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Wednesday, November 13
 
Hill's four TD passes overshadowed by postgame

Associated Press

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- While Stan Hill and his Marshall teammates were celebrating a dramatic victory, Miami of Ohio defensive coordinator Jon Wauford was being led off the field in handcuffs by state police.

Moments after Hill scored on a 1-yard run with five seconds left for a 36-34 victory Tuesday night, Wauford allegedly shoved a Marshall fan and was arrested.

The fan, Robert A. Flaugher of Pickerington, Ohio, hit his head on the artificial turf and was taken on a stretcher to a hospital with a concussion, according to a report filed by State Police in Huntington.

Flaugher was in stable condition at St. Mary's Medical Center, said a nursing supervisor who did not want her name released.

Wauford was charged with battery, a misdemeanor. He was transported to Cabell County Magistrate Court. Wauford was released on bail Wednesday.

Miami officials refused to comment on the incident, and did not make players or coaches available to media.

Marshall fans stormed the field after Hill's winning score. Playing in place of the injured Byron Leftwich and making his first career start, Hill also threw four touchdown passes.

Marshall (7-2, 5-1 Mid-American) can win its sixth consecutive East Division title since rejoining the league with a victory over Ohio on Nov. 23. The East Division winner will play host to the conference championship game Dec. 7.

''One thing we say around here is that we play for championships, and tonight our kids played their hearts out,'' said Marshall coach Bob Pruett.

Ben Roethlisberger twice brought Miami (7-4, 5-2) back from double-digit deficits, and Luke Clemens' 17-yard touchdown run gave the RedHawks a 34-29 lead with 6:33 left.

Leftwich, who hurt his left shin against Akron on Nov. 2, did not dress for the game. And that left it up to Hill, a sophomore.

Marshall got the ball back for the final time with 1:39 left at its 43.

Hill completed three consecutive passes, then ran 7 yards to the Miami 16.

After a dropped pass in the end zone by Darius Watts -- who caught three touchdown passes from Hill -- a pair of interference calls against Miami put the ball at the 1, setting up Hill's run.

''It was either throw it away or get it into the end zone, because coach Pruett told me one thing not to do and that was take a sack,'' Hill said.

Without Leftwich, Marshall managed 400 total yards. The Thundering Herd began the day leading the nation in total offense with 531 yards a game.

Leftwich still was able to give Hill some timely advice.

''You can't ask for anything more than a Heisman Trophy candidate walking you through it,'' Hill said. ''He talked to me all week and coached through the game. He told me what I was doing right and told me what I was doing wrong.''

Hill was 25-for-39 for 292 yards as Marshall beat the RedHawks for the fifth consecutive time.

With 11 minutes left and Marshall ahead 29-27, Hill was intercepted on fourth down at the Miami 30.

Miami then drove for the go-ahead touchdown, with Clemens taking an option pitch from Roethlisberger and scoring down the right sideline.

Hill threw touchdown passes of 5 and 11 yards to Watts on Marshall's first two series of the second half for a 29-17 lead.

Less than a minute later, Clemens caught a screen pass from Roethlisberger and broke three tackles for a 49-yard touchdown.

Jared Parseghian, the great nephew of Miami and Notre Dame coaching great Ara Parseghian, kicked a 21-yard field goal late in the third quarter to pull the RedHawks to 29-27. It was Parseghian's 16th consecutive field goal, breaking the conference record held by Ball State's Brent Lockliear in 1996-97.

Roethlisberger was 16-for-33 for 247 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted on the game's first series by Orlando Washington, who returned the ball to the Miami 6.

After Butchie Wallace was tackled for a 5-yard loss, Hill threw his first pass of the game to a diving Watts for an 11-yard score.

Hill and Watts teamed up on a 29-yard completion to set up Hill's second touchdown toss of the game, a 10-yarder for a 17-3 lead on the first play of the second quarter.

But Marshall punted on its next two drives and Miami took over near midfield both times.

Roethlisberger threw scoring strikes of 32 yards into double coverage to Jason Branch and 13 yards to Randy Stegman to tie it at 17 at halftime.




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AUDIO/VIDEO
Video
 Marshall vs. Miami (OH)
Byron Leftwich cheers on as Marshall scores a last-minute TD to beat Miami (OH) 36-34.
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 Thundering Debut
Stan Hill details his successful first start as a college quarterback.
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 Coach Arrested
ESPN's Mike Gottfried reacts to the wild scene following Marshall's last-second victory over Miami (OH).
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