2009 Marshall Thundering Herd football team
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football
during the 2009 season
. Marshall competed as a member of the East Division of Conference USA
, and played their home games at Joan C. Edwards Stadium
.
The Thundering Herd finished the season 7–6, 4–4 in CUSA
play and were invited to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
where they defeated Ohio
21–17.
On Sunday November 29, 2009 it was announced that Mark Snyder had resigned as head football coach. The Thundering Herd fifth-year head coach Mark Snyder
was replaced by WVU Recruiting Coach, Doc Holliday
.
caught nine passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns for the Thundering Herd. Marshall gained 388 yards of total offense in the season opener. The Salukis, who had three turnovers, brought the game within 31-28 with 1:40 left on a 5-yard run by Chris Dieker. Marshall recovered the Salukis' onside kick to win for the first time in three meetings between the two teams.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292480276
, a Hokies safety in the 1960s who later became an assistant coach with the Thundering Herd and died in the 1970 Marshall plane crash. Virginia Tech's white uniforms caused another unusual sight. Marshall, according to school officials, wore all-green on the road for what was believed to be the first time in modern school history.
Marshall's highlights came from two players who returned after serving one-game suspensions for drug arrests. Tailback Darius Marshall
had a 61-yard touchdown run and finished with 109 yards rushing, and cornerback DeQuan Bembry had the diving interception in the end zone.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292550259
rushed for 186 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run, to lead Marshall to a 17-10 win over Bowling Green.
The Thundering Herd trailed 7-0 at halftime after Bowling Green's Chris Wright caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Sheehan
, who completed 43-of-62 passes for 383 yards.
But Marshall answered with 17 straight points and never fell behind again. Brian Anderson connected with Antavio Wilson on an 11-yard touchdown, Marshall scored on his long run and Craig Ratanamorn made a 31-yard field goal.
External link: http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292620276
ran for three touchdowns to help Marshall hold off Memphis 27-16 in the Conference USA opener for both teams. Marshall had 25 carries for 203 yards for the Thundering Herd, and also completed a pass for 27 yards.
With the Tigers leading 7-3 after the opening quarter, Marshall ran for touchdowns of 2 and 69 yards to take a 17-7 lead late in the second.
Matt Reagan kicked a 20-yard field goal to end the first half, then started the second with a 22-yarder to bring Memphis back within 17-13. Marshall ran it in from 5 yards out to give the Herd a 24-13 advantage to start the fourth. Craig Ratanamorn kicked an 18-yard field goal to seal the win for Marshall.
External link: http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292690235
's 20-yard TD run in the third, setting up Patrick Pinkney's game-winning run. The Pirates defense held strong in the fourth, as Marshall's Brian Anderson was intercepted early in the fourth by Emanuel Davis and again late by Jeremy Chambliss to help seal the win.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292760276
forced a fumble by Tulane's Jeremy Williams and Hall picked up the football and ran into the end zone with 41 seconds left in the first quarter. The Thundering Herd, pulled away from there, using a goal-line stand and three more takeaways to hold the Green Wave in check and win for the third time in four games.
Marshall running back Darius Marshall
rushed for a season-low 98 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292832655
Jarrett Brown
took a helmet-to-helmet hit on West Virginia's first series and did not return. Coach Bill Stewart said afterward he didn't know the extent of Brown's injury.
Noel Devine
outdueled Marshall's Darius Marshall
in a matchup between two of the nation's top three rushers, although both players struggled to find running room on a cold and wet afternoon. Devine was held 23 yards below his third-best average. Marshall, whose 146-yard average ranked second to Fresno State's Ryan Mathews
's 148, was limited to 82 yards.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292900277
Anderson completed a 30-yard scoring pass to Cody Slate
with 12:30 left in the second quarter, then hit Chuck Walker with a 15-yard pass to give Marshall a 17-0 lead with 1:43 left in the first half.
Darius Marshall
added 133 yards on 32 carries with a 1-yard touchdown for his fifth 100-yard game of the season.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292970276
UCF scored twice in the final 8 minutes to overcome a 20-7 deficit and beat Marshall for the fifth straight time.
TE Cody Slate
was the top receiver for Marshall, hauling in five receptions for 80 yards. His touchdown in the second quarter marked the 23rd of his career, tying him for 5th all time with Josh Davis
and Tim Martin. Aaron Dobson caught two balls for a career-high 75 yards. UCF wide receiver A.J. Guyton was the leading receiver in the game, catching the ball five times for 100 yards.
Darius Marshall
rushed for 80 yards in the game, bringing his season total to 1,032. With the effort against UCF, Marshall surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the second-straight year. He became the first Marshall running back to record consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns since Chris Park did so in 1994 and 1995. Mario Harvey was the top player on defense for the Herd, recording a game-high 11 tackles along with a sack.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=293052116
.
Marshall lost running back Darius Marshall
and tight end Cody Slate
, the team's top receiver, to leg injuries. Darius Marshall was limited to 22 yards on 11 carries. As a team, Marshall had 26 yards on 26 carries but outgained Southern Miss overall 363-294.
Southern Miss running back Damion Fletcher
ran for 55 yards on 13 carries to move into 13th place on the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) all-time career rushing list ahead of Michigan's Mike Hart. Fletcher has 5,076 career rushing yards.
The game was played on the 39th anniversary of the plane crash that killed most of Marshall's football team. Marshall University
held a memorial service a few hours before the game.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=293180276
.
Martin Ward ran for 136 yards and a score and Terrell Edwards-Maye added 113 yards for Marshall.
SMU fell into a first-place tie in the West Division with No. 24 Houston with one game remaining. Houston holds the tiebreaker after beating SMU 38-15 earlier this season.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=293250276
passed for 517 yards and five touchdowns as UTEP routed Marshall 52-21.
After leading 20-14 at the break, the Miners exploded in the second half, adding four touchdowns and a field goal while holding the Thundering Herd to just one TD.
Brian Anderson threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns for the Thundering Herd. Anderson found Aaron Dobson, Chuck Walker and Antavio Wilson for scores.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=293322638
The game looked like it was going to be a rout when Ward's 2-yard run put Marshall ahead 21-0 with 7:21 left in the first half. He scored on a 12-yard run through more than a few defenders and Andre Booker had 58-yard punt return for a touchdown at the end of the quarter.
The Bobcats rallied to pull within four points late in the third quarter and had chances to complete the comeback in the fourth, missing a wide-open receiver on a trick play and failing to take advantage of their last two drives before losing 21-17 to Marshall.
DeQuan Bembry's interception with 40 seconds left sealed the victory for the Thundering Herd.
The schools, located 82 miles apart, played 52 times between 1905 and 2004 in "The Battle for the Bell
," with the trophy symbolizing the Ohio River
separating Ohio
and West Virginia
. They hadn't played since Marshall left the Mid-American Conference
for Conference USA
in 2005.
Sarah Thomas made history during the game, becoming the first woman to officiate a bowl game, according to a Little Caesars Bowl spokesman. She was the first woman to be an official for a major college football game in 2007 and is on the NFL's list of officiating prospects.
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
during the 2009 season
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
. Marshall competed as a member of the East Division of Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
, and played their home games at Joan C. Edwards Stadium
Joan C. Edwards Stadium
The Joan C. Edwards Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. It can hold 38,019 spectators and includes twenty deluxe, indoor suites, 300 wheelchair-accessible seating, a state-of-the-art press-box, fourteen concession areas, and...
.
The Thundering Herd finished the season 7–6, 4–4 in CUSA
2009 Conference USA football season
The 2009 Conference USA football season was the 15th season of the conference's existence.-Previous season:East Carolina won the conference championship.-C-USA vs. BCS matchups:-Regular season:-Week one:-Week two:-Week three:-Week four:...
play and were invited to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
2009 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
The 2009 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association bowl game played at 1:00 PM EST on December 26, 2009 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan and aired on ESPN....
where they defeated Ohio
2009 Ohio Bobcats football team
The 2009 Ohio Bobcats football team competed on behalf of Ohio University during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bobcats were led by head coach Frank Solich and played their home games in Peden Stadium located in Athens, Ohio....
21–17.
On Sunday November 29, 2009 it was announced that Mark Snyder had resigned as head football coach. The Thundering Herd fifth-year head coach Mark Snyder
Mark Snyder
Mark Snyder is the former head coach of the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team in Huntington, West Virginia. He is currently the defensive coordinator at the University of South Florida...
was replaced by WVU Recruiting Coach, Doc Holliday
Doc Holliday (football coach)
-External links:*...
.
2009 season
Southern Illinois
Brian Anderson threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns to lead Marshall to a 31-28 win over Southern Illinois. Chuck Walker had 119 yards on 10 catches, while Cody SlateCody Slate
Cody Alan Slate is an American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Marshall University. He attended Hargrave Military Academy. Slate was considered one of the top tight ends in the nation and a top prospect at the tight end for the 2010 NFL Draft, but was...
caught nine passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns for the Thundering Herd. Marshall gained 388 yards of total offense in the season opener. The Salukis, who had three turnovers, brought the game within 31-28 with 1:40 left on a 5-yard run by Chris Dieker. Marshall recovered the Salukis' onside kick to win for the first time in three meetings between the two teams.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292480276
Virginia Tech
The Hokies sported an unusual look in their home opener—all-white uniforms and a throwback helmet with a white "V" below a red "T." The helmet paid tribute to Frank LoriaFrank Loria
Frank Loria was an American football defensive back. He was born in the town of Clarksburg, West Virginia in Harrison County and was a three sport athlete at Notre Dame Catholic High School....
, a Hokies safety in the 1960s who later became an assistant coach with the Thundering Herd and died in the 1970 Marshall plane crash. Virginia Tech's white uniforms caused another unusual sight. Marshall, according to school officials, wore all-green on the road for what was believed to be the first time in modern school history.
Marshall's highlights came from two players who returned after serving one-game suspensions for drug arrests. Tailback Darius Marshall
Darius Marshall
Darius Marshall was an American football running back for the Marshall Thundering Herd.-Early life:...
had a 61-yard touchdown run and finished with 109 yards rushing, and cornerback DeQuan Bembry had the diving interception in the end zone.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292550259
Bowling Green
Darius MarshallDarius Marshall
Darius Marshall was an American football running back for the Marshall Thundering Herd.-Early life:...
rushed for 186 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run, to lead Marshall to a 17-10 win over Bowling Green.
The Thundering Herd trailed 7-0 at halftime after Bowling Green's Chris Wright caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Sheehan
Tyler Sheehan
Tyler Allen Sheehan is an American football player. He an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Cincinnati Commandos.-Early life:...
, who completed 43-of-62 passes for 383 yards.
But Marshall answered with 17 straight points and never fell behind again. Brian Anderson connected with Antavio Wilson on an 11-yard touchdown, Marshall scored on his long run and Craig Ratanamorn made a 31-yard field goal.
External link: http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292620276
Memphis
Darius MarshallDarius Marshall
Darius Marshall was an American football running back for the Marshall Thundering Herd.-Early life:...
ran for three touchdowns to help Marshall hold off Memphis 27-16 in the Conference USA opener for both teams. Marshall had 25 carries for 203 yards for the Thundering Herd, and also completed a pass for 27 yards.
With the Tigers leading 7-3 after the opening quarter, Marshall ran for touchdowns of 2 and 69 yards to take a 17-7 lead late in the second.
Matt Reagan kicked a 20-yard field goal to end the first half, then started the second with a 22-yarder to bring Memphis back within 17-13. Marshall ran it in from 5 yards out to give the Herd a 24-13 advantage to start the fourth. Craig Ratanamorn kicked an 18-yard field goal to seal the win for Marshall.
External link: http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292690235
East Carolina
East Carolina's Dominique Lindsay broke a 7-7 tie before halftime with a 3-yard touchdown run. Marshall pulled ahead 17-14 on Craig Ratanamorn's 28-yard field goal and Darius MarshallDarius Marshall
Darius Marshall was an American football running back for the Marshall Thundering Herd.-Early life:...
's 20-yard TD run in the third, setting up Patrick Pinkney's game-winning run. The Pirates defense held strong in the fourth, as Marshall's Brian Anderson was intercepted early in the fourth by Emanuel Davis and again late by Jeremy Chambliss to help seal the win.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292760276
Tulane
Ashton Hall ran 29 yards with a fumble recovery for the tiebreaking touchdown and Marshall kept Tulane out of the end zone for the final 56 minutes to take a 31-10 victory. The score was tied at 7-all when Albert McClellanAlbert McClellan
-Baltimore Ravens:McClellan was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent after the 2010 NFL Draft.-External links:* *...
forced a fumble by Tulane's Jeremy Williams and Hall picked up the football and ran into the end zone with 41 seconds left in the first quarter. The Thundering Herd, pulled away from there, using a goal-line stand and three more takeaways to hold the Green Wave in check and win for the third time in four games.
Marshall running back Darius Marshall
Darius Marshall
Darius Marshall was an American football running back for the Marshall Thundering Herd.-Early life:...
rushed for a season-low 98 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292832655
West Virginia
West Virginia overcame its first halftime deficit of the season to improve to 9-0 against Marshall in the series between the state's only Football Bowl Subdivision teams.Jarrett Brown
Jarrett Brown
Jarrett Brown is an American football quarterback who is currently with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He played college football at West Virginia, and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent following the 2010 NFL Draft...
took a helmet-to-helmet hit on West Virginia's first series and did not return. Coach Bill Stewart said afterward he didn't know the extent of Brown's injury.
Noel Devine
Noel Devine
Noel Devine is an American football running back for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and was released four days later after leaving the squad. He played college football at West Virginia.He had a...
outdueled Marshall's Darius Marshall
Darius Marshall
Darius Marshall was an American football running back for the Marshall Thundering Herd.-Early life:...
in a matchup between two of the nation's top three rushers, although both players struggled to find running room on a cold and wet afternoon. Devine was held 23 yards below his third-best average. Marshall, whose 146-yard average ranked second to Fresno State's Ryan Mathews
Ryan Mathews (American football)
-San Diego Chargers:On August 1, 2010, Mathews signed a five-year, $26.65 million contract with the Chargers. The deal includes $15 million guaranteed....
's 148, was limited to 82 yards.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292900277
UAB
Brian Anderson threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns to lead Marshall to a 27-7 victory over Alabama-Birmingham. Anderson was 25-for-38 for the Thundering Herd, finishing a yard short of his career-high 316 set in the season-opening win over Southern Illinois.Anderson completed a 30-yard scoring pass to Cody Slate
Cody Slate
Cody Alan Slate is an American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Marshall University. He attended Hargrave Military Academy. Slate was considered one of the top tight ends in the nation and a top prospect at the tight end for the 2010 NFL Draft, but was...
with 12:30 left in the second quarter, then hit Chuck Walker with a 15-yard pass to give Marshall a 17-0 lead with 1:43 left in the first half.
Darius Marshall
Darius Marshall
Darius Marshall was an American football running back for the Marshall Thundering Herd.-Early life:...
added 133 yards on 32 carries with a 1-yard touchdown for his fifth 100-yard game of the season.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292970276
UCF
Brett Hodges threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Rocky Ross with 23 seconds left and Nick Cattoi added the extra point to give UCF a 21-20 victory over Marshall.UCF scored twice in the final 8 minutes to overcome a 20-7 deficit and beat Marshall for the fifth straight time.
TE Cody Slate
Cody Slate
Cody Alan Slate is an American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Marshall University. He attended Hargrave Military Academy. Slate was considered one of the top tight ends in the nation and a top prospect at the tight end for the 2010 NFL Draft, but was...
was the top receiver for Marshall, hauling in five receptions for 80 yards. His touchdown in the second quarter marked the 23rd of his career, tying him for 5th all time with Josh Davis
Josh Davis (American football)
Josh Davis is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Marshall....
and Tim Martin. Aaron Dobson caught two balls for a career-high 75 yards. UCF wide receiver A.J. Guyton was the leading receiver in the game, catching the ball five times for 100 yards.
Darius Marshall
Darius Marshall
Darius Marshall was an American football running back for the Marshall Thundering Herd.-Early life:...
rushed for 80 yards in the game, bringing his season total to 1,032. With the effort against UCF, Marshall surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the second-straight year. He became the first Marshall running back to record consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns since Chris Park did so in 1994 and 1995. Mario Harvey was the top player on defense for the Herd, recording a game-high 11 tackles along with a sack.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=293052116
Southern Miss
Southern Miss became bowl eligible for the eighth straight season and denied Marshall a chance at becoming bowl eligible for the first time under fifth-year coach Mark SnyderMark Snyder
Mark Snyder is the former head coach of the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team in Huntington, West Virginia. He is currently the defensive coordinator at the University of South Florida...
.
Marshall lost running back Darius Marshall
Darius Marshall
Darius Marshall was an American football running back for the Marshall Thundering Herd.-Early life:...
and tight end Cody Slate
Cody Slate
Cody Alan Slate is an American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Marshall University. He attended Hargrave Military Academy. Slate was considered one of the top tight ends in the nation and a top prospect at the tight end for the 2010 NFL Draft, but was...
, the team's top receiver, to leg injuries. Darius Marshall was limited to 22 yards on 11 carries. As a team, Marshall had 26 yards on 26 carries but outgained Southern Miss overall 363-294.
Southern Miss running back Damion Fletcher
Damion Fletcher
Damion Fletcher is an American football running back at Southern Mississippi.-High school career:...
ran for 55 yards on 13 carries to move into 13th place on the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) all-time career rushing list ahead of Michigan's Mike Hart. Fletcher has 5,076 career rushing yards.
The game was played on the 39th anniversary of the plane crash that killed most of Marshall's football team. Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
held a memorial service a few hours before the game.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=293180276
SMU
Brian Anderson threw two second-half touchdown passes to freshman Aaron Dobson to lead Marshall to a 34-31 win over SMU, making the Thundering Herd bowl eligible for the first time under fifth-year coach Mark SnyderMark Snyder
Mark Snyder is the former head coach of the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team in Huntington, West Virginia. He is currently the defensive coordinator at the University of South Florida...
.
Martin Ward ran for 136 yards and a score and Terrell Edwards-Maye added 113 yards for Marshall.
SMU fell into a first-place tie in the West Division with No. 24 Houston with one game remaining. Houston holds the tiebreaker after beating SMU 38-15 earlier this season.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=293250276
UTEP
Trevor VittatoeTrevor Vittatoe
Trevor Vittatoe is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2011...
passed for 517 yards and five touchdowns as UTEP routed Marshall 52-21.
After leading 20-14 at the break, the Miners exploded in the second half, adding four touchdowns and a field goal while holding the Thundering Herd to just one TD.
Brian Anderson threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns for the Thundering Herd. Anderson found Aaron Dobson, Chuck Walker and Antavio Wilson for scores.
External link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=293322638
Ohio (Little Caesars Pizza Bowl)
Martin Ward's tackle-breaking run and powerful plunge along with a punt return gave Marshall a big lead over Ohio in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.The game looked like it was going to be a rout when Ward's 2-yard run put Marshall ahead 21-0 with 7:21 left in the first half. He scored on a 12-yard run through more than a few defenders and Andre Booker had 58-yard punt return for a touchdown at the end of the quarter.
The Bobcats rallied to pull within four points late in the third quarter and had chances to complete the comeback in the fourth, missing a wide-open receiver on a trick play and failing to take advantage of their last two drives before losing 21-17 to Marshall.
DeQuan Bembry's interception with 40 seconds left sealed the victory for the Thundering Herd.
The schools, located 82 miles apart, played 52 times between 1905 and 2004 in "The Battle for the Bell
Battle for the Bell (Marshall-Ohio)
The Battle for the Bell is an an American college football rivalry game played by the Marshall Thundering Herd football team of Marshall University and the Ohio Bobcats football team of Ohio University. It is a regional rivalry, with the universities' campuses located about 80 miles from each...
," with the trophy symbolizing the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
separating Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. They hadn't played since Marshall left the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
for Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
in 2005.
Sarah Thomas made history during the game, becoming the first woman to officiate a bowl game, according to a Little Caesars Bowl spokesman. She was the first woman to be an official for a major college football game in 2007 and is on the NFL's list of officiating prospects.
See also
- 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season2009 NCAA Division I FBS football seasonThe 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
- Marshall Football Web Site