This game was a concussion waiting to happen.

Elbows here.

Players hitting the deck there.

Fouls and fouls and fouls everywhere.

It was the very last kind of physical, take-no-prisoners game that Marshall's Damier Pitts needed for his season debut.

After all, the slightly-built 5-foot-10, 165-pound point guard already had suffered not one, not two, but three concussions during preseason drills.

Yes, three.

That's why Pitts didn't play in Marshall's exhibition win over West Virginia Wesleyan or the season-opening victory over North Carolina A&T.

Why, he didn't even practice during the 10 days leading into Marshall's game against Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday night at the Henderson Center.

Yet, when the game was on the line, who was drawing disqualifying fouls? Pitts. Who was a perfect 6-for-6 at the foul line down the stretch? Pitts. Who led Marshall to a hard-fought 63-60 win over Middle Tennessee State before 4,598 fans?

Who else?

Pitts.

That's impressive considering this game was a concussion waiting to happen.

"It really was," said Pitts. "That's true. I got hit a couple of times."

There was so much fouling -- Middle Tennessee State was whistled for 27 personals and three Blue Raiders fouled out -- Marshall coach Donnie Jones was holding his breath every time the concussion-prone Pitts got banged.

"I was worried to death about that," said Jones, "because he got knocked down a couple of times."

Those scary moments were the exact reason Jones didn't anticipate playing Pitts nearly as many minutes and certainly not down the stretch.

"I really hoped I'd play him seven to 10 minutes for the whole game," said the MU coach. "He'd been out 10 days. He'd only practiced once."

Yet, there was Pitts playing 16 of the 20 minutes in the second half.

"I knew I had to keep him in there," said Jones. "I knew he was a great on-ball defender. And I knew he was going to make free throws."

There's no doubt about the latter. Pitts has made 36 of his last 38 free throws during the last five minutes of games dating back to last season.

But the very real concern is Pitts is only one elbow to the head, just one fall the wrong way from yet another concussion.

Consider his history.

"I got my first concussion when I took a charge on Antonio (Haymon) and hit the floor," said Pitts. "I sat out a week with that one. Then, I was playing defense and tripped and hit my head on someone's knee.

"The third one happened during our scrimmage against Radford. I got elbowed in the face."

Suffice it to say, preseason was one, long headache for Pitts.

"It was constant headaches," he said. "They came out of nowhere. And I would get really dizzy. You can't do anything for it but rest."

And wear a mouthpiece. That is Pitts' constant basketball companion now.

"They say you need to wear one after you've had a concussion," said Pitts. "It's going to take a while to get used to it."

Otherwise, Pitts didn't miss a beat. He showed remarkably little rust considering the circumstances.

"I played pretty good," said Pitts, after scoring eight points and dealing three assists. "I got my teammates the ball. I felt good."

He feels good now, but what if another concussion happens? What are the consequences?

"It won't happen again," replied Pitts firmly. "We haven't even talked about a fourth concussion."

Instead, he's concentrating on giving headaches.

For a welcome change.

Chuck Landon is a sports columnist for The Herald-Dispatch. Call him at 304-526-2827. E-mail him at clandon@herald-dispatch.com.

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