TYLER – When McKinney Boyd's Ryan Garrett stripped the football from Marshall's Andrew Clough in the first quarter, it was more than just a big play.

It set the theme for Saturday's Class 4A Division I regional semifinal.

Boyd (9-3) capitalized on enough Marshall mistakes to take a 21-14 victory on a damp afternoon at Trinity Mother Francis Rose Stadium. Boyd plays Copperas Cove in the Region I final at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco.

Garrett emerged with the football from a pile of tacklers who were trying to bring down Clough. He returned the ball 41 yards to the Marshall 32.

"When I realized I had it, I paused for a second, and said, 'Whoa, I got it,'" the senior linebacker said. "I saw my way out and took off."

The fumble led to a 20-yard touchdown pass from Daryn Alves to Cameron Maser.

Marshall (7-5) fumbled seven times, losing three. Marshall quarterback Jackson Hood threw two interceptions, including one with under two minutes to play that sealed the Boyd win.

"Our defense played great," Boyd coach Don Drake said. "That was the difference in the game"

Special teams play led to Boyd's other two scores. The first came when Marshall fumbled the kickoff following Maser's score. Jacob Sigler's recovery led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Alves on the first play of the second quarter.

Just when it seemed Marshall was ready to get back into the contest after a 40-yard TD catch by Darius Jones, Boyd's A.J. Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a score, giving Boyd a 21-7 halftime lead.

Marshall cut the lead to 21-14 when Jermaine Woolen caught a 62-yard TD pass on the second play of the third quarter.

Boyd needed big plays to make up for an offense that lacked its usual punch. Boyd finished with 176 yards and seven first downs. Alves, who was averaging 215 rushing yards per game coming into Saturday, had 51 yards on 19 carries.

"[Marshall] is a very good defensive team," Drake said. "There's no doubt about that. We struggled offensively, as everyone could tell, but our defense rose to the occasion, and that's what we have to do to win football games."