A Lopsided Halftime Score

A LOPSIDED HALFTIME SCORE often predicts the final outcome of a football game. But those who relied on the point difference at the break in the 2001 GMAC Bowl wound up mistaken.

After two quarters, the Marshall Thundering Herd trailed the East Carolina Pirates, 38–8. Several hundred fans left, and thousands more switched the channel, thinking the Pirates would win easily.

But Marshall scored four third-quarter touchdowns, including two by its defense on 25-yard interception returns by Ralph Street and Terrence Tarpley. East Carolina countered with a 32-yard Kevin Miller field goal, and the third period ended with the Pirates in front 41–36.

In the final two minutes, East Carolina led 51–45 and recovered an onside kick. Marshall held and took over the ball on the 20-yard line with 50 seconds remaining. Herd quarterback Byron Leftwich tied the score on an 11-yard touchdown pass to Darius Watts, but Curtis Head missed the extra point to force overtime.

Both teams tallied touchdowns in the first extra period, but Marshall held East Carolina to a 37-yard field goal in the second. With the Thundering Herd on offense, Leftwich connected with Josh Davis on an 8-yard touchdown reception for a 64–61 come-from-behind victory. The 125-point total represented the highest scoring postseason contest since Texas Tech defeated Air Force 55–41 in the 1995 Copper Bowl.

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POINT Imagine the surprise of those who left the game early or changed the channel. Most couldn’t believe the score they heard on the news or read in the paper. Their halftime predictions proved false.

The prophet Malachi encouraged God’s priests to stay away from falsehood. The Lord<S> specifically pointed to Levi as a person who always spoke the truth.

As Christians, we’re God’s priests today. We should follow Levi’s example and live honestly. We should always tell the truth as God leads us. By doing these things, we can help lead many people to Christ.

GOAL! Have you been tempted to say what others want to hear rather than the truth? Ask God to help you always tell the truth.