GMAC BOWL Tip unglues Louisville as Marshall breezes

The Thundering Herd (11-2) won a bowl game for the fifth consecutive year, the longest streak in the nation.
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- The cell phones started ringing on the Louisville sideline in the first quarter, and word spread quickly among the players: was John L. Smith coaching his final game?
The Cardinals couldn't shake off the thought and it showed in the GMAC Bowl against Marshall on Wednesday night.
Leftwich rules
Louisville fell behind 17-0 and never recovered. Byron Leftwich threw four touchdown passes as Marshall won 38-15.
Louisville players who weren't in uniform received calls that Smith was a candidate for the vacant Michigan State coaching job. Athletic director Tom Jurich confirmed at a rare halftime news conference that the Spartans were given permission to talk to Smith.
"We knew about it in the first quarter. The whole sideline knew," said Louisville quarterback Dave Ragone. "I tried to put some water on the fire, but the guys had a lot of different emotions at that time and it was hard to regroup."
Smith said he planned to talk to Michigan State officials today.
"That's about all I want to comment on that," he said.
The only good-byes he exchanged were with his seniors.
"He basically told us what he told you guys," said defensive lineman Devon Thomas. "He told us, for the guys that are coming back, the torch has been passed. They have to get the program back."
Louisville (7-6) finished with its worst record in Smith's five years. The Cardinals were 11-2 last year.
Marshall (11-2) won a bowl game for the fifth consecutive year, the longest such streak in the nation. Top-ranked Miami has won four straight.
Tough competitor
Leftwich, playing with a sore left shin that limited his mobility, became the first player in Division I-A history to throw four touchdown passes in two bowl games.
"I think he's a pretty tough competitor," Thomas said. "He's going to make a lot of money on Sundays. I can't wait to see him play when he's not limping."
Leftwich, who originally hurt his shin in November, took several hits in the first quarter and hobbled back to the huddle. X-rays taken at halftime were negative.
"Once I got hit in the leg I couldn't step with my plant foot," he said. "So I was just trying to do what I could do just to get the ball in the receivers' hands."
Leftwich threw TD passes of 8 and 13 yards to backup receiver Demetrius Doss -- who had one scoring catch all season -- and 9 and 26 yards to Denero Marriott, who had 10 catches for 137 yards.
Leftwich finished 22-of-44 for 249 yards and was named the game's Most Valuable Player.