Lightning strikes twice: Marshall concedes to West Virginia in storm-shortened opener

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Two days, two victories for Mother Nature: A little over 24 hours after Michigan and Western Michigan called it quits due to nearby lightning in Ann Arbor, West Virginia and Marshall officially pulled the plug tonight after two lengthy delays, handing West Virginia a 34-13 win in just over three quarters of play.

The Mountaineers had just scored a touchdown on a one-yard run by Vernard Roberts on the second play of the fourth quarter to extend their lead when officials ordered the stadium to be evacuated for the second time, barely 15 minutes after the teams and a fraction of the sellout crowd of 60,758 had returned from a three-hour delay. An NCAA rule requires games to suspend play for at least 30 minutes after the last reported lightning strike within six miles of a stadium. A Notre Dame spokesman told the Associated Press during a lengthy weather break in South Bend Saturday that teams must play three full quarters for a game to be official, according to NCAA rules. Both university officials and the Monongalia County Emergency Management Agency refuted an ESPN report that a fan who remained in the stadium had been struck by lightning, reporting that no law enforcement or emergency officials had been notified of anyone being affected by a strike.

The abbreviated win pushes West Virginia's winning streak over Marshall to seven straight since the Thundering Herd moved up to the I-A level in 1997, few of them as high-flying as this one: With pass-happy coach Dana Holgorsen pulling the strings for the first time, quarterback Geno Smith put the ball in the air 35 times in three quarters, connecting on 74 percent of his passes to nine different receivers for 248 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Assuming he had 30 yards and another touchdown in him over the final quarter, Smith would be on pace to make the school's single-season record for yards and touchdowns his —*providing, of course, that he actually gets to finish the rest of them.

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Matt Hinton is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.