It was CMU's second straight win as it improved to 4-3, 2-1 MAC. The Rockets drop to 3-4, 1-2 MAC.
"I think there's some things we can build on," CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "Again, we're not playing great. I can't for the life of me put my finger on it. We've got to play better down the stretch and yet it'll be easier to get better when you get a win.
"We won the football game. That's what we expect to do. We've got to play better to go on a run. Now we've got to come back, and we play at home next week against a team (Northern Illinois) that is playing fantastic and playing physical. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."
Lew Nichols III rushed for 134 yards against Toledo, while quarterback Daniel Richardson threw two touchdown passes, and Meeder kicked four field goals.
The Chippewas held a 20-3 lead well into the third quarter before Toledo clawed back and forged a 23-23 tie when quarterback Dequan Finn scored on an 18-yard run with 35 seconds remaining in regulation.
CMU went on offense first in the extra period and Meeder nailed the 38-yarder to put the Chippewas back on top.
It then fell on CMU's defense to stop Finn and the Rockets. On third-and-12 from the CMU 27, Finn dropped to pass and was sacked by Thomas Incoom and Tico Brown. That left it to place kicker Thomas Cluckey, whose 51-yard field goal attempt was wide left. CMU sacked Finn seven times.
"We live for these moments to finish the game," CMU defensive end Troy Hairston II said. "The defense loves it. It's just the mentality we have. A lot of times in football, the spotlight is on the offense and then when we get to shut the game down and we get to finish—that's our time to shine."
Richardson tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Dixon and then connected with Nichols for a 6-yard score to put CMU ahead, 14-0, early in the second quarter.
Cluckey hit a 41-yard field goal with just over 10 minutes remaining in the half to get Toledo on the board and cut the Chippewas' lead to 14-3.
Meeder booted a 46-yard field goal on the final play of the half and then hit a 51-yarder minutes into the third quarter to put CMU up, 20-3.
Finn scored on a 3-yard run with 3:01 remaining in the third quarter to draw Toledo to 20-10, and Cluckey nailed a 23-yard field goal with 11:58 to play in regulation to make it 20-13. Meeder's third field goal of the game, a 44-yarder, came with 6:12 to play and put the Chippewas up 23-13.
Toledo, however, came back as Cluckey hit a 50-yarder with 4:34 left and then Finn capped a seven-play, 71-yard drive with his TD run to tie it.
The Rockets netted 142 yards on the ground, with Koback contributing 88 yards and Finn rushing 25 times for 97 yards and two scores.
Finn finished the contest completing 15 of 32 passes for 208 yards. Isiah Winstead led receivers with four catches and 108 yards.
Defensively, Maxesn Hook (11) and Jonathan Jones (9) combined for 10 tackles.
(Courtesy of CMU Athletics/MRO Edit)