HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — It was billed as the biggest game at Joan C. Edwards Stadium since the days when Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich ran the offense, and Marshall lived up to the hype
The Thundering Herd put together a dominant 59-28 win over East Carolina to win the Conference USA East Division.
Marshall will meet the West Division winner in the C-USA title game on Dec. 7. Three teams—Rice, Tulane and UT-San Antonio—enter Saturday with a chance at the West crown.
Both Marshall (9-3, 7-1) and East Carolina (9-3, 6-2) came into their game almost mirror images of each other, but Marshall shattered that mirror by running up 539 yards of offense and forcing three ECU interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.
“I’ve felt this football team has gotten better every week,” said Marshall coach Doc Holliday. “That is what good teams do and there’s no doubt that we went out there and played our best football today on offense, defensively and special teams.”
Marshall rushed for a season-high 285 yards with Essray Taliaferro leading the way with 161. Tailaferro became the first Marshall running back to gain 1,000 in a season since Darius Marshall did it in 2009.
“He’s our most complete back right now,” said Holliday.
But it was a sophomore and redshirt freshman who stole the show. Sophomore Devon Johnson rushed for two touchdowns and caught a third. Defensive end Gary Thompson intercepted two Shane Carden passes and returned one for a touchdown.
“I told our guys we had to play hard and not leave anything on the field. It feels great,” said quarterback Rakeem Cato, who threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns.
Marshall set the tone early with its defense. The Thundering Herd’s defense limited the number one rated offense in Conference USA to four punts and an interception in the first quarter. ECU ran 18 plays, gaining just 72 yards. Meanwhile, the offense did the rest.
The Herd built a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, starting with Justin Haig’s 42-yard field goal.
Then Marshall went on the march.
ECU pinned The Herd on its own 3-yard line. Cato immediately hit Tommy Shuler for 27 yards, then Craig Wilkins for 19 yards, and Shuler again for a 49-yard strike to push the ball down to the ECU 2.
Devon Johnson finished the 97-yard drive the first of his two touchdown runs.
“This is the one everybody’s been talking about,” said center Chris Jasperse. “We executed the best we’ve executed all year and put it away quick.”
Two drives later, Thompson swatted a Shane Carden pass and intercepted the tipped ball to set Marshall up with the football at the ECU 18-yard line.
“I saw when he was ready to throw it inside and got a hand up and tipped it to myself,” said Thompson.
Taliaferro carried the ball down to the 4-yard line then Cato scrambled for the score to put Marshall up 17-0.
Marshall went up 24-0 with 9:33 to play in the half. Cato found Gator Hoskins in the endzone for the 13th time this season, capping off an 11-play, 80 yard drive.
All the momentum was on The Herd’s side and it looked as if Marshall was poised to go up 31-0, when turnovers allowed ECU to creep back in the game. Taliaferro gashed the Pirate defense for gains of 8, 26 and 7 yards but then while trying to gain an extra yard or two, put the ball on the ground at the Pirate 13-yard line.
ECU quickly responded with a seven-play 87-yard drive culminating with a 2-yard Vintavious Cooper touchdown run.
The turnovers continued.
Two plays later, Cato was intercepted by Damon Magazu to give ECU the ball on The Herd’s 27-yard line. The defense bent, but would not allow ECU into the endzone. The Pirates had to settle for a 27-yard Warren Harvey field goal and trailed by 14 at the half.
Marshall responded in the third quarter and put the game out of reach with a combination of potent offense and smothering defense. On the opening drive of the half, The Herd drove the ball down to the two-yard line and once again, Devon Johnson had his number called. Johnson powered the ball across the goal line to put The Herd up 31-10.
The Pirates stayed in the game with a 26-yard field goal at the 9:22 mark, but The Herd started to drive the final nails into the coffin with eight minutes left in the third quarter.
Tyler Williams blasted a 57-yard punt to pin the Pirates at their own 10-yard line. On second down, Gary Thompson once again got his hands in the air, tipped Carden’s pass, and intercepted it. This time he didn’t need Cato and the rest of the offense. Thompson returned it ten yards for the touchdown and Marshall went up 38-13.
“That was a big impact play,” said Thompson. “They were trying to creep back in but we weren’t going to let that happen.”
Minutes later, The Herd put the game away for all intents and purposes. On third-and-11, Cato was forced out of the pocket and flipped it to Devon Johnson, who was all by himself in the middle of the field. Johnson rumbled downfield, getting a block from Devon Smith to score the 52-yard touchdown and essentially put the game out of reach.
Marshall tacked on a 14-yard touchdown run by Steward Butler and a 12-yard touchdown run by Rakeem Cato in the fourth quarter to salt away the win.