Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
TOLEDO
Falcons Edged Out By Toledo
November 23, 2004 | Football
Nov. 23, 2004
TOLEDO, Ohio - Bruce Gradkowski threw for 338 yards and directed six second-half touchdown drives in Toledo's 49-41 victory Tuesday night over Bowling Green, putting the Rockets in the Mid-American Conference title game.
The Rockets, trailing 27-7 at the half, dominated the third quarter with 28 straight points. They didn't take lead until Gradkowski threw his third touchdown pass, a 20-yard strike to Steve Odom with 2:20 left in the quarter.
Nothing went right for Bowling Green after halftime.
The Falcons, who moved into the Top 25 a week ago then dropped out despite not playing, were stopped on all three of their third-quarter possessions after scoring the first five times they had the ball.
Kicker Steve Suisham's 41-yard field goal try clanked off the left upright and it all came apart when Bowling Green receiver Steve Sanders was stripped of the ball on a short pass play.
Toledo's Tyree Pollard recovered it at the Falcons' 22, setting up Jalen Parmele's 5-yard touchdown run that put Toledo ahead 35-27 on the final play of the third quarter.
Toledo (8-3, 7-1 MAC) will now play Miami in the MAC title game at Ford Field in Detroit on Dec. 2. It will mark the fifth time the Rockets have played in the conference championship game since it began in 1997.
The Rockets have had a remarkable turnaround this season after giving up 63 points in consecutive losses against Minnesota and Kansas to open the season.
Since then, they've won eight of nine games while piling up big numbers with their passing game and averaging 34 points.
The victory over Bowling Green (8-3, 6-2 MAC) should be enough to secure a bowl bid for Toledo.
Only the winner of the league title game gets an automatic bid, but this year the MAC will have at least three bowl teams for the first time in league history.
The conference announced Tuesday it will send a team to the Silicon Valley Football Classic because the Pac-10 won't have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill its commitment.
It was sweet revenge for the Rockets who a year ago lost out on a trip to the MAC title game after falling 31-23 to their bitter rival in the final game.
The Rockets put the game away with an 80-yard drive in the fourth quarter, keeping it on the ground for all 11-plays.
Scooter McDOugle scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 2-yard run. He finished with 112 yards.
Bowling Green jumped on top early with two touchdowns in just over three minutes of the first quarter.
Omar Jacobs threw a 34-yard scoring pass over the middle to Cole Magner, then Daniel Sayles recovered a fumble on the kickoff, giving Bowling Green the ball at the Toledo 18.
P.J. Pope scored on a 1-yard run two plays later.
Jacobs, who came into the game completing 69 percent of his passes, never looked sharp, short-hopping several throws.
He completed 36 of 60 passes for 415 yards and four touchdowns.
By JOHN SEEWER
Associated Press Writer
