HUNTINGTON — No one will ever forget Brian Anderson’s first start, a horrible showing in an upset loss to New Hampshire in 2007.

His second start was memorable for far better reasons.

Marshall couldn’t quite beat high-powered Tulsa, dropping a 38-35 shootout in its season finale Saturday at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. But the offense, led by an unexpectedly calm performance by Anderson, kept things interesting for an announced crowd of 21,571.

Anderson made his second career start in place of regular starter Mark Cann, who was out with an injured shoulder. The sophomore from Louisville, Ky., had his best game in a Thundering Herd uniform since the 2007 spring game, completing 14 of 19 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns. He showed poise that had been lacking in a handful of backup appearances over the last two seasons.

“Brian sparked us tonight,” Marshall coach Mark Snyder said. “I thought he played well and got us in some good positions. He had a couple of busts here and there, but he took what they gave him and managed the game very well.”

It was certainly better than his forgettable — he wishes people would — game against New Hampshire, the Football Championship Subdivision team that upset the Herd 48-35 last year. Anderson didn’t make it to halftime of that game, getting lifted for an injured Bernard Morris after going 7-of-14 for 58 yards and an interception.

Against Tulsa, Anderson’s day was part of Marshall’s 437-yard output as the Herd matched the Golden Hurricane’s offense most of the evening.

Tulsa went into the game averaging 50.4 points and 584.6 yards per game, and finished with 516 yards against the Herd (4-8, 3-5). But the Hurricane (10-2, 7-1) could never gain separation from Marshall, never leading by more than a touchdown.

Marshall ran for 260 yards, a season high against Tulsa, which went in allowing a Conference USA-best 121 per game.

“Nobody has done that to us this season,” Tulsa coach Todd Graham said. “Arkansas didn’t do that.”

Senior Chubb Small, who began playing as a true freshman, scored on a career-long 69-yard run in the second quarter and finished with 91 yards on 10 carries. Darius Marshall finished with 94 yards, narrowly missing his fifth straight 100-yard game.

He followed up an all-freshman season with 1,095 yards in 2008.

And redshirt freshman Terrell Edwards finally got to play in a meaningful game in a meaningful situation. The Mobile, Ala., native scored on a season-long 53-yard run that tied the game 35-35 with 1:35 to play in the third quarter.

The Herd led 7-0 after its first drive when Anderson hit junior Courtney Edmonson on a 19-yard touchdown pass. But Tulsa took the lead when Tarrion Adams scored consecutive 1-yard TDs, the second making it 14-7 with 10:21 left in the second.

From there, the teams traded touchdowns in an entertaining shootout, although things did slow down a bit in the fourth. Marshall had two straight three-and-outs, and Jarod Tracy was well short on a 46-yard field goal attempt that would have given Tulsa a three-point lead with 8:24 to play.

Marshall finally ran out of steam in the fourth quarter. Facing a fourth-and-1 at its 49-yard line, the Herd’s effort was ended when Small was stopped for no gain.

Tracy’s 22-yard field goal with 3:42 remaining proved to be the difference. The kick came at the end of a drive that was extended by a play that seemed to symbolize Marshall’s entire season.

On third-and-10 from the Tulsa 22, quarterback David Johnson threw high to Trae Johnson at the 37. The ball caromed off the receiver’s hands, but Brennan Marion snatched it just before it hit the turf all the way at the 50 for a Tulsa first down.

“The good Lord was looking after us on that one,” said Graham, a former assistant at West Virginia.

David Johnson had another big day for the Hurricane, which secured the league’s West Division title with the win and Rice’s victory over Houston, and will host East Carolina in the conference championship game. Johnson, a fifth-year senior in his only year as the starter, was 21-of-33 for 313 yards and two touchdowns.

Adams, a senior who rushed for a school-record 323 yards last week against Tulane, ran for 123 and three scores against the Herd.

Senior Day was memorable for a number of Marshall players, including receiver Darius Passmore, who had six catches for 73 yards and two touchdowns in his final game.

Marshall lost seven of its last eight games after a 3-1 start.

— E-mail:

gfauber@register-herald.com



TULSA 38, MARSHALL 35

Tulsa 7 14 14 3 — 38

Marshall 7 14 14 0 — 35

First Quarter

Mar—Edmonson 19 pass from Anderson (Ratanamorn kick), 5:28.

Tlsa—Adams 1 run (Tracy kick), 2:23.

Second Quarter

Tlsa—Adams 1 run (Tracy kick), 10:21.

Mar—Small 69 run (Ratanamorn kick), 10:06.

Tlsa—Dam.Johnson 15 pass from Dav.Johnson (Tracy kick), 7:12.

Mar—Passmore 42 pass from Anderson (Ratanamorn kick), 1:19.

Third Quarter

Tlsa—Clay 2 pass from Dav.Johnson (Tracy kick), 11:21.

Mar—Passmore 12 pass from Anderson (Ratanamorn kick), 7:56.

Tlsa—Adams 6 run (Tracy kick), 5:47.

Mar—Edwards 53 run (Ratanamorn kick), 1:35.

Fourth Quarter

Tlsa—FG Tracy 22, 3:42.

A—21,571.

Tlsa Mar

First downs 29 17

Rushes-yards 55-203 36-260

Passing 313 177

Comp-Att-Int 21-33-0 14-19-0

Return Yards 2 0

Punts-Avg. 5-38.6 6-39.0

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 0-0

Penalties-Yards 3-15 5-63

Time of Possession 32:55 27:05

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—Tulsa, Adams 30-123, Williams 8-48, Whitmore 2-21, Dav.Johnson 11-11, Clay 1-3, Dam.Johnson 2-3, Team 1-(minus 6). Marshall, Marshall 18-94, Small 10-91, Edwards 3-52, Slate 1-14, Anderson 4-9.

PASSING—Tulsa, Dav.Johnson 21-33-0-313. Marshall, Anderson 14-19-0-177.

RECEIVING—Tulsa, Dam.Johnson 8-88, Marion 4-96, Whitmore 3-70, T.Johnson 2-36, Clay 2-4, Adams 1-13, Shelley 1-6. Marshall, Passmore 6-73, Slate 3-58, Edmonson 1-19, Wynn 1-17, L.Smith 1-4, Marshall 1-3, Small 1-3.