Marshall tops Ohio in Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, 21-17
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DETROIT, Mich. (Sports Network) - Martin Ward ran for two touchdowns and Andre Booker returned a punt for a score, as Marshall withstood a second-half surge by Ohio to take a 21-17 victory in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.
Ward had 75 of the 190 total rushing yards compiled by the Thundering Herd (7- 6), who were playing in their first bowl game since 2004. Darius Marshall added 77 yards on the ground, while Brian Anderson was an efficient 12-of-17 passes for 85 yards.
DeQuan Bembry also had an interception in the final minute to secure the victory, which clinched the first winning season for Marshall since 2003, before the school joined Conference USA.
Prior to that, the Thundering Herd played in the Mid-American Conference with Ohio (9-5), and have dominated the series lately. Marshall has won five in a row, as well as nine of the last 10 meetings dating back to 1988.
Theo Scott threw for 110 yards on 14-of-26 completions, with one score and one interception, for the Bobcats, who accumulated just 122 net yards to end their season with a second consecutive loss.
The setback also leaves Ohio still without a bowl win, as the school had lost in its other three tries, including the GMAC Bowl in January 2007.
Marshall held a 21-7 halftime lead, but put the Bobcats at the Marshall 37 thanks to a 15-yard punt. A personal foul penalty on the Thundering Herd then put Ohio at the 22, and the Bobcats quickly moved to a first-and-goal, as Chris Garrett ran for 15 yards.
Ohio seemed to stall there and faced a third-and-goal from the eight, but Scott lofted a jump ball to the left side of the end zone, where Terrence McCrae grabbed it from behind his defender. He fell with the ball for the score, bringing Ohio within 21-14 with 7:11 left in the frame.
Ohio then blocked Marshall's punt on the ensuing series, taking over at the opposing 35. However, the Bobcats didn't gain a first down, and Matt Weller kicked a 46-yard field goal to trim their deficit to four.
Ohio advanced into Marshall territory early in the fourth quarter and had an opportunity to go in front. Taylor Price got wide open on the right side of the field by the end zone, but wide receiver LaVon Brazill overthrew him.
Weller later missed a 29-yarder, and the Bobcats didn't get into Thundering Herd territory again. A missed field goal by Marshall's Craig Ratanamorn gave the Bobcats the ball at their own 23 with 57 seconds left, but Bembry intercepted a pass from a scrambling Scott, sealing the victory.
Marshall went on top with a little more than a minute left in the opening quarter, when Ward burst through the line for a 12-yard score.
Then, on the last play of the frame, Booker fielded a punt, got to the left sideline and raced across the goal line for a 58-yard return, making it 14-0.
The Herd used another sustained drive in the second quarter to push the lead to 21 points, as they went 69 yards in 10 plays, the last being a two-yard push by Ward across the goal line halfway through the frame.
Marshall looked to turn the game into a blowout on the next Ohio possession, as Herd defensive end Albert McClellan recovered a Bobcats fumble. But after the Herd took over at the Ohio 22, Darius Marshall fumbled on the first play, and Ohio defensive back Shannon Ballard picked it up, returning it 75 yards for a touchdown with under six minutes left in the half.
