Marshall University quarterback Tony Petersen (17) rolls out behind running back Ron Darby (27) during the NCAA Division I-AA national championship game against Northeast Louisiana on Dec. 19, 1987, in Pocatello, Idaho.
Marshall University quarterback Tony Petersen (17) rolls out behind running back Ron Darby (27) during the NCAA Division I-AA national championship game against Northeast Louisiana on Dec. 19, 1987, in Pocatello, Idaho.
Ron Darby is at peace with the call, even if he still thinks it was wrong.
ֱI thought my knees were down,ֱ Darby said of his fumble late in the fourth quarter of the 1987 NCAA Division I-AA national championship football game in Pocatello, Idaho.
Northeast Louisiana defensive end Richard Green pounced on the loose ball in Idaho State Universityֱs minidome, securing the Indiansֱ 43-42 victory in the wee hours of the morning. Had Darby been ruled down, which film suggests he was, MU was in easy field goal range for kicker Brian Mitchell.
The game was a classic shootout featuring powerful offenses led by star quarterbacks ֱ Northeastֱs Stan Humphries and Marshallֱs Tony Petersen.
The loss stung. The Herd led 42-28 with 36 seconds left in the third quarter.
ֱI didnֱt expect them to score 43 points,ֱ Marshall coach George Chaump said after the game. ֱI figured weֱd score about 42 and hold them to 20.ֱ
The game featured a plethora of stars. Humphries spent nine seasons in the NFL. Petersen made it to the final cutdown with the Minnesota Vikings. Marshall wide receiver Mike Barber played four seasons in the NFL, and Indians kicker Teddy Garcia had three.
Now, 37 years later, the programs meet again at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington. The Northeast Louisiana Indians, though, are now known as the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks. Neither squad displays the dazzling passing game those teams from 1987 did, preferring to run the ball.
The Herdֱs version of Darby is A.J. Turner, who leads the Sun Belt Conference in rushing at 102.4 yards per game. Turner averages 10.1 yards a carry and is the only player in the country with more than 50 carries to top the 10-yard mark per rush. Louisiana-Monroe runs for 168 yards per game, with freshman Ahmad Hardy toting for 86.3 yards per contest.
The 2024 game probably wonֱt offer the heart-stopping swings the 1987 contest did, but it stands to be an exciting contest, with Marshall a 10.5-point favorite, according to the Vegas betting lines.
While it would be fun to predict a 43-42 Herd victory, with defensive end Mike Green recovering a game-preserving fumble in the closing minutes, thatֱs not likely to be the case. Letֱs go with Marshall avenging its 1987 loss with a 30-20 triumph.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
