Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – It was just another night at the office for
Rakeem Cato and 25th-ranked Marshall.
Cato threw for 214 yards and four touchdowns with one interception while also
putting himself in the record books, leading the Thundering Herd to a 45-13
rout of FIU on Saturday.
Cato set an FBS record with at least one touchdown pass in 39 straight
games, breaking a tie with former North Carolina State and Wisconsin
quarterback Russell Wilson.
Marshall (7-0, 3-0 C-USA), which is ranked for the first time in 12 seasons,
allowed the first touchdown of the game, then ran off 45 straight points to
turn the game into a laugher.
Devon Johnson rushed for 117 yards and also hauled in three passes for 79
yards with two touchdowns in the win. Angelo Jean-Louis and Ryan Yurachek also
caught touchdown passes for the Thundering Herd, who have beaten the Panthers
all three times the two teams have met.
Alex McGough connected on 14-of-27 passes for 176 yards with two
interceptions. He did, however, add a rushing touchdown for FIU (3-5, 2-2),
which has dropped two straight.
E.J. Hilliard tossed a touchdown pass late in the fourth in relief of McGough.
FIU opened the scoring with a 13-play, 80-yard drive that spanned 5:31 late in
the first. McGough converted a 24-yard pass to Jonnu Smith on 3rd-and-14, then
Alex Gardner rushed for 14 yards to convert another third down later in the
march. McGough’s 1-yard plunge into the end zone gave the Panthers a 7-0 lead.
Johnson started the ensuing Marshall series with a 71-yard run. Three plays
later, Cato hooked up with Yurachek from a yard out to tie the game and set
the record.
Ricardo Williams blocked Austin Taylor’s 38-yard field goal attempt on FIU’s
next touch, then Cato broke the tie with a 13-yard TD pass to Jean-Louis late
in the second quarter.
The Herd extended their lead to 17-7 after Justin Haig’s 35-yard kick early in
the third, and Cato found Johnson for a 46-yard score later in the stanza to
make it a 24-7 game.
An interception of McGough by Jarquez Samuel on the first play in the fourth
quarter set up Cato’s 27-yard touchdown pass to Johnson. McGough was then
intercepted again on the Panthers’ next possession, this time Cory Tindal
returned it 30 yards to the house for a 38-7 edge.
Steward Butler added a 61-yard touchdown run with 8:07 remaining in the game,
and Hilliard hit Clinton Taylor for a 4-yard score to account for the final
margin.
Game Notes
Marshall is the only team in the nation to score at least 40 points in every
game this season … The Herd outgained FIU, 457-385 … Marshall finished
with 243 rushing yards, with Butler accounting for 76 … Gardner rushed for
104 yards … Hilliard finished 4-of-5 for 32 yards passing.
