In 1970, the small town of Huntington, West Virginia is struck by unthinkable tragedy when a chartered plane carrying the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team, coaches, and supporters crashes, leaving no survivors. The community is engulfed in grief as the university grapples with the loss of beloved family members, friends, and the backbone of the town's spirit. The disaster deeply affects the students and citizens, threatening to end the university's football program as it loses its players and coaching staff. Amidst the sorrow and despair, the school is pressured to suspend the football program indefinitely due to safety concerns and the enormity of the rebuilding task.

Refusing to let the football program die, students and surviving members of the Marshall community rally to persuade the university's leaders to field a team for the following season. They succeed, and the school hires a determined and unconventional coach who accepts the daunting challenge of rebuilding the decimated team. His task is not just about sports; it's about helping a grieving community find hope and healing through the persevering spirit of the game. Assembling a ragtag group of new players, including athletes from other sports and walk-ons, the coach faces the nearly impossible job of forging a competitive team in the shadow of the recent calamity. The team's struggle symbolizes the town's effort to move forward from the wreckage and reclaim their identity.