Marshall’s Wallace Lifts Blue Past the Gray, 31-24

Butchie Wallace completed his college career healthy and happy, good news for the oft-injured and overshadowed Marshall running back.

Wallace rushed for two fourth-quarter touchdowns, lifting the Blue squad to a 31-24 victory in the Blue-Gray All-Star Classic on Thursday in the stadium where he broke his right hand three months earlier.

“I’m just happy to come back down here and get a win,” said Wallace, injured late in Marshall’s 33-24 loss at Troy State in September. “All my bad memories here -- at least most of them -- are wiped out.”

Long a Christmas Day tradition, the Blue-Gray game was canceled last year because officials couldn’t line up a sponsor. It had been held 50 miles north in Montgomery, Ala., since 1938, matching college seniors from the North (Blue) against those from the South (Gray).

Wallace was a late addition to the roster and responded with touchdown runs of three and 17 yards in a 3:34 span of the fourth quarter.

Derrick Ward of Ottawa College in Kansas was the Blue’s offensive most valuable player with five catches for 59 yards and 38 yards on five rushes. Syracuse linebacker Rich Scanlon won defensive honors with eight tackles. The Gray’s overall MVP was Cody Spencer, a North Texas linebacker who had a game-high 13 tackles. Defensive MVP was Alabama linebacker Derrick Pope (nine tackles).