|
|
|
Point(s) Made
| |  | | Marshall's Byron Leftwich threw for 576 yards and was named the MVP. |
He wasn't a Heisman finalist, but Marshall QB Byron Leftwich sure played like one of the best players in the country. Leftwich, the game's MVP, rallied Marshall to a record-setting 64-61 victory over ECU with four TD passes. The 125 points eclipsed the previous combined bowl-game high of 96 by Texas Tech and Air Force in the '95 Copper Bowl.
• Chat wrap: Marshall's Byron Leftwich
| INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS |
| |
EAST CAROLINA |
YDS |
MARSHALL |
YDS |
| Passing |
David Garrard |
2247 |
Byron Leftwich |
4122 |
| Rushing |
Leonard Henry |
1432 |
Franklin Wallace |
802 |
| Receiving |
Derrick Collier |
481 |
Darius Watts |
1417 |
|
| TEAM STATISTICAL COMPARISON |
| |
| Total Offense |
| | 
381.8 |  | 
466.2 |
Passing Yards |
| | 196.4 | | |
322.4 |
Passing completion % |
| |
56 | | |
66.7 |
Completions |
| |
167 | | |
318 |
Attempts |
| |
298 | | |
477 |
|
|
| Scoring Offense |
| |
35.1 | | |
39.4 |
Scoring Defense |
| |
30 | | |
28.4 |
Rushing Yards |
| |
185.4 | | |
143.8 |
Rushing attempts |
| |
417 | | |
403 |
Key: |
| East Carolina | | Marshall |
|
"Unbelievable! Maybe the Heisman voters watched this game and saw who is really the best QB in the country. Hands down Byron Leftwich is the best player around. If he stays for his senior season, there is no way those Heisman voters can ignore him again."
Conference USA notebook
As the season draws to a close, it's time to look back at the highs and lows as well as salute the best coach and players in Conference USA.
MAC notebook
As the season draws to a close, it's time to look back at the highs and lows as well as salute the best coach and players in the MAC.
Looking back at the experts' preseason picks
Looking back at the experts' preseason picks
More News & Features
|
WITH ROD GILMORE
Incredible! Everyone expected this one to be a high-scoring affair because both teams have high-flying quarterbacks -- David Garrard at East Carolina and Byron Leftwich at Marshall -- but no one expected that a basketball game would break out at a bowl game! The key play was Terence Tarpley's interception in the third quarter. It gave Marshall an opportunity to score without their offense, and it also gave the Herd a lot of confidence as it swung the momentum of the game -- East Carolina looked shell-shocked after Tarpley ran that ball back. With 577 yards, Leftwich put on a flat-out show in this bowl game.
|
| IT WAS OVER WHEN |
| Josh Davis hauled in an 8-yard touchdown pass on third -and-goal in the second overtime. Needing a field goal to tie or a TD to win, Byron Leftwich found Davis with the last of his 70 passes to cap the highest-scoring bowl game in history. |
| GAME BALL GOES TO |
| Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich, who emphatically proved that his MAC Offensive Player of the Year honor was no fluke. Leftwich threw for 576 yards and four touchdowns, finishing his season with 4,698 yards passing and 42 TDs. Not bad. He also ran for a score. |
|
 |
| | |
| | |
EAST CAROLINA CLUBHOUSE
RB Leonard Henry had a big game against Marshall in the GMAC Bowl on Dec. 19, but it wasn't enough as the Pirates fell to the Thundering Herd.
MARSHALL CLUBHOUSE
QB Byron Leftwich made an early Heisman statement with his performance in the GMAC Bowl.
| | | | | | | |
Become an Insider today!
|
EAST CAROLINA VS. MARSHALL
|
