Texas put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They won a game that couldn't have been any closer, slipping by the Marshall Mavericks 43-42. The Tigers have seen this before: they got the W the last time they saw the Mavericks, too.
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Tradarian Ball and he. Ball gained 145 total yards and two touchdowns while he gained 145 total yards and two touchdowns. Javari Johnson is also on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in the last three games he's played dating back to last season. David Potter was another key player, throwing for 185 yards and a touchdown on only 16 passes.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Texas was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 260 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 200 rushing yards in seven consecutive contests.
Texas wouldn't let Marshall keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Texas can thank Darnell Williams and Kendrevion Boyce for forcing both of them.
When it comes to explaining why Marshall lost, don't look at Alton Henderson. Despite the final result, he rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.1 yards per carry, and also threw for 193 yards and a touchdown. The dominant performance gave Henderson a new career-high in rushing yards. Semaj Gatson handled things on the ground, rushing for 143 yards.
Texas pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their third straight at home. As for Marshall, they moved to 4-2 with that loss, which also ended their three-game winning streak.
Texas will venture away from home to take on Mt. Pleasant at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Texas knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past seven matches -- so hopefully Mt. Pleasant likes a good challenge. As for Marshall, they will welcome Jacksonville at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Marshall is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 37.5 points per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
