WHAT YOU NEED NOW - CONTENT UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY
June 24, 2005
MU COUNTDOWN
#6– Dec. 7, 2002: Last-Minute Touchdown Lifts Herd to 49-45 Win Over Toledo
by Grant Traylor
Huntington News Network Sportswriter
As Marshall officially winds down the final ten days of being a member in
the Mid-American Conference, the talk has certainly shifted to Marshall
football in Conference USA.
But, before shutting the gates on the MAC career, HNN would like to take a
chance to look back at some of the great moments in Marshall football.
The following is one part of a 10-day series of the greatest football games
over Marshall's eight years in the Mid-American Conference.from ashes to
glory and beyond.
Here's a look at our #6 classic: the 2002 MAC championship game!
Huntington, WV -If Byron Leftwich's leg was broken, no one at Marshall
Stadium could tell it this night as he carried the Thundering Herd to a
49-45 win over Toledo.
The performance was nothing short of spectacular. Leftwich came out in his
final game at Marshall Stadium and went 32-of-42 for 404 yards and four
touchdowns, the last coming on a 40-yard strike to Darius Watts to give
Marshall the victory.
Marshall drove 73 yards in 2:35 after Toledo had taken a 45-42 lead on a
touchdown with 3:35 left in the contest, but the extra point was missed,
meaning Marshall could drive for the tie if need be.
The senior signal-caller was simply not going down to Toledo again after the
Rockets had come back from a 23-0 deficit in the previous year's title game.
Although injured as he endured sacks, late hits and even personal fouls as
Toledo tried knocking him from the contest, Leftwich remained calm under
pressure and showed why he was a Heisman hopeful.
In the third quarter, Leftwich had thrown an interception and took a vicious
late hit to his broken left leg from a Toledo linebacker.
The Marshall team stuck together as lineman Steve Peretta went after the
Toledo linebacker causing a shoving match to break out between the two
teams.
Not only did Leftwich get up from the play, he gathered his troops so that
no one else was thrown out of the game. Perretta and Toledo lineman Lantz
Jeudy, who threw a punch at Perretta, were ejected.
Leftwich came back after the play with two touchdown tosses in the fourth
quarter to establish another memorable MAC championship game for Marshall.
Toledo almost repeated its comeback feat of 2001 after overcoming a 17-point
second half deficit behind freshman Trinity Dawson, who gained 130 yards and
scored four touchdowns.
The Rockets were down 14-0 in the first quarter and 28-10 late in the second
quarter before riding Dawson to gain the lead.
In fact, Toledo had a great chance to repeat the 2001 feat as an errant
Leftwich throw bounded through the arms of a Toledo defender with two
minutes remaining in the game.
A few plays later, a pass interference call gave Marshall a much-needed
first down. The play loomed even larger as on the very next snap Leftwich
hit Watts in stride for the game-winner.
The game epitomized the Marshall legacy of Byron Leftwich. His leg might
have been broken, but his spirit was not as he put on the best show of his
Marshall career in his final game in front of the home faithful.
All of the strides that Leftwich made and the impact he had on Marshall
football were neatly wrapped into a gift box for the December faithful. This
lone game showed all the intangibles that made Leftwich what he was at
Marshall and what he is now as the starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
