and got his opportunity to shine, he made the most of it and I think that’s why they brought him back there on that future contract.”

The 5-foot-10, 200-pound running back played in three preseason games for Kansas City, tallying 80 yards on 17 carries and five catches for 25 yards to prove he deserved the chance to stick around on the practice squad.

He said on the practice squad, in addition to learning the Chiefs’ system, he served as the scout team running back and played the role of opposing rushers like Baltimore Ravens running back Mark Ingram to give the Kansas City defense a great look at what they could see in the game.

“There’s a lot of opportunities for guys to make big plays,” Marshall said about the Chiefs’ offense. “The running backs get involved heavily in the passing game and run the ball when need be. So I think it’s an exciting offense to play in, and I just got to learn so much because of how versatile it is.”

He said what stood out to him are the fine details that matter to Kansas City coach Andy Reid, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and running backs coach Deland McCullough.

“I’m sure that’s one of those things you pick up on when you transition from college to the league,” Marshall said, “so it was awesome to learn from them and take my game to the next level under their direction.”

Marshall said he’s hoping he can take the knowledge he absorbed from Reid and company, and use it to his advantage come OTAs and minicamp.

Sims called Bieniemy one of the top offensive coordinators in the NFL and said McCullough has a great track record of producing quality rushers from his time in the college game at Indiana and Southern California. In 21 years as a head coach, Reid has led his teams to 15 postseason appearances. If Kansas City wins on Sunday, Reid will be a Super Bowl-winning head coach for the first time.

Marshall’s goal is to eventually earn his way onto the Chiefs’ active roster and add to Kansas City’s offense on Sundays.

He said he takes inspiration from fellow JMU alum Rashard Davis. Davis worked his way up from a practice squad player with four different franchises into an active player, who was used on special teams in the postseason this year, for the Tennessee Titans.

“Marcus is going to take it and run with it,” Sims said. “I think what [the Chiefs] do with all the backs, in terms of the passing game and being able to run outside zone and inside zone, fits him perfectly. I think once Marcus gets his opportunity in training camp, OTAs and minicamp, he’ll have a phenomenal chance of making that roster.”

Across the 2017 and 2018 campaigns with JMU, Marshall rushed for 1,296 yards and 17 touchdowns and made 22 catches for 150 yards and a score. He had the best game of his college career in the 2017 FCS national semifinals when his touchdown runs of 87 yards and 65 yards led to a 203-yard rushing performance while boosting the Dukes to victory over South Dakota State.

And those numbers accumulated as he transitioned into JMU’s spread offense as a junior after beginning his career in Georgia Tech’s triple-option offense. Then as a senior, he played in a platoon role alongside former Dukes running backs Cardon Johnson and Trai Sharp.

“We were so talented that we were trying to feed everybody in that room to give everyone equal opportunities,” Sims said. “He never complained, he never whined.

“So my biggest regret is that we recruited too doggone well in that backfield. But Marcus is one of the most humble guys you’ll ever meet and he’s hard a worker, but I think the thing that’ll help him is he has a lot of tread left on his tires. He hasn’t been worn down one bit.”

For now, though, Marshall is anxious to see how the Chiefs play on Sunday, especially considering he sensed the team was on the verge of a strong year all the way back in August.

Despite losing four of six contests beginning in October into November, Kansas City enters the Super Bowl having rattled off eight consecutive victories after beating the Titans 35-24 in the AFC Championship Game.

“Being around those guys in the preseason,” Marshall said, “and it was my first year, so I don’t have anything else to compare it to. But being around the energy, the confidence of the guys on the team and, obviously, they have plenty of play makers, but the way those guys all mesh on offense, I had a feeling something special was going to happen this year.”

Marshall said Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has thrown for 615 yards and eight touchdowns without an interception to go along with 106 rushing yards this postseason, is the quiet leader in Kansas City’s locker room everyone respects.

“Not overly vocal, but he’s a leader in the way he carries himself,” Marshall said. “He’s a very humble guy. I had a few conversations with him, and he’s a very down-to-earth guy and just from talking to him, you wouldn’t realize he’s probably about to be the highest paid quarterback, maybe ever.”

Kickoff for the Super Bowl is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on FOX.

“I grew relationships with guys on that team,” Marshall said. “So I wish them the best and I’m glad to see they’re on their way to reaching the ultimate goal.”