Leftwich Has a Leg Up on Louisville

Byron Leftwich, playing on an injured left leg, became the first player in Division I-A to throw four touchdown passes in two bowl games, leading Marshall to a 38-15 victory over Louisville on Wednesday night in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

Marshall (11-2) won a bowl for the fifth consecutive year, the longest such streak in the nation. Top-ranked Miami has won four in a row.

The game might have been the finale for Louisville Coach John L. Smith, who reportedly is close to accepting an offer to coach Michigan State.

Smith, 54, said he’ll meet with Michigan State officials today and declined further comment, but ESPN reported that Smith was expected to take over the Spartan program.

Michigan State has been searching for a coach since Bobby Williams was fired on Nov. 4.

The Detroit News reported that Smith and Michigan State were working out contract details.

Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich confirmed that Michigan State had asked for permission earlier in the day to talk with Smith and that Jurich granted the request.

“John L. got a call from Michigan State today,” Jurich said. “I do not expect an announcement tonight, but I am concerned.”

Word about Smith’s candidacy eventually filtered down to the Louisville players during the first half of Wednesday’s game.

“The whole sideline knew,” quarterback Dave Ragone said. “I tried to put some water on the fire, but it was hard to regroup.”

Smith took over a program that finished 1-10 in 1997 and has guided it to five consecutive winning seasons. He reportedly earns $800,000 a year. In 2000, his contract was extended for eight years.

Louisville (7-6) finished with its worst record in Smith’s five years. The team was 11-2 last year and Smith is 41-21 at Louisville.

Leftwich’s 249-yard passing performance was special because it came in his last game -- and practically on one leg.

Already slowed because of a sore shin injured in early November, he took several hits in the first quarter and hobbled to the huddle.

“On one leg he’s better than anybody else in the country,” Coach Bob Pruett said.

X-rays taken on the leg at halftime were negative.

“Once I got hit in the leg I couldn’t step with my plant foot. So I was just trying to do what I could do just to get the ball in the receivers’ hands,” Leftwich said.

In last year’s GMAC Bowl, the Thundering Herd rallied from a 30-point deficit to defeat East Carolina, 64-61, in double-overtime behind Leftwich’s 576 passing yards.