Engine problem

Alright i was driving to work today and about, 15min into my drive the eng started to feel bogged down. when i would down shift from 5th to any other gear it would stall while going down the road. also it completely died when i was driving away from a stop. i was in first gear and it felt really bogged down, lik i would floor it in 1st and it would only creep a little bit, but once you got into the high rpms it drove a little better. also it was making a wierd "coughing" like nosie coming out of the exhaust, like it was back firing at a very high rate. now it wont start so i had to lve it at the side of the road. a buddy and i are gonna go pick it up later when he gets in from work.

anyone have any ideas on what is wrong with it? because i am stumped.

thanks

did it jump timing??

dont think so, didnt have any tools in the truck so i couldnt really check anything either than wat i could see.

start with checken plugs, coil, cap and rotor before tearin into the timing also check the voltage at the battery to insure you have proper current to the coil and so on...