We Are Marshall Page #8

-Oh, stop, stop. You can't put that on me.

You've gotta go out there

and live your life.

lf you don't leave now, you never will.

You're all out of excuses, Annie.

You can't stay for me

and you can't stay for your job.

Why not?

Because when l tell your boss

you left that restaurant unattended...

...he's gonna have to fire you.

Grief is messy, Annie.

Makes you do things you regret,

sometimes things you'll always regret.

l don't. l don't regret it.

-l don't.

-l'm not talking about you.

Go, Annie. Go.

For those of you who may not know...

...this is the final resting place

for six members...

...of the 1 970 Thundering Herd.

The plane crash that took their lives

was so severe, so absolute...

...that their bodies were unable

to be identified.

So they were buried here, together.

Six players...

...six teammates...

...six sons of Marshall.

This is our past, gentlemen.

This is where we have been.

This is how we got here.

This is who we are...

...today.

l wanna talk about our opponent

this afternoon.

They're bigger, faster, stronger,

more experienced...

...and on paper, they're just better.

And they know it, too.

But l wanna tell you something

that they don't know.

They don't know your heart.

l do. l've seen it.

You have shown it to me.

You have shown this coaching staff,

your teammates.

You have shown yourselves

just exactly who you are in here.

Now, when you take that field today...

...you've gotta lay

that heart on the line, men.

From the soles of your feet, with every

ounce of blood you've got in your body...

...lay it on the line

until the final whistle blows.

And if you do that...

...if you do that...

...we cannot lose.

We may be behind on the scoreboard

at the end of the game...

...but if you play like that,

we cannot be defeated.

Now, we came here today to remember...

...six young men...

...and 69 others...

...who will not be on the field

with you today.

But they will be watching.

And you can bet your ass...

...that they'll be gritting their teeth

with every snap of that football.

You understand me?

How you play today...

...from this moment on,

is how you...

...will be remembered.

This is your opportunity

to rise from these ashes...

...and grab glory.

-We are--

-Marshall!

-We are--

-Marshall!

-We are--

-Marshall!

The funerals end today.

Marshall! Marshall! Marshall!

Today, the Big Green is finally

back in Huntington...

...in front of a capacity crowd

here at Fairfield Stadium.

Number 1 9, Jake Crawford,

Xavier's all-American tailback...

...fields the ball and takes off downfield.

Crawford still untouched at the 30, the 35.

This kid's got speed, doesn't he?

He sure does. Just one man to beat.

-It looks like Morehead State all over again.

-Oh, gosh.

-They come with a huge hit.

-That's how you hit somebody!

Nice looping!

All right. All right,

tighten up, D, tighten up.

Good job, good job!

Nice lick. Nice save.

Sophomore Reggie Oliver

takes the field...

...and leads the offense

on their first possession.

Set, hut!

Hut!

Punt! Punt. Punt team.

Come on, cover it!

Just the punter to beat.

-The shoestring tackle by Bill Shalhoop!

-That's playing till the whistle blows.

You kick it and you play defense.

Good job, Shalhoop.

All right, let's go. Let's get a stop.

Crawford gets a step on Ruffin.

And makes another catch

for another first down.

Boy, I'll tell you what, that hurt shoulder

sure looks like it's affecting Ruffin.

-That kid knows he can't go to his right.

-He's playing to it. Keep an eye on that.

-Split six, cover one. Ready? Break!

-Break!

We've got a scoreless game,

and Xavier has great field position...

...but they're in a race against the clock

with only 25 seconds till halftime.

Hut!

-Right side!

-Make the hit!

Ruffin with a giant hit.

-Ball! Ball! Ball!

-The ball is loose!

Go, go, go!

-Nice hit. Nice ball.

-Nate, you all right?

-Can you get up, Nate?

-Hold on, 25.

l'm sitting him the second half,

no matter what.

-Let me tell him. Let me tell him.

-You got it, you got it.

Mickey Jackson!

Good. All right.

There's enough time on the clock

for one last play before the half.

Need a 37-yard field goal.

Marshall's kicking game was spotty at best

last week against Morehead.

Blake, come on!

Let's see what Lengyel

decides to do here.

We're kicking it.

Let's go, we're kicking it.

This is an awfully long kick

for sophomore Blake Smith...

...a walk-on from Marshall's soccer team.

The kick is good!

Hey!

-That's groovy, baby!

-That's groovy, baby.

I don't believe it.

The Young Thundering Herd...

...has a 3-0 lead

as they take it into halftime.

Hot damn,

he's liable to make that from 50.

Good call.

Stick around.

We've got a dogfight on our hands...

...as Xavier is certainly

a second-half team.

-We are--

-Marshall!

-We are--

-Marshall!

Damn it, coach, l said l'm all right.

Nate, you're sitting.

You can't do that, coach.

l gotta cover 1 9.

Nineteen's got six catches

for 95 yards, Nate...

...and it's because he knows

you can't go to your right.

-We got two more quarters of football.

-Yes, we do. Yes, we do, Nate.

But you've done enough.

Coach, l've been going to my right

all day--

You see what's going on out there?

Nate, that's all because

you never stopped pushing.

-We got two more quarters of football.

-You've done enough, Nate.

You've done enough.

Are we gonna be all right, coach?

Yeah. We're gonna be all right.

Yeah, we're gonna be all right.

Thanks for joining us

back at halftime, folks.

You know what's hard to fathom?

It's hard to believe this is even possible...

...but Jack Lengyel

has the Marshall Young Thundering Herd...

...a team of freshmen, of transfer students,

of walk-ons...

...a team of nobodies and no ones...

...somehow are beating the Xavier Pirates

after 30 minutes of football.

Well, that is true,

but I gotta believe that, at some point...

...speed, size and experience will prevail.

Come on, Booth!

That's the way to start the second half!

This Young Thundering Herd looks like

they're ready to play.

-44-X-Punch. Let's go.

-Break!

Nineteen, set, hut!

-Big hit on Oliver...

-Ball!

...who loses the ball. Xavier scoops it up.

Let's go!

He's on the 30...

...the 20...

...touchdown, Xavier!

And just like that,

Xavier takes the lead, 6-3.

lt's okay! Come on!

-You're still the captain of this team.

-Yes, sir.

l'm gonna need you to be that captain

from the sideline.

Set, hut!

-Yeah, baby, let's go!

-Come on, let's go!

-Great call.

-All right?

Twenty-two!

All right. Yeah.

lt's your team now.

Set, hut!

Nice flag route by Bill James.

He's got one foot inbounds.

That's good for a first down.

-Yeah! Come on!

-Thought you were a basketball player.

lf he doesn't pass, give it to Wooch.

lf he does, tuck it.

-Tuck it and go.

-lt's up to you. Go.

Oliver in with the play.

They're close, folks, very, very close.

Just four yards

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