Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
2-1
Ohio
1-2
MCGILL: Marshall offense answers bell, finishes off Ohio
9/14/2019 11:55:00 PM | Football, Word on the Herd
The Herd gained more than 500 yards and did not commit a turnover
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The sound of the bell – the traveling trophy for the Marshall-Ohio football series – was music to Doc Holliday's ears.
So, too, was the 511 yards of offense.
So, too, was the 305 rushing yards.
So, too, was the turnover-free game.
And, lastly, Holliday loved the sweet song Marshall marched to on a 10-play, 66-yard drive that used up the final 5:42 of the Thundering Herd's 33-31 win against Ohio in front of 27,323 fans who witnessed the Battle for the Bell at Joan C. Edwards Stadium on Saturday night.
"It's great to get (the bell) back here," Holliday said. "It's where it belongs."
The 60th meeting between Marshall and Ohio was in doubt until sophomore quarterback Isaiah Green took a knee at the Ohio 6-yard line, and then sprinted through the end zone and grabbed the trophy.
"I saw a highlight tape of the Marshall versus Ohio game, Ohio won that game, and after they took the victory they ran straight to the bell," Green said. "I figured that was what we were supposed to do. As soon as I took a knee, I just ran straight to it."
Green completed 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions, and added six carries for 50 yards as Marshall generated 300-plus rushing yards and 200-plus passing yards as a team for the first time since Oct. 25, 2014.
Green had three rushes for 37 yards on the final drive, as he and fellow sophomore Sheldon Evans moved the sticks, ran the clock and forced Ohio to burn through its timeouts. The Bobcats punted from its own 35 after failing to respond to the Herd's go-ahead fourth quarter touchdown, but never had another chance because of MU's dominating drive.
"That's the mentality that every offensive line tries to have," Marshall senior center Levi Brown said. "Whenever you get the ball and they've got timeouts left, you want to try and take every second off the clock by running the ball and get first downs.
"Seeing the four guys beside me being able to produce like that against a great Ohio defense is great for us."
Marshall (2-1) opened scoring when tight end Xavier Gaines, lined up as the quarterback, rushed to the left for a 26-yard touchdown.
After the teams traded field goals, Ohio dual-threat QB Nathan Rourke found Shane Hooks in a tight window for a 20-yard touchdown to make it 10-10 with 14:09 left of the second quarter.
That was only the beginning of the second quarter fireworks.
Sophomore running back Brenden Knox scored from 2 yards out with 9:18 left of the second quarter, his fourth rushing touchdown of the season and the fifth consecutive game he's scored on the ground. That made it 17-10, Herd.
Rourke evened the score again when he found De'Montre Tuggle for an 18-yard touchdown with 6:09 left of the first half.
Marshall created a cushion from there, scoring on a trick play with 3:12 left of the second quarter to make it 24-17, Herd. On the play, left tackle Will Ulmer lined up at receiver and tight end Devin Miller was wide open down the seam for a 22-yard touchdown reception from Green. It was Miller's first collegiate touchdown.
After another field goal, MU led at halftime, 27-17.
Knox did not play in the second half because of an injury, and the Marshall offense struggled to find its way. Ohio (1-2) scored a pair of touchdowns – one with 8:03 left of the third quarter and another with 11:14 left of the fourth quarter – to take a 31-27 lead, its first advantage of the game.
But the Herd answered with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with a 43-yard touchdown connection from Green to Gaines to make it 33-31.
That final score came with 7:45 left of the game, and Ohio gained only 14 yards on six plays after that touchdown.
"What a football game that was," Holliday said. "I thought there were two really good teams out there tonight who competed about as hard as they could compete."
Knox finished with 133 rushing yards and one touchdown, and Evans gained a career-high 77 yards on 17 carries. Gaines (52 rushing yards) and Green (50 rushing yards) gave the Herd four players with 50-plus yards on the ground.
Evans had 33 rushing yards on the final drive.
"That was the best part of the game when at the end there when the offensive line took that game over," Holliday said. "I'm so proud of Sheldon Evans. Knox got banged up there a little bit in the first half. I had great confidence in (Evans)."
Gaines did not attempt a pass, but he finished with three catches for 53 yards and three carries for a nearly identical 52 yards. He scored on a reception and on a rush.
"He just keeps getting better and better," Holliday said. "He's going to be a handful for some teams because they don't know where he's going to line up. The important thing is we get the ball in his hands."
Defensively, junior linebacker Tavante Beckett led the team in tackles with 11. Junior safety Nazeeh Johnson added eight tackles, and senior linebacker Tyler Brown pitched in with seven stops.
"It's good to have it back," Johnson said of the bell. "I like the sound."
Team Stats
OHIO 0, MAR 7
MAR - GAINES, Xavier 26 yd run (ROHRWASSER, J. kick), 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:15
OHIO 3, MAR 7
OHIO - ZERVOS, L. 44 yd field goal 4 plays, 6 yards, TOP 2:00
OHIO 3, MAR 10
MAR - ROHRWASSER, J. 38 yd field goal 10 plays, 54 yards, TOP 3:56
OHIO 10, MAR 10
OHIO - HOOKS, S. 20 yd pass from ROURKE, N. (ZERVOS, L. kick) 8 plays, 59 yards, TOP 4:46
OHIO 10, MAR 17
MAR - KNOX, Brenden 2 yd run (ROHRWASSER, J. kick), 10 plays, 69 yards, TOP 4:51
OHIO 17, MAR 17
OHIO - TUGGLE, D. 18 yd pass from ROURKE, N. (ZERVOS, L. kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:09
OHIO 17, MAR 24
MAR - MILLER, Devin 22 yd pass from GREEN, Isaiah (ROHRWASSER, J. kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:57
OHIO 17, MAR 27
MAR - ROHRWASSER, J. 37 yd field goal 7 plays, 45 yards, TOP 1:36
OHIO 24, MAR 27
OHIO - LUEHRMAN, R. 7 yd pass from ROURKE, N. (ZERVOS, L. kick) 7 plays, 74 yards, TOP 3:56
OHIO 31, MAR 27
OHIO - ROURKE, N. 72 yd run (ZERVOS, L. kick), 5 plays, 91 yards, TOP 2:17
OHIO 31, MAR 33
MAR - GAINES, Xavier 43 yd pass from GREEN, Isaiah (ROHRWASSER, J. kickfailed) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:29
