Marshall University Athletics
Ground Game Leads Herd Past Kent
10/6/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Ground Game Leads Herd Past Kent
10/6/2002
- Game Stats
KENT, Ohio (AP) _ Byron Leftwich overcame two early interceptions and threw four touchdown passes, leading Marshall to a 42-21 win over Kent State on Saturday.
Leftwich completed 31 of 45 passes for 377 yards for the Thundering Herd (3-1, 2-0 Mid-American Conference).
Quarterback Joshua Cribbs rushed for three touchdowns for Kent State (2-4, 0-3). He gained a career-high 199 yards on 22 carries and went 12-of-19 for 145 yards, but also was intercepted twice. He was sacked for a 13-yard loss on the final play.
Marshall outgained Kent State 645-407.
Leftwich threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Josh Davis, capping a 79-yard drive that put Marshall ahead 21-14 just before halftime. Leftwich kept the drive moving with a 4-yard run on third-and-1 to put the ball at the Kent State 12.
Davis, who had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee last week, came in ranked fourth in Division I-A with 141 receiving yards a game.
Cribbs struck quickly to start the second half, taking the Flashes 78 yards in three plays. His 67-yard run tied it at 21.
Curtis Head kicked field goals of 34 and 46 yards to put Marshall ahead 27-21.
Leftwich made it 35-21 with a 33-yard scoring strike to Curtis Jones on fourth-and-6, adding a 2-point conversion pass to Eddie Smolder to end the third quarter.
Marshall started the scoring 1:27 into the game when Brandon Carey ran in for a 14-yard score.
Cribbs was intercepted by Roberto Terrell on the Golden Flashes' first drive, but Leftwich was picked off three plays later by Scott Booker.
Cribbs tied it with a 20-yard TD run.
Leftwich moved Marshall downfield, but was intercepted by Robert James on a pass that bounced off tight end Jason Rader's hands.
The Golden Flashes then went 80 yards in 44 seconds, with Cribbs running 29 yards for a TD to take a 14-7 lead with 1:36 left in the first quarter.
Leftwich scored from 1 yard out to cap a 13-play, 82-yard drive over 5:43 to tie it at 14 in the second quarter.
Marshall's Franklin Wallace gained 149 yards in the game, including a 32-yard TD run.