
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, October 8, 1995                   TAG: 9510090138
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B14   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: HUNTINGTON, W. VA.                                 LENGTH: Short

PARKER, MARSHALL MAUL KEYDETS

Chris Parker, closing in on Southern Conference career records for rushing and all-purpose yardage, ran for 149 yards and three scores Saturday as Marshall cruised past VMI 56-21 in the Southern Conference.

NCAA Division I-AA's third-ranked team (4-1 overall, 3-0 Southern) won for the 13th straight time over VMI (2-4, 1-2) by outgaining the Keydets 641-354.

VMI did manage one breakthrough in Bill Stewart's first trip to Huntington as a head coach: The Keydets scored.

Marshall beat VMI 61-0 here in 1991 and 51-0 in 1993 and beat VMI 49-7 last season at Lexington in former Marshall assistant Stewart's first season directing the Keydets.

It was the Herd's 41st victory in 43 games at home since its stadium opened in 1991.

Parker, a former standout at Heritage High School in Lynchburg, has 4,622 yards rushing, 23 behind Appalachian State's John Settle (1983-86) and 124 behind Furman's Carl Tremble, who set the league mark of 4,746 from 1989 to 1992.

Parker, already the league's career scoring leader, has 5,726 all-purpose yards, 21 behind Marshall's Ron Darby, who set the mark of 5,747 from 1986 to 1989.

VMI drove 67 yards in seven plays just before the half for its first score in Huntington this decade. The key play was a pass from flanker Timmy Williams to split end Jeff Hubbard for 32 yards to the Herd 9-yard line. Thomas Haskins, VMI's second all-time leading rusher, scored on a 3-yard run with 22 seconds left in the half.

see microfilm for box score

Keywords:
FOOTBALL

by CNB