Aug. 30, 2008
Final Stats
Postgame Notes 
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ISU at Marshall Photo Gallery
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. - A 17-play, nine-and-a-half-minute scoring drive with 1:08 left in the first quarter, which ended in a four-yard touchdown catch by wide receiver Eyad Salem, was the lone offensive highlight for the Illinois State football team (0-1) in a season-opening 35-10 loss to NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent Marshall (1-0) Saturday afternoon at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, W. Va. With the loss, Illinois State dropped to 3-30 all-time against FBS opponents.
Tailback Geno Blow led all Redbird ball carriers with 60 yards on the ground, while Salem had 77 yards receiving and senior wide receiver Jake Rourke set a career-best with 58 receiving yards and a career-high-tying four catches. Despite allowing five touchdowns by Marshall, the Redbirds were successful at stopping the Thundering Herd's short game, as Marshall was just 1-for-10 in third-down conversions.
With the game already out of Illinois State's reach at 28-10 with just 33 seconds left in fourth quarter, Marshall added to its 18-point lead when running back Terrell Edwards took a handoff from quarterback Mark Cann and ran it 49 yards up the middle for the Thundering Herd's fifth touchdown of the game.
Unable to score since the 1:08 mark of the first half, Illinois State finally got back on the board with 7:10 left in the third quarter when transfer kicker Zach Kutch made his first-career field goal for the Redbirds, a 22-yard boot that cut Marshall's lead to 21-10.
Marshall struck the biggest blow of the game to the Redbirds with the score tied at 7-7 and the clock winding down to halftime. With just 35 seconds left in the first half, Cann threw an 88-yard pass down the near sideline to Darius Passmore, who ran it all the in to the end zone to put Marshall up, 14-7, heading into the intermission.
The Kevin Brockway-at-quarterback-era at Illinois State got off to an ominous start, as the first-year senior quarterback left the game after just two snaps after he cut his chin on a quarterback hurry and required seven stitches. Redshirt freshman Drew Kiel took over for Brockway on ISU's third offensive snap of the game, and Brockway did not return until two minutes into the second quarter.
Marshall took advantage of the Redbirds' rough start to the game, as Emmanuel Span received Bobby Kelsey's 44-yard punt and ran it 26 yards to set up a three-play scoring drive for Marshall that took just 56 seconds off the clock. Running back Chubb Small gave the Thundering Herd its first score of the year after he ran in a touchdown from 16 yards out to take an early 7-0 lead.
The relentless running attack of Blow led to the Redbirds' first touchdown of the year at the 1:08 mark of the first quarter. After ISU battled through 15 plays and reached a pivotal third-and-1 situation on the Marshall 6-yard line, Blow pushed through for a yard to secure a first down for the Redbirds. After one more Blow run, this one for two yards, Kiel connected with Salem on a four-yard pass to the far right corner of the end zone for his first-career touchdown pass.
After having next Saturday (Sept. 6) off due to a bye week, Illinois State will hit the road again Sept. 13 when it travels to Murray State for a 6 p.m. kickoff.
