Toledo gains first title since 2004
By EVAN MEYER
DETROIT, Mich -- Senior quarterback Logan Woodside passed for 307 yards and four touchdowns as the Toledo Rockets won their first Mid-American Conference Championship since 2004 with a 45-28 victory in the 2017 Marathon MAC Championship Game at Ford Field.
Toledo, a preseason pick to . . .
DETROIT, Mich -- Senior quarterback Logan Woodside passed for 307 yards and four touchdowns as the Toledo Rockets won their first Mid-American Conference Championship since 2004 with a 45-28 victory in the 2017 Marathon MAC Championship Game at Ford Field.
Toledo, a preseason pick to . . .
The Toledo Rockets had a lot to celebrate after nailing down their first Mid-American Conferencefootball title since 2004. (Courtesy of UT Athletics)
. . . win the championship, entered Saturday’s game as a heavy favorite after losing just one MAC contest and two games overall Among its victories was a decisive win over Akron at the Glass Bowl.
By contrast, the preseason media poll had picked Akron for fourth in the East. But it got a strong strart in MAC play and pulled out a victory over East frontrunner Ohio along the way to earn a rematch against Toledo in the title game.
In some respects, the rematch resembled the first encounter. Toledo jumped out to a large lead early and kept its distance the rest of the way.
“I am proud of our football team” UT head coach Jason Candle said. “These players started on a journey in January, and it was a credit to their determination and resolve to win this championship.”
“We were beaten by a better football team today.” said UA head man Terry Bowden, whose Zips have been on another kind of journey. Akron had already registered back-to-back 1-11 seasons before Bowden took over in 2012., when UA again went 1-11. The 2017 MAC championship appearance was the Zips first since 2005 – just one year short of Toledo’s last title title tilt.
“You just don’t have any excuses after getting beat twice by this team,” Bowden said Saturday. “They were a better football team today. But I’m awfully proud of our football players.”
Toledo jumped in front 7-0 on Woodside’s first touchdown pass -- a 27-yarder to sophomore Dionte Johnson. However, it appeared the Zips might respond in kind with the help of a UT turnover.
Early in the second period, the Zips gained possession when Woodside fumbled and Brian Bell recovered at the UT 37.
With Thomas Woodson at quarterback, UA drove down to the Rockets 20, where Woodson connected with Newman Williams in the end zone for an apparaent score. The touchdown, however, was wiped out when Akron was flagged for an illegal formation penalty.
An illiegal procedure penalty followed, backing UA up five more yards. Akron got the ball back to the Rockets 25 before turning to kicker Nick Gasser for a 42 yard field goal attempt. That kick was blockled by sophomore Nate Childress and returned by junior Josh Teachey to the Akron 34.
Toledo moved in from there, and senior RB Terry Swanson scored from two yards out. It was a 14-point swing that left the Rockets in front 14-0. Swanson later added a third quarter score and eventually totaled 180 yards on 21 carries.
The Rockets added two more touchdowns before intermission, with the first coming on a second Woodside to Dionte Johnson connection -- this one a five yard score.
Toledo then squeezed in another touchdown with eight seconds remaining, Woodside found junior Jon’Vea Johnson from 27-yard yards out to make it commanding 28-0 Rockets advantage at halftime. Johnson’s score culminated a 97-yard drive that took just 1:31 off the clock.
“Terry (Swanson) got us going,” Woodside said. We ran the ball really well, and after Terry had a couple big runs, we took a couple shots and luckily Jon’Vea got open and (I) put the ball where it needed to be.”
“When we’re able to get ourselves out of that hole and got ourselves closer to the 30-, 40-yard line there and got towards midfield, I thought we could take a couple calculated risks there and (if we could) hit on them, we’d have a chance to go down and score,” Toledo coach Jason Candle said.
Woodside, who was named Offensive Player of the Game, completed 23-of-37 passes. In the two games this season against Akron, he passed for 607 yards and nine touchdowns.
Bowden said earlier in the week that avoiding an early Toledo blitz was key to competing against the Rockets potent offense. UT, however, appeared to have done it again.
In some respects, the Zips let first half opportunities get away from them. Along with the penalty on the touchdown, the defense --led by junior LB Ulysses Gilbert -- forced three fumbles and two interceptions. However they could not turn those turnovers into points.
Gilbert led the Zips defense with 10 tackles (five solo) and was named Defenasive Player of the game.
To their credit the Zips kept fighting and finally got on the scoreboard in the third quarter on a 7-yard run by senior RB Manny Morgan. That, however, followed 10 more Toledo points on a 47-yard field goal by Jameson vest and a Wooside 12-yard score to freshman RB Shakif Seymour.
In the fourth quarter, Akron tallied when freshman QB Cato Nelson found senior Austin Wolf on a fly pattern down the right sideline,. Then, on Nelson’s final pass of the game, he delivered a 44-yard strike just as he was hit to wide receiver Kwadarius Smith. The sophomore was all alone at the UT three and walked in for the touchdown.
Toledo’s final tally came on a 54-yard breakaway run by Swanson, while UA’s last score came in the final seconds of the game. Backup Robbie Kelley hit freshman TE Kobie Booker over the middle from five yards out.
It was a day when the UT offense rolled up 561 yards -- the seventh time this season Toledo has gained 500 or more yards total offense in a game.
Meanwhile, the Rockets 48 points were the most by a victor in a MAC Championship game since 2003 when Ben Roethlisberger-led Miami scored 49 on Bowling Green.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to bring one of these back to the City of Toledo,” Candle said. "I’m so happy for our city and so happy for our university.”
“It’s definitely been a long time coming,” Swanson said. “But this team just grinded all year and (had) great leadership – starting with Coach Candle – preparing us for this moment to stay in this moment. It’s definitely special for the city, the university and the fans.”
By contrast, the preseason media poll had picked Akron for fourth in the East. But it got a strong strart in MAC play and pulled out a victory over East frontrunner Ohio along the way to earn a rematch against Toledo in the title game.
In some respects, the rematch resembled the first encounter. Toledo jumped out to a large lead early and kept its distance the rest of the way.
“I am proud of our football team” UT head coach Jason Candle said. “These players started on a journey in January, and it was a credit to their determination and resolve to win this championship.”
“We were beaten by a better football team today.” said UA head man Terry Bowden, whose Zips have been on another kind of journey. Akron had already registered back-to-back 1-11 seasons before Bowden took over in 2012., when UA again went 1-11. The 2017 MAC championship appearance was the Zips first since 2005 – just one year short of Toledo’s last title title tilt.
“You just don’t have any excuses after getting beat twice by this team,” Bowden said Saturday. “They were a better football team today. But I’m awfully proud of our football players.”
Toledo jumped in front 7-0 on Woodside’s first touchdown pass -- a 27-yarder to sophomore Dionte Johnson. However, it appeared the Zips might respond in kind with the help of a UT turnover.
Early in the second period, the Zips gained possession when Woodside fumbled and Brian Bell recovered at the UT 37.
With Thomas Woodson at quarterback, UA drove down to the Rockets 20, where Woodson connected with Newman Williams in the end zone for an apparaent score. The touchdown, however, was wiped out when Akron was flagged for an illegal formation penalty.
An illiegal procedure penalty followed, backing UA up five more yards. Akron got the ball back to the Rockets 25 before turning to kicker Nick Gasser for a 42 yard field goal attempt. That kick was blockled by sophomore Nate Childress and returned by junior Josh Teachey to the Akron 34.
Toledo moved in from there, and senior RB Terry Swanson scored from two yards out. It was a 14-point swing that left the Rockets in front 14-0. Swanson later added a third quarter score and eventually totaled 180 yards on 21 carries.
The Rockets added two more touchdowns before intermission, with the first coming on a second Woodside to Dionte Johnson connection -- this one a five yard score.
Toledo then squeezed in another touchdown with eight seconds remaining, Woodside found junior Jon’Vea Johnson from 27-yard yards out to make it commanding 28-0 Rockets advantage at halftime. Johnson’s score culminated a 97-yard drive that took just 1:31 off the clock.
“Terry (Swanson) got us going,” Woodside said. We ran the ball really well, and after Terry had a couple big runs, we took a couple shots and luckily Jon’Vea got open and (I) put the ball where it needed to be.”
“When we’re able to get ourselves out of that hole and got ourselves closer to the 30-, 40-yard line there and got towards midfield, I thought we could take a couple calculated risks there and (if we could) hit on them, we’d have a chance to go down and score,” Toledo coach Jason Candle said.
Woodside, who was named Offensive Player of the Game, completed 23-of-37 passes. In the two games this season against Akron, he passed for 607 yards and nine touchdowns.
Bowden said earlier in the week that avoiding an early Toledo blitz was key to competing against the Rockets potent offense. UT, however, appeared to have done it again.
In some respects, the Zips let first half opportunities get away from them. Along with the penalty on the touchdown, the defense --led by junior LB Ulysses Gilbert -- forced three fumbles and two interceptions. However they could not turn those turnovers into points.
Gilbert led the Zips defense with 10 tackles (five solo) and was named Defenasive Player of the game.
To their credit the Zips kept fighting and finally got on the scoreboard in the third quarter on a 7-yard run by senior RB Manny Morgan. That, however, followed 10 more Toledo points on a 47-yard field goal by Jameson vest and a Wooside 12-yard score to freshman RB Shakif Seymour.
In the fourth quarter, Akron tallied when freshman QB Cato Nelson found senior Austin Wolf on a fly pattern down the right sideline,. Then, on Nelson’s final pass of the game, he delivered a 44-yard strike just as he was hit to wide receiver Kwadarius Smith. The sophomore was all alone at the UT three and walked in for the touchdown.
Toledo’s final tally came on a 54-yard breakaway run by Swanson, while UA’s last score came in the final seconds of the game. Backup Robbie Kelley hit freshman TE Kobie Booker over the middle from five yards out.
It was a day when the UT offense rolled up 561 yards -- the seventh time this season Toledo has gained 500 or more yards total offense in a game.
Meanwhile, the Rockets 48 points were the most by a victor in a MAC Championship game since 2003 when Ben Roethlisberger-led Miami scored 49 on Bowling Green.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to bring one of these back to the City of Toledo,” Candle said. "I’m so happy for our city and so happy for our university.”
“It’s definitely been a long time coming,” Swanson said. “But this team just grinded all year and (had) great leadership – starting with Coach Candle – preparing us for this moment to stay in this moment. It’s definitely special for the city, the university and the fans.”
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