Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Thunders Past Western Michigan, 41-21
10/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Marshall Thunders Past Western Michigan, 41-21
10/25/2003
- Box Score
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (Sports Network) - Darius Watts caught nine passes for 170 yards and one score to lead the Marshall Thundering Herd to a 41-21 victory over the Western Michigan Broncos in a Mid-American Conference tilt Saturday.
Stan Hill converted 14-of-17 pass attempts for 231 yards and one score for Marshall (5-3, 3-1 MAC), before re-injuring the same leg he sprained at Tennessee earlier this season.
Marshall backup Graham Gochneaur stepped in for the injured Hill and the Herd didn't miss a beat. Gochneaure completed seven of 10 passes for 95 yards and rushed the ball seven times for a net of 59 yards.
The Thundering Herd ran for 239 yards against the Broncos, as Earl Charles led the way with 61 yards and one score on 18 carries. Butchie Wallace added 49 yards and two scores for Marshall.
Trovon Riley ran for 59 yards and two scores on 17 carries in the losing effort for Western Michigan (3-5, 2-3 MAC).
Jon Drach was sacked four times and completed 17-of-30 pass attempts for only 155 yards with one interception.
Less than two minutes into the contest, the Broncos struck first with a three- yard touchdown run by Riley.
Despite being down early, the Thundering Herd tallied two scores before the end of the opening quarter. Wallace scampered into the end zone on a 26-yard run, then Hill hit Watts with a nine-yard touchdown pass to give Marshall a 14-7 lead.
Nick Kelly nailed a 43-yard field goal, extending the Herd's lead to 10 points early in the second period. Marshall added another touchdown when Charles rumbled into the end zone on a one-yard run, extending the Herd lead to 24-7.
With less than a minute remaining in the second period, Riley crossed the goal line from one yard out, cutting Marshall's lead to 24-14 entering the break.
Marshall scored 17 straight points to open the second half, as Josh Davis and Wallace reached the end zone on runs of five and seven yards, respectively, to extend the Herd's advantage to 38-14. Ben Lewis split the uprights on a 22- yard field goal, pushing Marshall's lead to 27 points midway through the third period.
Although Daniel Marks scored for Western Michigan on a seven-yard run with just under two minutes remaining in regulation, the Broncos found themselves on the short end of a 41-21 final.
