Bowling Green State University
5-3 , 3-1
Toledo (Hall of Fame & Varsity BG Day)
5-3 , 3-1
Another Classic Finish In Battle Of I-75
October 26, 2013 | Football
Toledo scored late to beat Falcons 28-25
Final Boxscore
Dave Clawson Postgame Audio
Dominic Flewellyn Postgame Audio
Paul Swan Postgame Audio
Photo Gallery
Bowling Green, Ohio – Bowling Green rallied from a 21-0 deficit by scoring 25 unanswered points, but Toledo's Alonzo Russell caught an 11-yard touchdown with 1:22 to go and the Rockets handed the Falcons a 28-25 defeat in a memorable Battle Of I-75 rivalry game.
With the result, both teams are now 5-3 on the season and 3-1 in Mid-American Conference play.
After Toledo jumped out to a 21-0 lead, Bowling Green answered with a touchdown drive late in the first half that helped the Falcons take some momentum into the break. Matt Johnson led a 12-play, 81-yard drive that culminated with a one-yard quarterback sneak with 24 seconds remaining. Travis Greene had a critical 21-yard rush on the drive and Jared Cohen, starting in place of the injured Chris Gallon, had a 12-yard reception just prior to Johnson's score.
Toledo received the ball to open the third quarter, but Gabe Martin forced a fumble on a sack that was recovered by D.J. Lynch at the Rockets' 29-yard line. The Falcons proceeded to settle for a Tyler Tate 23-yard field goal, cutting Toledo's lead to 21-10.
As the third quarter rolled into the fourth, Bowling Green had a nine-play, 77-yard drive and Greene rushed for a seven-yard touchdown with 14:34 to play in the game. Alex Bayer hauled in a pass from Johnson on the two-point conversion, making the score 21-18.
The Falcons forced a stop on Toledo's next possession, and proceeded to drive 84 yards on 10 plays to take a 25-21 lead. Bowling Green converted on three different third downs before Greene scored yet again from seven yards out. Johnson rushed for 18 yards on the first conversion, completed a 30-yard pass to Shaun Joplin on the second, and then handed the ball off to Greene on a delay for a 19-yard rush one play prior to the score.
The lead didn't last long, however, as Russell hauled in his second touchdown of the game on a fourth-and-nine from the Bowling Green 11-yard line. The drive, which gave Toledo a 28-25 lead, covered 70 yards over ten plays and left the Falcons just 1:22 of play. In fact, the Rockets faced third-and-26 from the 28-yard line but got a 17-yard scramble from quarterback Terrance Owens before the touchdown pass.
The Orange and Brown had one last chance to rally and would gain one first down on a ten-yard reception from Ryan Burbrink, but failed to convert on fourth-and-13 from their own 32-yard line.
Matt Johnson completed 17-of-26 passes on the day for 208 yards, while also rushing for 29 yards. Heath Jackson caught seven passes for a team-high 72 yards and Travis Greene led the rushing attack for the Falcons, as the redshirt sophomore rushed for 96 yards on 19 carries.
The game was evenly played as Toledo had just 29 more yards of offense than Bowling Green, 372-343. The Rockets turned the ball over once and had 31:12 time of possession. The Falcons did not turn it over and both squads were 4-for-4 scoring in the red zone.
The Falcons will take on Miami University at Fred Yager Stadium in another rivalry game on Nov. 5 in a Mid-American Conference clash. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m.
Team Stats
TOLEDO 7, BGSU 0
TOLEDO - HUNT, Kareem 1 yd run (DETMER,Jeremiah kick), 7 plays, 77 yards, TOP 3:17
TOLEDO 14, BGSU 0
TOLEDO - RUSSELL, Alonzo 5 yd pass from OWENS, Terrance (DETMER,Jeremiah kick) 18 plays, 89 yards, TOP 8:45
TOLEDO 21, BGSU 0
TOLEDO - REEDY, Bernard 9 yd pass from OWENS, Terrance (DETMER,Jeremiah kick) 8 plays, 67 yards, TOP 3:07
TOLEDO 21, BGSU 7
BGSU - JOHNSON, Matt 1 yd run (TATE, Tyler kick), 12 plays, 81 yards, TOP 3:55
TOLEDO 21, BGSU 10
BGSU - TATE, Tyler 23 yd field goal 8 plays, 23 yards, TOP 3:49
TOLEDO 21, BGSU 18
BGSU - GREENE, Travis 7 yd run (BAYER, Alex pass), 9 plays, 77 yards, TOP 4:13
TOLEDO 21, BGSU 25
BGSU - GREENE, Travis 7 yd run (TATE, Tyler kick), 10 plays, 84 yards, TOP 5:52
TOLEDO 28, BGSU 25
TOLEDO - RUSSELL, Alonzo 11 yd pass from OWENS, Terrance (DETMER,Jeremiah kick) 10 plays, 70 yards, TOP 4:32
