MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY - MCCONAUGHEY WOWS MARSHALL CROWDS

Movie hunk MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY made sure he had the students of Marshall University on his side while shooting a new film on campus, by hosting a pep rally at the weekend (01APR06). The SAHARA star will lead the cast in WE ARE MARSHALL, the real-life story of how students bounced back from a horrific 1970 plane crash that killed most of the school's football team. MCConaughey plays the coach who is hired to pick up the pieces after the tragedy that affected the West Virginia school. The actor was joined by co-star DAVID STRATHAIRN and director MCG for a press conference staged at the university. He also passed out movie merchandise to screaming fans who turned up in their thousands to show their support to the actor and the film. But it wasn't all fun and games for MCConaughey at the university - he accepted a challenge from a school athlete, and lost. At the press conference, MCConaughey laughed off his much-publicised defeat insisting, "Those little girls had very, very long legs."