We Are Marshall Page #9

from a Thundering Herd score.

Come on, Reggie.

Touchdown, Reggie Oliver!

And Marshall grabs the lead right back,

9-6...

...with eight seconds remaining

in the third quarter.

Let's go!

That's what it looks like on paper

right there, doesn't it?

If Marshall can hold on

for a little while longer, folks--

But there's a complete pass to Crawford!

Go, go, go!

He breaks free.

And he's in the end zone.

Touchdown, Xavier.

Oh, my. What a dagger to the heart

of this Marshall team.

And with the extra point, Xavier has

taken the lead back from Marshall...

... 1 3-9 with one minute left to play.

-We are--

-Let's go, Marshall! Come on!

Marshall has time

for one last-ditch effort...

...but they'll have to march

all the way downfield into the end zone.

-A field goal will not be enough.

-Thirteen! Set, hut!

Oliver breaks loose.

He's in the open field!

Go, go, go!

Something's happening here

for the Thundering Herd.

Down, down, down! On the ball!

We got one time-out, coach.

-l-1 3! l-1 3!

-Run your offense. Run your offense.

Set, hut!

Oliver holds the ball, rolls out,

and is sacked.

That's gonna be costly

as the clock keeps tick--

No, wait, he got rid of it!

He got rid of it!

A huge gain for the Herd!

Marshall marches upfield,

but with less than 30 seconds left...

-...time is running out for the boys in green.

-Time-out. Time-out.

Marshall calls their last time-out.

Come on, Marshall!

Zero time-outs. We need a touchdown

to win. Here's the play:

Fire left, 422-Z-Rocket, all right?

Martin, Johnson or Linden.

After you catch the football,

if you cannot score, get out of bounds.

lf you do not get out of bounds,

everybody get to the line...

...Coach Red Dawson's got the winning play

coming in, all right?

There is no huddle from here out.

-Do you believe?

-Yes, sir!

-Do you believe?

-Yes, sir!

-We are--

-Marshall!

This is it, folks.

Okay.

Gotta get out of bounds

to stop the clock.

-Get out of bounds!

-Get out, get out, get out!

Clock is still ticking. He didn't make it!

He's still inbounds.

-Clock's running, clock's running.

-Call it in. Take us home, Red. Call it in.

Gardner, Gardner! All right.

Split right, 21 3 Bootleg Screen.

Bootleg Screen!

-Get it off!

-Snap it.

Snap the ball.

Snap it. Snap it.

It's good! Gardner catches the ball!

Touchdown! Touchdown!

I can't believe it! I can't believe it!

Marshall has won!

The Young Thundering Herd has won!

They have done the unthinkable!

-We scored?

-Marshall has beaten Xavier!

This is an exciting day, folks! Incredible!

The skies parted

and Marshall took command!

They proved that they were men today,

that they were a team!

-We did it! We did it!

-Marshall wins!

Marshall wins in a barnburner, folks!

They're gonna remember this one

for decades!

Lengyel! We did it!

We did it! We did it! We did it! We did it!

-Oh, gosh.

-Little tradition.

At the end of a game, we always give

the ball to the most valuable player.

That's for you.

Jack, l'm not one of the players.

l know, Don.

We're Marshall. We'll take anybody.

Thank you. Thank you, Don.

The following week,

Marshall lost to Miami of Ohio, 66 to 6.

They would only win

one more game in 1 97 1.

Jack Lengyel resigned as head coach

in 1 97 4 with a record of 9 and 33.

He went on to become athletic director

at the Naval Academy.

He's now in the Hall of Fame.

Donald Dedmon accepted the presidency

at Radford University...

...where he remained

until he retired in 1 994.

Gene Morehouse's son, Keith,

followed in his father's footsteps...

...and became a broadcaster

for Marshall football...

...where he still remains today.

Reggie Oliver started every game

at quarterback for the Thundering Herd...

...until he graduated.

He eventually returned to Marshall

as an assistant coach...

...and now lives in Ohio.

Nate Ruffin moved away from Huntington

after graduation...

...got married and started a family.

In 2001, after a prolonged illness...

...Nate passed away at his home

in Arlington, Virginia.

But he would return to Huntington

one last time...

...for a final reunion

with his old teammates.

Red Dawson kept his word and left the team

at the end of the year.

He never returned to football.

Well, congratulations, Coach Dawson.

Well, thank you, Jimmy.

Congratulations to you too.

l didn't mean to keep you waiting.

l just....

Red, you didn't keep me waiting.

Come here.

Nobody here wants to go home either.

Marshall lost more football games

in the '7 0s...

...than any other program in the nation.

But yet, football remained.

In 1 984, the Herd had their first

winning record in 20 years.

They followed it

with eight conference titles...

...five straight bowl wins

and two national championships.

From the ashes, we rose.

-We are--

-Marshall!

-We are--

-Marshall!

-We are--

-Marshall!

-We are--

-Marshall!

Marshall! Marshall! Marshall!

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