Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Football Postgame Notes
12/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
- Marshall wins its first Conference USA Championship, its first conference title since beating Toledo in the 2002 Mid-American Conference Championship Game.
- Marshall senior K Justin Haig was named Most Valuable Player. He is the first kicker to earn MVP honors in CUSA history after hitting a C-USA Championship Game record four field goals and scoring 14 points.
- Marshall is the seventh different school to win the C-USA Championship game in its 10-year history.
- Marshall becomes the first team to win the C-USA Championship Game after losing it the previous season.
- The three-point margin of victory matches East Carolina's 27-24 win at Tulsa for the closest final score in C-USA Championship Game history.
- Marshall's victory following a 10-point deficit marked the largest comeback in C-USA Championship Game history.
- Marshall QB Rakeem Cato's two touchdown passes (both to Deon-Tay McManus) takes him to 45 consecutive games with a scoring pass, the NCAA's FBS record. The only other QB in NCAA history with a 46-game TD pass streak is Mike Reilly (2005-08) of Central Washington, the NCAA Division II record.
- Louisiana Tech RB Kenneth Dixon has now rushed for at least one touchdown in 12 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the FBS. Dixon has 26 total touchdowns this season, the second-highest single season total in C-USA history. UCF's Kevin Smith had 30 touchdowns in 2007.
- Marshall becomes the third team in C-USA's 19 football seasons to win 12 games, joining the 1998 Tulane and 2011 Southern Miss teams. The 2011 Houston team holds the record with 13 victories.
- This was just the second C-USA Football Championship Game played in the rain. The 2009 game between Houston and East Carolina was the other.
- Louisiana Tech RB Kenneth Dixon set a new C-USA Championship Game record with a 7.8 yards per carry average (20 attempts for 156 yards).
- Marshall K Justin Haig set a new C-USA Championship Game record with four field goals. He was also the first player to hit three from 40 yards or longer in the title game. Haig tied the C-USA title game record with 14 points.
- Marshall K Justin Haig's 46-yard FG to end first half ties the C-USA Championship Game record-long FG, set by Matt Prater, UCF, in 2005 - in a 44-27 Tulsa win at Orlando, Fla. That was the first C-USA title game. The 46- yarder is his longest career attempt and make.
- Louisiana Tech P Logan McPherson set a new C-USA Championship Game record with 10 punts. Those punts covered 301 yards, the second-most in title game history (319 by UCF's Jared Boyle in 2012). The 10 punts are a new C-USA Championship Game team record.
- The 16 combined punts by both teams is a new C-USA Championship Game record.
- The 72 passing yards allowed by the Marshall defense is the lowest total in C-USA Championship Game history.
- The previous low allowed was 122 by East Carolina vs. Tulsa in 2008.
POST-GAME NOTES
- LA Tech captains were Kenneth Dixon, Hunter Lee, Houston Bates and Mitch Villemez.
- Today's announced attendance: 23,711
- LA Tech and Marshall are now tied, 1-1, in the all-time series after the Bulldogs defeated the Thundering Herd, 26-0, in 1942 in Ruston.
- Skip Holtz is now 2-1 in Conference USA Championship games after he previously guided East Carolina to back-to-back conference titles in 2008 and 2009.
- Louisiana Tech won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half.
OFFENSE
- Kenneth Dixon broke the school record for total touchdowns scored in a career (59) with three rushing touchdowns against the Thundering Herd today. With three rushing touchdowns, Dixon also tied a LA Tech school record with 52 career rushing touchdowns.
- Kenneth Dixon carried the ball 20 times for a total of 156 yards to move into sole possession of second place all-time in LA Tech history with 3,347 career rushing yards. Dixon needs only five yards to match Daniel Porter's school record career mark of 3,352 yards.
- Dixon moved into sole possession of first place all-time in LA Tech history for career touchdowns (58) after rushing for a 30-yard score to put the Bulldogs up 17-7 over Marshall with under 8:00 remaining in the 2nd quarter.
- Dixon has now rushed for at least one touchdown in 12 straight games, which is the longest active streak in the FBS.
- Dixon is now second all-time on LA Tech's career scoring list after three rushing touchdowns gave the junior running back 354 career points, second behind Matt Nelson's 360 career points.
- With 156 rushing yards against Marshall today, Dixon now has 17 career 100-yard rushing games, which remains first all-time in LA Tech history. Dixon is also second in Conference USA with 21 rushing touchdowns this season.
- Cody Sokol completed 7-of-20 passes for 72 yards and one interception in today's game versus Marshall. Out of Sokol's seven completions, six were thrown to different receivers with Sterling Griffin leading the way with one catch for a 30-yard reception.
DEFENSE
- Nick Thomason led the Bulldog defense with 12 total tackles (4 solo), 0.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and one interception. As a team, LA Tech had six tackles for a loss and forced two fumbles.
- With three fumbles and one interception, LA Tech's defense has now forced 40 turnovers forced this season, a mark that currently leads the nation.
- After forcing four turnovers today versus Marshall, LA Tech's defense has now forced at least three turnovers in five consecutive games. The Bulldogs have also forced at least one interception in all but two games this season. LA Tech has forced at least four turnovers in six games this season, including three consecutive games for the Bulldogs.
- DeAngelo Brooks recovered his first career fumble with 3:00 remaining in the first quarter from the 33-yard line, which resulted in Kenneth Dixon rushing for a 33-yard touchdown to give LA Tech 157 points off turnovers this season, a mark that currently leads the nation.
- For the first time this season, LA Tech's defense held Marshall scoreless in the first quarter after taking a 10-0 lead over the Herd early. It is the third time this season Marshall has trailed after the opening quarter.
- Houston Bates sacked Marshall QB Rakeem Cato for a loss of six yards with under 12 minutes remaining in the first half to force a punt. Bates now has 5.5 sacks this season for a loss of 47 total yards.
- After LA Tech recovered a fumble in Marshall territory and Dixon capitalized with a 30-yard rushing touchdown, the Bulldogs now have 164 points off turnovers this season, a mark that continues to lead the nation.
- Nick Thomason picked off Marshall QB Rakeem Cato for his second career interception with 4:05 remaining in the 3rd quarter. LA Tech took over at its own 49-yard line.
- Vernon Butler forced his first career fumble with under one minute remaining in the 3rd quarter, but it was recovered by Marshall.
- Xavier Woods forced a fumble by Tommy Shuler at LA Tech's 11-yard line, recovered by Secdrick Cooper for his first career fumble recovery.
SPECIAL TEAMS
- Jonathan Barnes connected on a 26-yard field goal with 7:54 remaining in the 1st quarter to put LA Tech up 3-0 over Marshall. Barnes is now 12-of-18 on field goals for the season.
- Deep-snapper Darrell Travis recovered a fumble after Marshall muffed a 26-yard punt by McPherson. LA Tech took over at the Marshall 40-yard line with 8:33 remaining in the first half.
- Logan McPherson broke a Conference USA Championship Game record with 10 punts in a single game for a total of 301 yards (30.1 avg.) and a long of 39 yards. Ten punts is also a new career high for McPherson. His previous high was eight punts in a single game, which occurred twice in his LA Tech career (NC State, 2013; UTSA, 2013).
- With just over 2:00 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Paul Turner blocked a Marshall punt for his first career blocked punt, which was recovered by Le'Vander Liggins and returned 20 yards to the Marshall 19-yard line for LA Tech's fourth turnover of the game.
- Carlos Henderson moved up to fourth place all-time in LA Tech history after totaling 105 kickoff return yards today versus Marshall for a total of 750 kick return yards this season. He entered the game with 645 return yards this season and jumped two spots after five kick returns today versus the Herd.
MARSHALL NOTES
- This is the second Conference USA Championship Game to be played in rain. The other was on Dec. 5, 2009, at Greenville, N.C., a 38-32 East Carolina victory over visiting Houston. Current LA Tech Coach Skip Holtz coached ECU in that game.
- Wearing No. 31 for the Herd in the C-USA Championship Game - in a tribute to injured linebacker Evan McKelvey -- is senior linebacker Neville Hewitt (usually No. 6). McKelvey was lost for the season to a knee injury in an Oct. 4 MU win at Old Dominion.
- Marshall game captains versus Louisiana Tech, as chosen by Coach Doc Holliday and his staff, are -- offense: Rakeem Cato, quarterback; Chris Jasperse, center; defense: James Rouse, defensive tackle; Darryl Roberts, cornerback. Cato has the team-high of nine captaincies this season, followed by Jasperse with eight and Rouse with seven.
- Senior center Chris Jasperse made his team-leading 52nd career start (every game he's played at MU), tied for most among active offensive linemen in FBS. He also ties the Marshall record for offensive line starts - as an FBS program (1953-81 and 1997-present) - of 52 by offensive tackle Steve Sciullo (1999-2002). Stat includes players on offense, defense; no specialists.
- Redshirt junior running back Stew Butler is making the first start of his Marshall career.
- Wide receiver Tommy Shuler's first catch extends his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 40 (streak started in 2011 Beef O Brady's Bowl).
- On the Herd defense - LA Tech's opening drive field goal marks the 13th time this season that a Marshall opponent has been to the 10-yard line (or inside) and been held without a touchdown (four made field goals, nine stops).
- The 44-yard kick return by Marshall's Deandre Reaves (first quarter) is the second longest in C-USA Championship Game history. Dwayne Harris (East Carolina), had a 69-yard kick return in 2009 game at Greenville, N.C.
- Quarterback Rakeem Cato's 25-yard run (late first quarter) is the third longest rush of his Herd career.
- Quarterback Rakeem Cato's second-quarter touchdown pass (six yards to Deon-Tay McManus) takes him to 45 consecutive games with a scoring pass, the NCAA's FBS record. The only quarterback in NCAA history with a longer streak is Mike Reilly (2005-08) of Central Washington. He has 46, the Division II record.
- Justin Haig's point-after-touchdown (fourth quarter) gives him 213 for his career, breaking the school record he shared with Tim Openlander (211, 1994-96).
- Justin Haig's 46-yard field goal to end the first half is his longest career attempt and make. He ties the C-USA Championship Game record-long field goal by Matt Prater, UCF, in 2005 - in a 44-27 Tulsa win at Orlando, Fla. That was the first C-USA title game.
- The 2014 C-USA Championship Game attendance of 23,711 at Edwards Stadium ranks seventh among the 10 title games.
- Wide receiver Tommy Shuler's seventh reception of the game moves him to 304 for his career, past Arnold Jackson (300 at Louisville, 1997-2000) for No. 2 in career catches in C-USA history. No. 1 is Tyron Carrier, 320 at Houston, 2008-11.
- Justin Haig is the first to hit three field goals from 40 yards or longer in C-USA Championship Game history.
- The 16 combined punts in the game is a C-USA Championship record (10 by Louisiana Tech, six by Marshall, so far). The 10 by Tech is also a single-team game record.
- Tyler Williams' fifth punt of the game (blocked, 0:27 in third quarter) matches his season high, in the opener at Miami (Ohio). It is first Williams punt that was blocked since the Herd's loss at Middle Tennessee last season.
- Justin Haig's point-after-touchdown in the fourth quarter gives him 14 kick points, taking him to 336 for his career and into second place in Herd history, passing Dewey Klein (330 from 1988-91). Tim Openlander's 337 from 1994-96 in the record. His 14 points ties the C-USA Championship record for total points scored by kicking.
- Justin Haig's four field goals is a C-USA Championship Game record and also is Haig's single-game high in his career. The last Herd kicker with four field goals in a game was Billy Malashevich (4-of-4) at Miami (Ohio) in 1999, a 32-14 Herd victory.
