Ypsilanti, MI – Sophomore Logan Woodside threw for 323 yards and a career-high five touchdowns as Toledo cruised to a 52-16 victory over Eastern Michigan in the regular-season finale at Ypsilanti Friday.
With the victory, Toledo (8-4, 7-1 MAC) earned a co-West Division championship, sharing the crown with Northern Illinois. NIU, which earlier in the day defeated Western Michigan, won the tie-breaker by virtue of its victory over UT on Nov. 11. The Huskies will represent the West Division and play Bowling Green in the MAC Championship on Dec. 5.
Woodside, who completed 14-of-18 passes, threw TD passes to five different receivers. Four of his scoring throws came in the first half, which gave Toledo a 42-9 edge at the break. Sophomore Kareem Hunt rushed for 110 yards and a TD on 22 carries, moving his streak of games with 100 or more yards to 10.
The Rocket “D” got off to a great start when junior Christian Dukes picked off a Reginald Bell III pass at the EMU 42-yard line on the first drive of the game. Two plays later, Jones took a sideline screen pass from Woodside 41 yards for the score.
Following an EMU three-and-out, Dwight Macon returned a short punt 23 yards to the EMU 48-yard line. Woodside hit senior Justin Olack on the second play of the drive across the middle for a 22-yard score to make the score 14-0 just four minutes into the contest.
Woodside struck again late in the first quarter, hitting junior Kishon Wilcher over the middle for an 89-yard TD to make the score 21-0 with 1:28 left in the first quarter. It was a career-long pass for both Woodside and Wilcher.
EMU got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter on a 10-yard TD pass from Bell to Kris Strange. A missed extra point made the score 21-6. Toledo extended the lead to 28-6 with 5:53 left in the first half on a one-yard run by Hunt. The drive was set up by a 50-yard punt return by Jones.
An interception by junior safety Chaz Whittaker on EMU’s next drive set up Toledo’s fifth touchdown of the half. Whittaker picked off a pass that was deflected by sophomore DeJuan Rogers and UT took over at midfield. Three plays later, sophomore Damion Jones-Moore took it 28 yards to give Toledo a 29-point lead, 35-6, with 4:26 left in the half.
Toledo wasn’t finished as Woodside hit junior Alonzo Russell for a 59-yard TD with 1:18 remaining to make the score 42-6 at intermission.
After the Rockets padded their lead to 45-9 on its first possession of the second half on a 21-yard field goal by Jeremiah Detmer, EMU answered with a seven play, 65-yard drive to cut the lead to 45-16. Bell hit Ryan Brumfield for the TD from 34 yards out.
The Rockets answered with a 79-yard drive, capped by Woodside’s fifth TD pass of the game, an 11-yarder to sophomore tight end Michael Roberts with 0:29 left in the third quarter to up the score to 52-16.
The Rockets will wait to find out their bowl game destination. Bowl game assignments will be announced no later than Sunday, Dec. 7.
(Courtesy of UT Athletics/MRO Edit)