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Herd's Fireworks Evoke
Memories of Moss By JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer
Marshall lights up GMAC Bowl in wild game
 MOBILE, AL (AP)
Eat your heart out, Randy Moss.
When Byron Leftwich's last pass capped Marshall's stunning
comeback in the GMAC Bowl, it was the final act in a remarkable 4-hour
drama.
The Thundering Herd's 64-61 win over East Carolina Wednesday
night produced the highest point total in any bowl. It also had enough
highlights and flying footballs to make even Moss, Marshall's famous former
receiver, green and white with envy.
``We just pulled some stuff out of the hat,'' Leftwich said.
``Our guys just found a way to get open. I did the easy part and just threw
them the ball.''
He threw it 70 times, completing 41 for 576 yards and four
touchdowns.
Marshall (11-2) rallied from a 38-8 halftime deficit and won
it on Leftwich's 8-yard scoring toss to Josh Davis in the second overtime
the team's 104th offensive play.
Then, for the first time all night, action stopped. A flag
in the end zone turned out to be against the Pirates (6-6), allowing the
Thundering Herd to finally celebrate.
Davis's catch was merely the final highlight:
Darius Watts' leaping grab in the right corner of the end
zone with seven seconds left in the fourth quarter tied it at 51. The extra
point? Wide right.
East Carolina's Leonard Henry busted up the middle for a 55-yard touchdown
with five minutes left in the fourth quarter to put the Pirates up 51-42.
Both teams produced a pair of defensive touchdowns, including 25-yard
interception returns by Marshall's Ralph Street and Terence Tarpley in the
third quarter.
Down 30 points, the Thundering Herd didn't even blink. They
lopped 14 points off that deficit in the first three minutes of the second
half, on Street's score and Leftwich's 9-yard run.
``We play for championships,'' Marshall receiver Denero
Marriott said. ``When you're a champion, you never quit.''
Marriott had 15 catches for 234 yards, and the Thundering
Herd racked up 649 total yards.
East Carolina's more balanced attack simply couldn't keep
up. Henry gained 195 yards on 29 carries and the Pirates averaged 6.2 yards
on 53 rushes.
The school's all-time leading passer, David Garrard, was
just 11-of-23 for 161 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns in his
finale.
Coach Steve Logan wasn't feeling comfortable even with the
big halftime lead. Not against the nation's No. 3 offense and a quarterback
who had thrown for 38 scores and 4,132 yards coming in.
``There were 100 different plays in the second half that
could have won it for either team,'' Logan said.
The win served as salve for a Marshall team that blew a big
lead in a 41-36 loss to Toledo in the Mid-American Conference championship
game. That ended a string of four straight league titles.
Strangely, it also benefitted the Herd.
``It kind of helped us realize that it's a possibility that
we can come back,'' Leftwich said.
The previous highest-scoring bowl was the 1995 Copper, when
Texas Tech and Air Force combined for 96 points in the Red Raiders' 55-41
victory.
Despite the record, Marshall's defense could still look at
the scoreboard with pride.
``It says 64-61 Marshall,'' Tarpley said, ``so I'm happy.''
AP-NY-12-20-01 1512EST
Copyright 2001
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bonesville.net contributed to this
report.
02/23/2007 10:51:26 AM
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