Behind the running back tandem of Cleveland Clark and Josh Smith, Brooks rolled past Marshall for a 51-24 Illini Heartland win Saturday afternoon at Gately Stadium.
Clark gained 128 yards on 12 carries and scored on a seven-yard run, and Smith scored touchdowns on runs of one, two and 15 yards, gaining 87 yards on nine carries.
"We had a great talk about taking advantage of our opportunity," Smith said. "We were all focused and ready to meet the challenge."
Quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw (9-for-16, 172 yards) connected with Dakota Starks for an 84-yard touchdown pass, and threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Gerald Scott for the Eagles (2-2, 1-0).
"The kids came ready to play," Brooks coach James Brown said. "Marshall has a very good team, but our kids came ready to play. Our defense showed up very well and Ahmad did a great job running the team."
Marshall fell to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in conference.
"I think we will gain a lot from this game, even in the loss," Marshall coach Jarve Lewis-Bey said. "It definitely didn't help us having to prepare for a team of this caliber coming off the strike."
