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MOBILE, Alabama (Ticker) -- Having been dethroned as Mid-American Conference champions, 25th-ranked Marshall tries to make amends against East Carolina in the GMAC/Mobile Alabama Bowl. Toledo ended the Thundering Herd's bid for a fifth straight MAC title on November 30, rallying for a wild 41-36 victory at the Glass Bowl after spotting Marshall a 23-0 lead early in the second quarter. Toledo became the first team other than Marshall to win a MAC championship. The loss snapped a 10-game winning streak for the Thundering Herd, whose only other defeat was a 49-14 season-opening setback to Florida. Marshall, which is seeking its fourth straight bowl victory, had been a fixture in the Motor City Bowl for the past four years. Toledo replaces the Thundering Herd in the Motor City Bowl, marking the first time the MAC has two bowl representatives. East Carolina (6-5) must contend with Byron Leftwich, who had a spectacular game against Toledo, completing 32-of-52 passes for 421 yards and four touchdowns against the Rockets to go over the 4,000-yard mark for the season. Leftwich, who many say is more talented than former Marshall quarterback Chad Pennington, completed nearly 67 percent (314-of-470) of his passes for 4,122 yards with 37 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He ranks fifth nationally in passing efficiency and joins Fresno State's David Carr as the only quarterbacks in Division I-AA to pass for more than 4,000 yards this season. East Carolina (6-5) was in contention for the Conference USA title, but dropped its final two games to Louisville (39-34) and Southern Mississippi (28-21). The Pirates may be hard-pressed to contain the potent Thundering Herd as they rank 82nd in total defense, allowing 409 yards per game. They are 101st in passing, giving up 261 yards per contest through the air. East Carolina relies more on the run as Leonard Henry led Conference USA in rushing with 1,432 yards and 16 touchdowns. The sixth-leading rusher in the country, Henry recorded seven 100-yard games and a pair of 200-yard games in 2001, but he was held to a combined 159 yards in the Pirates' last two games. East Carolina is making its third straight bowl appearance and has an overall postseason mark of 7-4. The Pirates defeated Texas Tech, 40-27, last season in the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl. A former Division I-AA power, Marshall defeated Cincinnati, 25-14, last year to improve to 3-2 all-time in bowls. East Carolina has won four of five all-time meetings with Marshall, including a 45-0 victory in the last contest in 1978. |
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