A topsy-turvy game in the hills of Kentucky sends Toledo tumbling.
Keeping tranquility in the eye of a storm can be difficult. The thunder is loud, the lightning is splis the sky in bright hues, the rain can pelt away at your mental and physical endurance.
As it concerns the game of football, a storm brings with it time to think. In Saturday’s case, it presented over 90 minutes of time to ruminate and scheme for both the Toledo Rockets (3-1) and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (3-1) after a crucial Rockets touchdown right before the weather delay put the visitors up 21-10 over the hosting Hilltoppers in the third quarter.
It took a bit to reacclimate after the break, with both teams committing a turnover and a punt apiece, but a game-changing safety gave WKU the spark they needed to finish the game off with a 16-0 run to win the contest.
The first two drives of the game were an indication the game could go off the rails, as Caden Veltkamp’s deep shot towards the endzone on second-and-eight from the Toledo 39 was intercepted by Maxen Hook at the three-yard line and returned 18 yards, giving the Rockets decent field position.
Toledo would run into an issue of their own on the ensuing drive. After grinding the clock down well over five minutes, they would settle for a field goal on fourth-and-10 from the WKU 25-yard line. The kick by Dylan Cunanan hooked, but a roughing-the-kicker penalty presented a new opportunity for Toledo. Instead of re-kicking for a 37-yard attempt, head coach Jason Candle opted to go for it. Quarterback Tucker Gleason was forced to escape the pocket on the next play, but was stopped a yard short of the sticks, keeping the score level at 0-0 with 5:18 left on the clock.
The Rockets defense would go on to force a three-and-out and the offense would get it in gear on the next drive, scoring on a Gleason run from one yard out to end a 10-play, 83-yard drive and put Toledo up 7-0 to start the second quarter.
A case of deja vu saw the Rockets defense get a three-and-out once again and the Rockets offense once again resolving the next extended drive with a score, this time of the passing variety as Tucker Gleason found tight end Anthony Torres for a 14-yard scoring strike to double up the margin at 14-0 with 2:30 to go in the first half.
WKU, who had been limited to just 56 yards of offense on their prior four drives in the first half, exploded on their last possession of the second quarter, needing just two plays to eclipse 63 yards and score on a 44-yard connection from Veltkamp to Kisean Johnson to put the tally at 14-7— which was ultimately the halftime margin. The scoring drive was set up in part to a 24-yard return on the kickoff, placing the ball at the WKU 37-yard line.
Toledo stumbled out of the blocks to start the third quarter, with Gleason fumbling the ball on the first play of the half and WKU’s Anthony Brackenridge plucking it off the ground. Lucas Carneiro would convert the scoop into points on a 37-yard field goal to pull the Hilltoppers closer at 14-10 after a three-and-out.
Toledo reclaimed the lead— and seeming control of the game— after Gleason and Torres connected once again for a seven-yard score to take a 21-10 lead midway through the third quarter, but after the extra point, players and fans were escorted away from the stadium to sit through severe weather delays.
Coming out of the break, both teams played fairly sloppy, as one might expect. Gleason lost his second fumble of the day with Darius Thomas recovering to give the ball back to WKU’s offense— but two plays later, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren leapt up to catch what would otherwise have been a touchdown to end the scoring threat.
Toledo couldn’t advance the ball past their own 26, punting back to the hosting side quickly. WKU eventually did the same to Toledo, but that’s where the game turned on its head.
The Rockets lined up on first-and-10 from their own two-yard line after a 51-yard Cole Maynard punt pinned them deep in their own territory. Tucker Gleason took the snap and handed it off to Connor Walendzak, who was swallowed up by Devon Lynch before he could get across the goal line, resulting in a safety to give WKU the unique 21-12 scoreline.
That extra score proved pivotal down the line as the Hilltoppers would quickly stack up two touchdown drives on the legs of Caden Veltkamp to take the 26-21 lead with 5:16 remaining in the contest.
These developments, combined with two straight three-and-outs on offense, would force the Rockets to have to score a touchdown to win instead of go for a field goal to tie.
Toledo executed a long, grindy drive to chew up clock and advance the ball, getting to the WKU 13-yard line with 1:25 remaining. On third-and-eight, Gleason dropped back to pass and was pasted to the ground by a blitzing Kent Robinson for a loss of seven yards.
With the game on the line, Gleason went back to pass on fourth-and-15, and was forced forced once again towards tossing a dangerous ball towards the endzone due to pressure. Unfortunately for him, it was WKU defensive back Devontae’ Willliams grabbing the catch instead of the intended receiver in the endzone, giving the Hilltoppers the ball with 53 seconds remaining.
WKU needed to convert a first down to win the game, as Toledo still had all three timeouts, so under center they went to try and kill the clock. Veltkamp took the first snap and immediately was met by a litany of Rockets, losing the ball. Toledo safety Maxen Hook had the wherewithal to pick up the ball and run after officials initially blew the play dead, a move which turned out to matter as officials wound up reversing the call to a Toledo turnover.
Gifted the chance of a lifetime, all Toledo had to do was score for the first time since the mid-third quarter to take home the victory. The drive started off well enough, with Gleason finding Jerjuan Newton for a 12-yard reception on the first play. Gleason would tuck and run on second down for a three-yard effort to get the ball to the WKU four-yard line, but a false start penalty wiped away the gain on the next scrimmage snap. Insult was added to injury when an incomplete pass ended up with a holding penalty on the offense, forcing the Rockets 10 yards backwards and essentially starting over from square one with 16 seconds left.
On second-and-goal from the WKU 19-yard line, Gleason dropped back and faced immediate pressure from what felt like the entire WKU defense, getting swallowed up as the ball floated out of his hands.
Devonte’ Williams, hero of the previous drive, did the unbelievable once again with a double toe-tapper interception along the sidelines to kill any chance of a comeback with eight seconds remaining.
The Rockets, who had gone undefeated to this point and had a win over SEC fro Mississippi State last week, now fall to 3-1 and go into a BYE week before facing the Miami RedHawks in a MAC title game rematch to start their conference season on Oct. 5th.
WKU, meanwhile, travels to Boston College to take on the Eagles next weekend in a contest scheduled for a noon Eastern time kickoff.