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Cato sets FBS record as 25th-ranked Marshall rolls

Oct 19, 2014 - 2:10 AM Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - It was just another night at the office for Rakeem Cato and 25th-ranked Marshall.

Cato threw for 214 yards and four touchdowns with one interception while also putting himself in the record books, leading the Thundering Herd to a 45-13 rout of FIU on Saturday.

Cato set an FBS record with at least one touchdown pass in 39 straight games, breaking a tie with former North Carolina State and Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson.

Marshall (7-0, 3-0 C-USA), which is ranked for the first time in 12 seasons, allowed the first touchdown of the game, then ran off 45 straight points to turn the game into a laugher.

Devon Johnson rushed for 117 yards and also hauled in three passes for 79 yards with two touchdowns in the win. Angelo Jean-Louis and Ryan Yurachek also caught touchdown passes for the Thundering Herd, who have beaten the Panthers all three times the two teams have met.

Alex McGough connected on 14-of-27 passes for 176 yards with two interceptions. He did, however, add a rushing touchdown for FIU (3-5, 2-2), which has dropped two straight.

E.J. Hilliard tossed a touchdown pass late in the fourth in relief of McGough.

FIU opened the scoring with a 13-play, 80-yard drive that spanned 5:31 late in the first. McGough converted a 24-yard pass to Jonnu Smith on 3rd-and-14, then Alex Gardner rushed for 14 yards to convert another third down later in the march. McGough's 1-yard plunge into the end zone gave the Panthers a 7-0 lead.

Johnson started the ensuing Marshall series with a 71-yard run. Three plays later, Cato hooked up with Yurachek from a yard out to tie the game and set the record.

Ricardo Williams blocked Austin Taylor's 38-yard field goal attempt on FIU's next touch, then Cato broke the tie with a 13-yard TD pass to Jean-Louis late in the second quarter.

The Herd extended their lead to 17-7 after Justin Haig's 35-yard kick early in the third, and Cato found Johnson for a 46-yard score later in the stanza to make it a 24-7 game.

An interception of McGough by Jarquez Samuel on the first play in the fourth quarter set up Cato's 27-yard touchdown pass to Johnson. McGough was then intercepted again on the Panthers' next possession, this time Cory Tindal returned it 30 yards to the house for a 38-7 edge.

Steward Butler added a 61-yard touchdown run with 8:07 remaining in the game, and Hilliard hit Clinton Taylor for a 4-yard score to account for the final margin.

Game Notes

Marshall is the only team in the nation to score at least 40 points in every game this season ... The Herd outgained FIU, 457-385 ... Marshall finished with 243 rushing yards, with Butler accounting for 76 ... Gardner rushed for 104 yards ... Hilliard finished 4-of-5 for 32 yards passing.