After five consecutive division championships, has Marshall's good fortune finally run out?

The answer might come in the game tonight (ESPN, 8 ET) when the Thundering Herd (6-2, 4-1) face Miami (7-3, 5-1) in Huntington, W. Va., in a key East Division showdown.

The task facing Marshall is clear.

	QB Byron Leftiwich couldn't walk off the field against Akron Nov. 2 and won't be able to start tonight.

A win would put the Herd in the East Division driver's seat with two games to go. A defeat would all but eliminate Marshall's hopes of reaching the MAC championship game for a sixth consecutive season.

Beating Miami won't be easy and it's not just because the RedHawks have been one of the MAC's hottest teams of late.

Marshall has been forced to play without standout quarterback Byron Leftwich, whom coach Bob Pruett ruled out Monday. Leftwich sustained an injury to his lower left shin against Akron on Nov. 2 and remains hobbled.

Leftwich was on the sideline with crutches during the game and backup Stan Hill started instead. Leftwich is not expected to play.

Even as late as Tuesday afternoon, Marshall had indicated that while Leftwich might not start, there was a chance he might play, but that outlook changed by gametime.

Hill made his first career start. Hill has completed 16 of 27 passes for 140 yards and no touchdowns with one interception this season. He's appeared in seven games.

"We anticipate him playing the whole game," Pruett said.

The loss of Leftwich would be a huge one for Marshall. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound senior leads the MAC in passing efficiency, passing yards and total offense and has led the Herd to a 23-5 record in his last 28 starts.

Leftwich was injured in the first half of Marshall's upset loss to Akron. He was taken to the hospital but returned to the game even though he was basically playing on one leg.

Miami coach Terry Hoeppner indicated he wasn't ready to believe Leftwich wouldn't play.

"They've said day-to-day, they've said game-time (decision), they've said he's not playing," Hoeppner said. "We're prepared for either way. They're going to be inspired and the crowd is going to be amazing. We've got to get ready to play no matter who they use at quarterback."

Hoeppner has no such quarterback worries.

In a league with several top quarterbacks, RedHawk sophomore Ben Roethlisberger may be as good as they come.

Roethlisberger has followed his MAC freshman of the year campaign by completing a league-best 232 passes in 354 attempts (65.5 percent) for 2,720 yards, 18 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He's spread the ball around enough that seven different receivers have at least 20 receptions this season.

Thanks in large part to Roethlisberger, Miami has won six of its last seven games since beginning the season 1-2. Among the most recent victories was a 27-13 decision against Toledo two weeks ago that snapped the Rockets' 17-game win streak in the Glass Bowl.

Roethlisberger was held without a touchdown pass for only the second time in 22 career games against Toledo, but was outstanding otherwise completing 22-of-31 passes for 299 yards.

It's that kind of performance that will be needed tonight, Hoeppner said.

"It's a test for our team, and how he plays will be scrutinized a little more," Hoeppner said. "In big games, the marquee guys have to step up."

Said Pruett of Roethlisberger: "He's the next great quarterback in this league."

Without Leftwich, there's little question who will have the quarterback advantage tonight.

The RedHawks may need whatever edge they can get. Miami hasn't beaten Marshall since 1997, the Herd's first season in the MAC. Four straight losses have followed.

"We've got a lot of confidence," Hoeppner said. "We're playing pretty well right now so I feel pretty good about our chances."

Around the MAC
Akron could not capitalize on one of its biggest victories ever, dropping a 27-10 decision to Ohio a week after defeating Marshall. The Zips were their own worst enemy fumbling three times and throwing an interception. ... When Ball State running back Marcus Merriweather broke the school rushing record against Western Michigan a week ago, the feat was not announced to the crowd at Ball State Stadium. That created a stir among those who thought the accomplishment merited more attention. Ball State center Colin Johnson told the Muncie Star Press: "In the back of our minds -- and I think I speak for everybody -- we were thinking, 'Has he gotten it yet?' We were sure when he got it, the PA announcer was going to say so.'" Merriweather told the newspaper he was "a little disappointed" that an announcement was not made until after the game, long after many of the fans in attendance had left the stadium. ... The Cardinals must win their final three games to finish with a winning record for the first time since 1996. BSU travels to face Central Michigan on Saturday, followed by a home meeting with Buffalo on Nov. 23. The Cardinals end the season on the road against Marshall. ... Bowling Green's storybook season took a bad turn Saturday with a 26-17 loss to Northern Illinois. The defeat knocked the Falcons from the ranks of the unbeaten and was their first loss after 11 straight wins. ... The Falcons had 357 yards of total offense, 134 below their average. ... BG gained only 86 yards on 30 carries after entering the game averaging 230 rushing yards. Tailback Joe Alls was held to 31 yards rushing. ... The 17 points were 30 below Bowling Green's season average. ... South Florida, the Falcons' opponent on Saturday, has won 18 straight games at home. ... Even if Bowling Green doesn't win its division, the Falcons could still end up in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., which is tied into the MAC, but is not required to choose one of the conference's division winners. ... Buffalo lost its eighth consecutive game, dropping a 45-21 decision to Central Florida. The Bulls' 21-14 third-quarter lead marked the first time since the Oct. 5 game against Western Michigan that Buffalo led its opponents. ... Saturday's crowd was announced as 6,923, but newspaper reports had actual attendance closer to 2,000. ... Freshman Aaron Leeper continued his solid first season by rushing for 119 yards and three touchdowns against UCF. ... The Bulls close out the 2002 season on the road against Akron (Nov. 16) and Ball State (Nov. 23). Buffalo has never beaten either team. ... Central Florida quarterback Ryan Schneider threw for a career-high five touchdown passes and ran for a sixth during the Knights' 45-21 victory against Buffalo. Schneider completed 25-of-43 passes for 360 yards...The Knights' defense, which had given up an average of 165 rushing yards in its last three games, held the Bulls to 38 yards on the ground in the second half and 94 yards overall. ... Receiver Jimmy Fryzel tied a career high with eight catches. ... The 45 points were the most scored by UCF in coach Mike Kruczek's five seasons. ... Defensive end Elton Patterson's fourth-quarter sack gave him 29.5 for his career, third in the school's record book. ... A week after setting the MAC record with 377 rushing yards, Central Michigan's Robbie Mixon was held to 35 yards on 10 carries in Central Michigan's 44-17 loss to Toledo. ... Safety James King had a career-high 19 tackles for CMU. Cornerback Dante McKnight added 17 stops. ... Derrick Vickers, who has started all 10 games this season, may have lost his job after completing 4-of-14 passes for 30 yards. He was replaced by freshman Kent Smith, who led the Chippewas to both of their touchdowns. Coach Mike DeBord said a decision on the starter wouldn't come until later in the week. ... Eastern Michigan bounced back from a 24-0 first-quarter deficit to take a 31-20 lead against Western Michigan, but ended up losing its fourth consecutive game on a field goal with 12 seconds remaining. ... The 33 points WMU scored were the second fewest against the Eagles' porous defense this season. Southeast Missouri, a Division I-AA school, scored 32 points in a 35-32 loss to EMU on Sept. 14. ... The loss was the Eagles' 10th in their last 11 games against WMU. ... Eastern Michigan hasn't won on the road since the 1999 season. ... Receiver Kevin Walter had 111 yards receiving, making him the second player in school history to reach 1,000 yards receiving in one season. ... Quarterback Joshua Cribbs may miss the rest of Kent State's season after re-injuring his right hamstring during the Golden Flashes' 63-21 loss to Connecticut. Cribbs sat out the Oct. 26 game against Buffalo with the injury. "I feel like I want to cry," Cribbs said after Kent's sixth defeat in its last seven games. ... The Golden Flashes trailed, 49-0, after the first half. "We got embarrassed," said coach Dean Pees. ... Before being hurt, Cribbs became the second player in Division I-A history to rush and pass for 1,000 yards in two seasons. ... The lone bright spot Saturday was the career-high 125 yards gained by running back Eddie Beccles. ... Leftwich isn't the only Marshall player bothered by injury. Tailbacks Franklin Wallace and Brandon Carey, whose importance will be greater without Leftwich, are dealing with nagging injuries. Wallace will try to bounce back from a tough game against Akron during which he fumbled three times, losing the ball twice. Wallace had not fumbled in 15 game. ... The first 2,000 fans at Tuesday's game between the Herd and RedHawks will receive Bob Pruett bobblehead dolls. ... Under Pruett, the Thundering Herd is 46-1 at Marshall Stadium. ... Miami is only one of two Division I-A teams with five road wins. The RedHawks are 5-1 away from home while Colorado is 5-2. ... Kicker Jared Parseghian, a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, has hit all 11 field goal attempts this season. ... After averaging 21.3 points in their first four games, the RedHawks have scored 39 points per game in their last six outings. ... Miami has 29 sacks in its last seven games. ... In the first 112 years of Miami football, the team's quarterbacks recorded a total of seven 300-yard passing games. Ben Roethlisberger has produced six in less than two seasons. ... Northern Illinois won its sixth straight game and moved closer to a West Division title by defeating 20th-ranked Bowling Green, 26-17, at Huskie Stadium. NIU has two games remaining facing Eastern Michigan on the road on Saturday followed by a meeting at home versus defending conference champion Toledo on Nov. 23. "Nothing is over yet," said NIU coach Joe Novak. "We have two more games to go. We have to settle back in." ... Tailback Michael Turner showed no ill effects from an ankle sprain that knocked him out of NIU's game against Western Michigan on Oct. 26. Turner carried 40 times for 192 yards. ... Steve Azar kicked four field goals and has 49 for his career, surpassing Vince Scott (1980-83) as NIU's career leader in that department. ... The victory was the Huskies' second win in their last 22 games against a ranked opponent. ... Fullback Chad Brinker rushed a career-high 36 times for 160 yards as Ohio defeated Akron, 27-10. ... Linebacker Rob Stover had four tackles for lost yardage and forced a fumble that led to the Bobcats' go-ahead touchdown. ... Ohio has won three of its last four games and remains in the East Division race. ... Toledo defeated Central Michigan for the eighth consecutive season, using the running of freshman tailbacks Astin Martin (60 yards) and Quinton Broussard (59) yards to register a 44-17. The freshmen played in place of starter William Bratton, who will miss the rest of the regular season with a hairline fracture of his fibula. ... Kicker Josh Robbins, who seven missed extra points were the most by an Division I-A kicker coming into last week's games, was 5-for-5 on extra points and connected on each of his three field goal attempts. ... Quarterback Brian Jones completed 27-of-35 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns. Jones, who leads the nation in completion percentage, has connected on at least 65 percent of his passes in eight of nine games this season. ... Toledo gained a season-high 522 yards of offense. ... The Rockets, who have lost four of their last six games on the road, travel to face Western Michigan on Saturday. ... Western Michigan broke a four-game losing streak, defeating Eastern Michigan, 33-31, on a career-long 39-yard field goal by Robert Menchinger with 12 seconds to play. Menchinger kicked three field goals in the fourth quarter. ... Freshman tailback Daniel Marks entered the game after starter Philip Reed was injured in the second quarter and ran for 97 yards on 21 carries. ... Tony Carr tied a school record by intercepting three passes. ... Sophomore Tyrone Walker also tied the school record by returning the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. He shares the mark with Lovell Coleman, who had 100-yard kickoff returns in 1957 and 1958. Walker also caught a 56-yard pass that set up Menchinger's game-winning kick. ... Quarterback Jon Drach started for the second consecutive week in place of former starter Chad Munson. Munson replaced Drach during the game and completed 14-of-33 passes for 227 yards and one touchdown.

Jorge Milian covers college football for the Palm Beach Post.