Marshall 46, UAB 39

11/25/2007 8:13 PM

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - Quarterback Bernard Morris finished his career at Marshall on a high note, throwing for 309 yards and accounting for two touchdowns in a 46-39 victory over the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Saturday.

Morris led Marshall (3-9, 3-5 Conference USA) on its last drive, completing 6-of-7 passes and scoring on a rush from 1 yard out to put Marshall up for good. Morris also connected for one touchdown pass in the victory.

The Thundering Herd played its most efficient first half of the season, scoring four touchdowns in five possessions for a 28-7 lead at halftime.

Morris reached 3,000 yards passing for the season in the second quarter on a 23-yard touchdown pass to Shawn Lauzon. Morris is the eighth quarterback in Marshall history to pass for 3,000 yards in a season.

Marshall had four rushing touchdowns in the game, with two coming from Kelvin Turner in the first half.

UAB (2-10, 1-7) came back in the second half by putting up 32 points. With 5:22 remaining, UAB's Rashaud Slaughter scored a 4-yard touchdown to give the Blazers their first and only lead in the game.

Quarterbacks Sam Hunt and Joseph Webb led UAB to its first 300-yard passing game of the season by finding holes in the Marshall secondary and combining for 389 passing yards.

Both squads scored on special teams in the second half to swing momentum in their favor. Darius Marshall scored for the Herd when he returned a 91-yard kickoff in the third quarter and UAB's Kevin Sanders had a 58-yard punt return in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter to pull the Blazers with three points.

UAB had four shots at the end zone from the Marshall 25-yard line with time running out in the fourth quarter, but the Blazers could not manage to tie the game.