With the victory, Toledo moves to 4-4, 2-2 in MAC play. Western Michigan falls to 5-3, 2-2 MAC.
"I think this is a very exciting win for our team, one that we needed, and it comes at a great time," said Toledo Head Coach Jason Candle. "We had a really strong second half. There were lot of things we'll have to correct on tape, but there were also a lot of things to be proud of. I'm excited about with our defense, They got their cleats in the ground and limited a good offense to minimal yards in the second half.
"MAC West games are always tough, and this one was very tough. Most physical teams usually win in late October and November. I was very happy with our physicality today and glad we got a 'W'."
Finn missed his first seven pass attempts and was just 3-of-14 at the half, but he keyed a second half comeback that saw Toledo outscore the Broncos 21-0 in the final 30 minutes after trailing 15-13 at halftime. Toledo's defense stopped WMU three times on fourth down, converting that into 10 points, and came up with a 35-yard touchdown on a fumble recovery -- one of three TDs in the third quarter.
Finn ended the game 8-of-24 passing for 138 yards and two scores. He hit senior Bruce Mitchell for a 28-yard TD in the second quarter and senior Danzel McKinley-Lewis for a 34-yard score on fourth-and-14 in the third quarter.
Junior Bryant Koback led the rushing attack with an even 100 yards on 17 carries.
Toledo's defense held a Western offense that scored 64 points a week ago to just 398 yards. Freshman Maxen Hook led the team in tackles for the third straight game, making 10 stops. Junior Desjuan Johnson added six tackles, two tackles for loss and forced a fumble that safety Zachary Ford picked up and ran in for a 35-yard score.
Western Michigan owned a 398-330 advantage in total yardage but committed the game's only two turnovers -- both fumbles.
Quarterback Kaleb Eleby completed 15-of-29 passes for 232 yards, while Skyy Moore paced receivers with eight catches for 128 yards. Sean Tyler and Jaxson Kincaide both logged 10 carries, combining for 90 yards and one score. Eleby also had a rushing score.
WMU's Ryan Seleg (11 tackles) and UT's Hook (10 tackles) led their respective defenses.
First Quarter
Toledo got on the board first on a 29-yard field goal by Thomas Cluckey. Devin Maddox set up the score with a 32-yard punt return to the WMU 21-yard line. The Rockets' defense came up with a big stop when Darius Alexander batted down a pass on fourth-and-five from the UT 43-yard line, setting Toledo up in good field position.
Second Quarter
Cluckey made it 6-0 with a 33-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter. Western cut the lead in half on a 26-yard field goal by Nick Mihalic, capping an 11-play, 66-yard drive. Toledo came right back when quarterback Dequan Finn connected with Bryce Mitchell for a 28-yard touchdown to increase the lead to 13-3. WMU countered with an 83-yard drive that culminated with a 14-yard TD run by quarterback Kaleb Eleby.
A missed extra point left the score at 13-9 with 3:20 left in the half. The Broncos then took advantage of a short field to quickly score again. On a drive that began at the UT 43-yard line, Eleby hit Skyy Moore for a 39-yard completion and Sean Tyler scored from four yards out. WMU missed another extra point, giving it a 15-13 lead with 1:36 to play. Toledo had a chance to take the lead when Maxen Hook recovered a fumbled punt on the WMU 41-yard line with eight seconds left. However, Cluckey's 50-yard field goal attempt was short.
Third Quarter
Toledo dominated the third quarter, outscoring Western Michigan 21-0. The Rockets took the lead, 20-15, on a 34-yard TD pass from Finn to Danzel McKinley-Lewis on fourth-and-14. Moments later, Toledo's defense came up with a big play when junior defensive tackle Desjuan Johnson forced a fumble that was recovered by safety Zachary Ford and returned 35 yards for a touchdown, pushing the Toledo lead to 27-15. Toledo stopped the Broncos on fourth-and-one from the WMU 46-yard line and then turned it into seven more points when three-yard touchdown run on the eighth play of the drive by redshirt freshman Micah Kelly.
Fourth Quarter
Western only had the ball for two drives, and was forced to punt on both as Toledo's offense ran out the clock.