— By David Walsh
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Placekicker Justin Rohrwasser waited through two timeouts by Western Kentucky, and then kicked a career-best 53-yard field goal on the final snap to give Marshall University a 26-23 win to make it a happy Homecoming for the Thundering Herd.
Marshall started the game-winning drive on a rainy, overcast Saturday on its 13 after a punt by the Hilltoppers with 1:21 left. It would take 10 plays and cover 51 yards. Brenden Knox opened the clinching drive with a 16-yard run. The Thundering Herd worked the clock and a run by quarterback Isaiah Green for seven yards down the visitor’s 36 to set Rohrwasser up for his fourth field goal of the afternoon and sent the 22,009 inside Joan C. Edwards Stadium home happy.
“Every bus ride to a game, middle school or high school, this is what you dream about,” Rohrwasser said. “I’m glad the coaches had the faith in me. You want the chance and I gave it the best I’ve got.”
Marshall (5-3, 3-1 in Conference USA) now controls its own destiny in the league. Rohrwasser’s game-winning boot is the fourth-longest in school history.
Western Kentucky (5-3, 4-1 ) still leads the East Division, but the Herd controls the tiebreaker should it come to that. This is the second straight year Marshall won by three. The Herd did it a year ago, 20-17, in Bowling Green, Ky.
Marshall travels to Rice next Saturday. Southern Miss beat the Owls, 20-6, Saturday. Western Kentucky is home next Saturday against Florida Atlantic.
“He can have 5 game balls if he wants them,” Thundering Herd coach Doc Holliday said. “He told me he’s make it. I said let’s go win the game. It was a little longer than I wanted. I’m proud of him.”
Knox had 84 yards rushing against the No. 2 run defense and total defense in C-USA. Green passed for 230.
“We made enough plays to win the game,” Green said. “We put it in our minds we had to get three points or a touchdown. When he lines up, I think he’s going to make it.”
Hilltoppers quarterback Ty Storey completed 31-of-43 for 292 yards. He got sacked four times. Gaej Walker gained 102 on 12 carries. Wide out Lucky Jackson caught a single-game record 16 passes for 168 yards.
In the first quarter, Herd got an interception and then drove 58 yards for the score. The TD came on a 25-yard pass from Green to split out tight end Armani Levias, who beat 1 on 1 coverage on the streak down the left and finished with 10 receptions for 77 yards.
Storey fumbled early in the next drive, the Herd recovered and capitalized. Green hit Broc Thompson for 54 yards and Green followed with a score on a 4-yard run on an option.
Marshall expanded the lead to 17-0 on a Rohrwasser field goal of 46 yards, a career best until his final boot. He added a 31-yard later in the period to stretch the lead to 20-7. Willie Johnson picked up 54 yards on a reverse to help the drive.
Western Kentucky’s second-period TD came on a 41-yard run by Walker. That capped a 7-play, 61-yard march.
Storey connected on 14-of-20 for 117 yards. Green hit 7-of-8 for 109 yards.
Western Kentucky rallied in the second half on Storey’s 1-yard sneak for a TD with :45 seconds left in the third and a 27-yard field goal by Corey Munson with 12:10 left in the fourth.