Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
East Carolina
Pirates Top Marshall in OT, 19-16
11/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 8, 2008
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Marshall quarterback Mark Cann hit tight end Cody Slate on a 34-yard pass with 1:21 left on the clock to send the Herd's game with East Carolina to overtime but it wasn't enough as ECU's Ben Hartman connected on a 27-yard field goal to give the Pirates a 19-16 win.
Marshall running back Darius Marshall turned in another 100-yard rushing performance, gaining 123 yards on 20 carries. Cann struggled in the first half but ended the day 13-of-29 passing for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Cody Slate led the Herd receivers with five catches for 62 yards and two touchdowns. . Darius Passmore had 58 yards receiving on two catches.
Locked in a defensive struggle, Marshall trailed ECU 13-3 at the half. Marshall got on the board with 1:41 to go in the first half on a 31-yard field goal from Graig Ratanamorn, however ECU orchestrated a 73-yard drive that ended in a five-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Pinkney to Davon Drew with just seconds remaining in the half. Marshall entered the contest with a record of 0-4 on the season when trailing at the half.
Marshall's Darius Marshall took the second half kickoff out to the Pirate 47-yardline and the Herd put together a 10-play, 47-yard drive that culminated with a Mark Cann to Cody Slate 7-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 13-9 at the 10:19 mark of the second half. MU's Craig Ratanamorn missed the extra point try - his first PAT miss of his career (17-of-18). Cann completed three passes on the drive for 29 yards and the TD.
Cann's pass to Slate eventually tied the game at 16-16, but a missed field goal by freshman Tyler Warner on Marshall's overtime set up Hartman's game-winning field goal.
The Herd will continue its to climb toward its goal of a winning season as it returns home next Saturday to face UCF.
