SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 2, 2013
Marshall 61, Southern Mississippi 13: Rakeem Cato matched a career high with five
touchdown passes as the Thundering Herd handed the visiting Golden Eagles their 20th
straight defeat.
Marshall (5-3, 3-1 Conference USA) scored on its first four
possession en route to a 35-10 halftime lead and its sixth straight home win. Cato was 21-of-28 for 262 yards as he turned in his 26th consecutive
game with at least one touchdown pass.
Freshman Nick Mullens was 24-of-48 for 323 yards, one
touchdown and an interception in his second start for Southern Mississippi (0-8, 0-4).
Markese Triplett collected four receptions for 123 yards, including an 81-yard
touchdown in the second quarter.
Cato took command early with four touchdown passes in the
first quarter to Gator Hoskins (27 yards), Craig Wilkins (15), Davonte Allen
(23) and Tommy Shuler (1). Mullen's bomb to Triplett midway through the second
quarter and Corey Acosta's 39-yard field goal made it 28-10 before Cato and
Shuler hooked up again for a 9-yard touchdown just before halftime.
Marshall started the second half with two more touchdown drives as Essray Taliaferro, who rushed for 108 yards on eight carries, scored on an
18-yard run and Kevin Grooms, who rushed for 109 yards on eight carries, broke
off a 75-yard touchdown. The Thundering Herd closed it out in the fourth
quarter with a 40-yard TD pass from Blake Frohnapfel to Allen and a 59-yard run
by Steward Butler.