WHAT YOU NEED NOW - CONTENT UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY
June 22, 2005
MU COUNTDOWN
#9–Dec. 29, 1998: Pennington Leads Herd to Win in Offensive Shootout
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 #9 classic: the 1998 Motor City Bowl!
HUNTINGTON– Marshall had ascended up the ranks through Division I–AA as champions and had made it to a bowl game in 1997, but the conquest to superiority in the 90s was not complete until the team's 48–29 victory over Louisville in the 1998 Motor City Bowl.
On paper, Marshall was outmatched, outgunned and out–coached from the beginning and most were saying that Louisville, led by top–rated quarterback Chris Redman, would breeze in this game.
The Thundering Herd was unproven in big games and Louisville had already beaten the likes of Illinois and Boston College during the season under head coach John L. Smith.
Redman was thought to be the guy that would do in the Thundering Herd's chances as he was averaging close to 400 yards a game passing, enough to rank the Louisville offense #1 in the country heading into the game.
Pennington jumped out early to silence the critics after he hit James Williams for a touchdown in the first quarter with 2:04 remaining. Marshall led after one quarter 7–0 following the score.
The second quarter was a total contrast to the first quarter as both teams traded touchdowns all the way through. Louisville scored three touchdowns in the quarter, including a touchdown with less than 2 minutes to play in the first half that sent the game into halftime tied at 21.
The second half was a totally different scenario than the first half. It basically came down to Marshall's defense making adjustments and Louisville not being able to respond.
A 50 yard touchdown pass from Pennington to Jerrald Long gave Marshall the lead at 28–21 just under three minutes into the second half and the Thundering Herd offense took off from there.
The Thundering Herd would go on to score the first 24 points of the second half to open up a 45–21 lead after Doug Chapman's second rushing touchdown from 1 yard out with 14:30 to go in the game.
The much–heralded Louisville offense was stymied by the Thundering Herd defense, as Redman could not get on track in the second half.
Only a late rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter kept the Cardinals from being shutout in the second half.
As for Marshall, the offense that was sub–par compared to Louisville, they set Motor City Bowl records for total yards in a game (613), most passing yards in a game (411) and most yards per play (8.9).
The irony of it all is that Redman finished the game 35–of–54 for 336 yards, a TD and an interception. Pennington finished the game 18–of–24 for 411 yards and 4 touchdowns. Pennington's average of 22.8 yards per completion is still a Motor City Bowl record.
This was the breakout game in the collegiate career of Chad Pennington. The momentum he took from this game went on with him into his senior season of 1999, where he led the Thundering Herd to an undefeated 13–0 record.
While Pennington's gains from the game were enormous, the gains of the Marshall program were colossal. The 48–29 victory gave Marshall its first bowl victory in school history and helped the team gain national notoriety.
Just like with Pennington, the Marshall program took this burst of confidence in stride and excelled even further in 1999.
Marshall's ghosts of the 1970s had finally been lifted as the team rose up to a higher point that any Division I–A sophomore team had ever been.
Marshall was now a household name and those that didn't know that Marshall existed in Division I–A football now knew that the Herd was thundering to greatness in the 1990s.
