Freshman running back Byron Marshall@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205504200@@ earned a year’s worth of bragging rights over older brother Cameron@@http://www.thesundevils.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/marshall_cameron00.html@@ when the Ducks demolished Arizona State 43-21 on Thursday night. The elder Marshall has been a key part of the Sun Devils’ ground game early in the year, splitting carries with D.J. Foster, while Byron has seen most of his playing time in the second half of the Ducks’ blowout wins.
While few expected Byron to play much of a role in what was supposed to be the Ducks’ toughest test of the season to this point, Oregon’s 43 points in just over 18 minutes meant Chip Kelly pulled his starters early, giving Byron his busiest day since a 13-carry, 125-yard performance against Tennessee Tech. Byron ended the game with nine carries for 44 yards at Sun Devil Stadium. The Ducks’ explosive start also forced Arizona State to chase the game, throwing a season-high 40 times — leading to just six carries for Cameron, his lightest day of work since he carried the ball just four times in Arizona State’s September 15 loss to Missouri.
Byron finished with 14 more yards than his older brother in what will be the only time the Marshall’s teams go head-to-head in their collegiate careers, unless both teams advance to the conference championship.