Topic: Daily Mail: Taliaferro makes the most of his chance

[ZackUSAF82]

by Derek Redd
Sports writer

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Running back Essray Taliaferro spent most of his first three seasons on the Marshall University depth chart as an afterthought. He's spent this season joining an exclusive club in Thundering Herd history.

The redshirt senior's career-high 161 yards in the Herd's 59-28 win Friday over East Carolina - which clinched the Herd's first Conference USA East Division title and first berth in the C-USA title game versus Rice - made him just the 15th rusher in Herd history to reach 1,000 yards in a season.

Taliaferro has 1,006 yards on the year, and is the first Herd running back to eclipse 1,000 yards since Darius Marshall had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2008 and 2009. It was against ECU last season that Taliaferro had his breakout game, rushing for 130 yards.

"It was just the fact that I know I'm capable of putting up big yards against them," he said. "That showed today and that helped us get a victory."

Link: http://www.dailymailwv.com/Sports/MUSports/201312010128