Staff Report

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The Marshall University football team overcame a 10-0 halftime deficit, exploding for four touchdowns in the second half to defeat the Memphis Tigers, 28-13, in front of 25,108 at Joan C. Edwards Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Quarterback Brian Anderson tossed three scores, all in the second half, on 20-of-28 passes for 251 yards to give the Thundering Herd a three-game winning streak for the first time since the 2006 season.

Troy Evans registered 220 total yards of offense and two touchdowns to lead the Marshall squad to 4-6 overall and 3-3 in Conference USA action.

The Herd defense tamed the Tigers (1-9, 0-6 C-USA) to 241 yards, and just a minuscule 77 yards after intermission.

Kellen Harris and Mario Harvey each recorded nine tackles apiece to lead the charge. Harvey added three tackles for loss and moved into ninth place on MU’s all-time tackle list with 388 surpassing former Herd player Max Yates (1998-01).

Vinny Curry chipped in with eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, a fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry for an impressive defensive stat line in the victory.

Evans put the Herd on the scoreboard for the first time on the day when he took a handoff to the right sideline, reversed fields and scampered for a 13-yard touchdown with 9:05 left in the third quarter.

Two plays later, Memphis quarterback Ryan Williams fumbled a snap, which was recovered by Curry to give the Herd possession on the Tigers’ 24 yard line.

Off the turnover, Anderson found Courtney Edmonson for a 6-yard touchdown, to give Marshall its first lead, 14-10.

MU kept the pressure on Memphis’ defense as Anderson hit Lee Smith for a 32-yard score on the first play of the fourth quarter. The burly tight end finished with seven receptions for 73 yards.

Memphis put the game within a one-possession game, when kicker Paulo Henriques split the uprights from 45 yards out to cut the Herd advantage to 21-13 with 8:41 left in the game.

On the ensuing possession, Troy Evans caught a slant and made a highlight reel maneuver to stay on his feet and raced down the sideline for a 62-yard touchdown, bringing the game to its eventual final score, 28-13.

Jermaine McKenzie led the Tigers offense with six catches for 109 yards and one touchdown.