Toledo throttles CMU at home to try and keep pace in the MAC football title race.
Tuesday night was alright at the Glass Bowl, as the Toledo Rockets (7-4, 4-2 MAC) took home a dominating 37-10 victory over the Central Michigan Chippewas (3-7, 1-5 MAC) to take the visitors out of bowl contention.
The win, Toledo’s 13th in their last 15 meetings with Central, also keeps the Rockets mathematically alive in the MAC title race.
The Chips struck first on the game’s opening possession, moving down the field on an efficient 11-play, 62-yard drive lasting 6:25 of game clock before settling for a Tristan Mattson field goal from 34 yards out to take the early 3-0 lead.
Unfortunately for the visitors, this would be their only lead of the night, as Toledo would score the next 37 points unanswered before Marion Lukes scored a one-yard touchdown with under two minutes remaining to bring the tally to its final resting place.
Toledo was efficient over their first three drives, with Tucker Gleason’s two rushing touchdowns sandwiching a Dylan Cunanan field goal to put the score at 17-3 with 4:48 remaining in the first half.
Central would try several times to keep pace, but a 45-yard pick-six of Jadyn Glasser by Nasi Bowers and a fumble converted into Dylan Cunanan’s second field goal of the day would allow the Rockets to enter the locker room with a 27-3 lead as time expired.
Toledo would get their third takeaway of the day early in the second half after Lance Dixon stripped Marion Lukes of the ball and Braden Awls recovered, eventually turning the play into points on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Tucker Gleason to Zy’marion Lang to go up 34-3 with with 7:17 to go in the third quarter.
CMU’s next two drives would end in a turnover-on-downs and a fumble lost by Jadyn Glasser deep inside their own territory, with Toledo cashing in for a field goal with 9:53 remaining in the game.
Lukes would score his 13th career touchdown in the game’s waning minutes to essentially bring the game to an end and get CMU to double-digits on the scoreboard.
Tucker Gleason was the star on offense for Toledo, finishing with 13-of-23 for 123 yards, a passing touchdown, while also leading the team with 66 yards and two rushing scores on just eight carries. He was replaced in the fourth quarter by backup QB John Alan Richter.
Jacquez Stuart had eight carries for 65 yards on the day and also contributed on special teams with a strong 46-yard return to open up the second half. Jerjuan Newton led UT with three catches for 40 yards, with Junior Vandeross III (two catches, 25 yards) and Thomas Zsiros (two catches, 22 yards) the only other receivers with multiple receptions.
Daniel Bolden led all Rockets with nine total tackles, but Anthony Dunn Jr. had a career night on the defensive line, with four total tackles— including three tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Avery Smith and Nasir Bowers each had an interception on the day for Toledo, while Toledo as a unit combined for six tackles-for-loss and five sacks.
True freshman Jadyn Glasser started at quarterback for the first time tonight after making his collegiate debut last week, finishing 16-of-27 for 150 yards and two interceptions on the night. Chris Parker (five catches, 52 yards) and Jesse Prewitt III (four catches, 38 yards) were the only Chippewa receivers to notch multiple receptions.
Marion Lukes kept the CMU offense going single-handedly at points, finishing his night with 80 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts. As a unit, CMU ran for 86 yards.
Jordan Kwiatkowski led CMU with eight total tackles, including a TFL, while battery mate Dakota Cochran amassed three TFLs on six total stops to lead the team. (Overall, CMU had nine tackles-for-loss, with seven players collecting at least one apiece.) Kade Kostus and Michael Heldman each had a solo sack. Four defenders had pass break-ups.
CMU, now out of the bowl picture, gets set to play host to rival Western Michigan next Tuesday night. Toledo has a chance to play spoiler to Ohio— and keep their own MAC title hopes alive— next Wednesday night.