*** Welcome to piglix ***

2002 Marshall Thundering Herd football team

2002 Marshall Thundering Herd football
Marshall Thundering Herd logo.svg
MAC champion
MAC East Division champion
GMAC Bowl champion
MAC Championship Game, W 49–45 vs. Toledo
GMAC Bowl, W 38–15 vs. Louisville
Conference Mid-American Conference
Division East
Ranking
Coaches No. 19
AP No. 24
2002 record 11–2 (7–1 MAC)
Head coach Bob Pruett (7th year)
Offensive coordinator Mark McHale
Defensive coordinator Bill Wilt
Home stadium Marshall University Stadium
(Capacity: 38,019)
Seasons
← 2001
2003 →
2002 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
East Division
#24 Marshall x$   7 1         11 2  
UCF   6 2         7 5  
Miami   5 3         7 5  
Ohio   4 4         4 8  
Akron   3 5         4 8  
Kent State   1 7         3 9  
Buffalo   0 8         1 11  
West Division
Toledo xy   7 1         9 5  
Northern Illinois x   7 1         8 4  
Bowling Green   6 2         9 3  
Ball State   4 4         6 6  
Western Michigan   3 5         4 8  
Central Michigan   2 6         4 8  
Eastern Michigan   1 7         3 9  
Championship: Marshall 49, Toledo 45
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2002 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University in the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. Marshall won its fifth Mid-American Conference (MAC) title in six years and its fifth consecutive bowl game.

While Stan Hill and his Marshall teammates were celebrating a dramatic win, Miami (Ohio) defensive coordinator John Wauford was being led off the field in handcuffs by state police.

Moments after Hill scored on a 1-yard run with 5 seconds left for a 36-34 victory Tuesday night, Wauford allegedly shoved a Marshall fan and was arrested.

The fan, Robert A. Flaugher of Pickerington, Ohio, hit his head on the artificial turf and was taken on a stretcher to a hospital with a concussion, according to a report filed by State Police in Huntington.

Flaugher was in stable condition at St. Mary's Medical Center, said a nursing supervisor who did not want her name released.

Wauford was charged with battery, a misdemeanor. He was transported to Cabell County Magistrate Court and posted bail. The amount wasn't immediately released.

Miami officials refused to comment on the incident, and did not make players or coaches available to media.

Marshall fans stormed the field after Stan Hill's winning score. Playing in place of the injured Byron Leftwich and making his first career start, Hill also threw four touchdown passes.

"One thing we say around here is that we play for championships, and tonight our kids played their hearts out," said Marshall coach Bob Pruett.

Ben Roethlisberger twice brought Miami back from double-digit deficits, and Luke Clemens' 17-yard TD run gave the RedHawks a 34-29 lead with 6:33 left.

Leftwich, who hurt his left shin against Akron, did not dress for the game. And that left it up to sophomore quarterback Stan Hill.

Marshall got the ball back for the final time with 1:39 left at its 43.

Hill completed three straight passes, then ran 7 yards to the Miami 16.

After a dropped pass in the end zone by Darius Watts - who caught three TD passes from Hill - a pair of interference calls against Miami put the ball at the 1, setting up Hill's run.


...
Wikipedia

...