Miami's 45-21 victory over Marshall on Saturday is a hard game to sum up in few words. Consider:
More importantly, the RedHawks are 4-1 in the Mid-American Conference East Division. Marshall, a 1 1/2-point favorite coming in, falls to 5-2 and 3-1.
That means Miami now controls its own fate in the MAC. If the RedHawks win out, they'll advance to the MAC title game in Huntington, W.Va.
"Obviously, this is one we had to have," Walker said.
For a long time, it didn't look like Miami would get it.
The RedHawks jumped out to a 7-0 lead when Dustin Cohen tipped a pass in the air, caught it and ran untouched for 28 yards and the TD. But shortly thereafter the momentum switched to Marshall. The Thundering Herd failed to fall on a short kick by Miami after the Cohen's score. But Miami got only a missed field goal out of that.
On Marshall's next possession, JoJuan Armour intercepted a pass at the 41, but again Miami could not score.
"I was concerned our offense would get frustrated because the defense gave them so many chances," Walker said.
Marshall tied it on a 41-yard TD pass to Moss and then went up 14-7 on the next possession.
Miami, meanwhile, was struggling. At one point quarterback, Sam Ricketts threw nine straight incompletions. But MU hung on. When Marshall marched down and looked like it might go up two scores, Jamie Taylor intercepted a pass intended for Moss in the end zone.
Miami tied it 2:26 later on Prentice's second touchdown, an 18-yard run.
The Thundering Herd eased down the field to another TD to go up 21-14 just 24 seconds before the half. It looked like Marshall was the better team.
"Football is not a game of perfection," Walker said. "We preach that all the time. It's how you respond."
The RedHawks responded by going 75 yards in 10 plays with the second-half kickoff. Prentice capped it with a 5-yard touchdown run.
"I think that was critical," Walker said. "We had the momentum when we tied it. But they snatched it back before the half."
Marshall coach Bob Pruett thought the key came early in the fourth quarter.
A handoff exchange between Chad Pennington and Doug Chapman ended up on the ground, and Cohen covered it.
Five plays later - four of them Prentice runs for 44 yards - Miami was up 28-21 with 8:10 left.
Marshall went three-and-out on the next possession.
Taylor, the 5-foot-9 corner guarding the 6-5 receiver, broke up a pass to Moss on third-and-four.
Miami faced a fourth-and-12 at the Marshall 31 on the next possession.
"That's a bad spot on the field," Walker said. "I turned to (kicker) John (Scott) and said, 'Can you make it?' He was like Jimmy Chitwood in Hoosiers. He said, 'I'll make it.' "
He did, hitting a 48-yard field goal - a career long - to make it 31-21 with 3:55 left to play.
That was the game. Miami's last two touchdowns came as the result of Marshall's failure in desperation time.
Marshall ended up with only 53 yards and no points in the second half. It was Miami's fourth second-half shutout of the year.
"Our speed takes a toll," defensive coordinator Terry Hoeppner said.
UC UP NEXT
THOMAS SENDS MOSS PACKING Paul Daugherty column
GAME STATISTICS
Previous game reports
MIAMI 62, KENT 26 Oct. 5, 1997
MIAMI 24, VIRGINIA TECH 17 Oct. 5, 1997
MIAMI 38, ARMY 14 Sept. 28, 1997
MIAMI 49, AKRON 20 Sept. 14, 1997
BOWLING GREEN 28, MIAMI 21 Sept. 7, 1997
MIAMI 27, BALL STATE 10 Aug. 31, 1997
