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Thundering Herd Caught from
Behind by Toledo
By JOHN SEEWER
Associated Press Writer
TOLEDO, OH
(AP) — Marshall, which will challenge East Carolina in the GMAC Bowl, was
all but sizing up its fifth Mid-American Conference championship ring when
Toledo's Chester Taylor got started.
Then they
couldn't stop him.
Taylor ran
for 188 yards and two touchdowns as Toledo overcame an early 23-point
deficit to beat No. 20 Marshall 41-36 on Friday night in the MAC title game.
``We just had
to keep getting him the ball. We knew something would happen,'' Toledo coach
Tom Amstutz said. ``We kept on believing the whole game.''
It's hard to
imagine he could've expected this comeback.
After falling
behind 23-0 in the first quarter and finishing the half at 23-10, Toledo
scored on its first four possessions of the second half to take a 35-29
lead.
Taylor, who
had just 36 yards in the first half, scored on an 8-yard run with 6:34 left
to put the Rockets (9-2) ahead for the final time.
``We knew it
was just a matter of time that the offense would start clicking,'' Taylor
said.
It was
Toledo's first win in the MAC title game in three tries and ended Marshall's
streak of four straight conference titles.
The way
Toledo finally took the lead was surprising.
Place-kicker
Todd France set up for a field goal, but instead took a handoff from holder
Tavares Bolden, and ran untouched 16 yards into the end zone, banging into
the goal post to celebrate his first career touchdown.
``I thought
when I called the play I might be the biggest nut in America,'' Amstutz
said.
Instead, he
looked like the smartest.
Neither
offense could be stopped in the second half as the lead changed hands three
times in the fourth quarter.
``We let them
get back in the game,'' Marshall coach Bob Pruett said. ``We are able to
answer usually, but they got the ball back and they got life.''
Marshall
quarterback Byron Leftwich led an 87-drive that he capped with an 18-yard
touchdown pass to Denero Marriott. It was Marriott's fourth touchdown catch
and gave the Thundering Herd (10-2) a 36-35 lead with 11:56 to play.
Leftwich had
one more chance to take the lead, but his final pass sailed through the end
zone on a fourth down with 2:43 remaining. The MAC's player of the year,
Leftwich finished 32-of-52 for 420 yards and one interception.
Both teams
still have one more game left because, for the first time, the MAC
championship didn't determine who received the conference's automatic bowl
bid.
Marshall
already has secured the league's spot against the Pirates in the GMAC Bowl
in Mobile, AL., on December 19. Toledo will play in the Motor City Bowl in
Pontiac, MI, on Dec. 29 against an opponent to be determined, likely
Cincinnati.
It will be
the first time two league schools have played in the postseason.
It looked
like Marshall was on its way to seeing its season-long dream of ``One for
the Thumb'' come true. The Herd had won four straight titles since returning
to the conference in 1997.
Leftwich came
out throwing on Marshall's first drive, picking apart the defense with short
passes. He found Marriott in the back of the end zone on a 16-yard throw
that gave Marshall a 7-0 lead.
The
Thundering Herd then caught the Rockets napping on the kickoff and recovered
an onside kick at the Toledo 47.
Leftwich
wasted no time in finding Marriott again on a 15-yard touchdown pass just
seven minutes into the game.
Marshall was
on the verge of blowing the game open when Franklin Wallace took a handoff
and burst through the middle of the defense and ran 62 yards for a touchdown
that gave the Herd a 20-0 lead.
The Herd
dominated the first quarter, piling up 282 yards. The Rockets couldn't
generate any offense, running just six plays for 7 yards in the quarter.
Taylor
finally got Toledo's offense started in the second quarter, grinding out
short gains on the ground. Carl Ford then took a short pass from Tavares
Bolden over the middle and appeared to be stopped before Ford reversed
direction and raced 26 yards into the end zone.
France added
a 23-yard field goal just before the half to pull Toledo to 23-10.
AP-NY-12-01-01 0028EST
Copyright 2001
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
02/23/2007 10:36:58 AM
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