Toledo Rockets throttle Central Michigan Chippewas 38-17 in MAC opener

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - If there were any questions about the health of quarterback Terrance Owens or running back David Fluellen coming into Saturday’s game, consider them answered.

Owens was a game-time decision with a sprained knee, but played the majority of the afternoon and completed 13-of-17 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown, helping the University of Toledo football team throttle Central Michigan 38-17.

“We knew he was going to play,” said UT head coach Matt Campbell. “We had said all week that we would bring him in, we didn’t know when.”

Fluellen’s status for the game wasn’t surrendered by nearly as much uncertainty, but he was using crutches and a walking boot earlier in the week as a precaution after a minor ankle injury.

He showed no signs of slowing down, carrying the ball 32 times for 197 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Owens replaced freshman Logan Woodside on the second possession of the second quarter with the UT offense backed up against their own 4-yard line. Owens quickly led the team on an impressive nine-play, 96-yard touchdown drive to give the Rockets a 21-7 lead with 4:35 to play in the first half.

“[Owens] comes in the game and leads a 90-some-yard drive, takes us right down the field,” Campbell said. “He really did a great job and I think he felt comfortable and I felt comfortable where he was at.”

That drive was capped off with a three-yard throw to sophomore wide receiver Alonzo Russell, who made an incredible one-handed, leaping grab on a fade to the back-left corner of the end zone.

“That was a tremendous catch,” Owens said. “Throughout the week, he caught two passes like that in practice. The same exact plays - two of them. He’s an athlete.”

T.O. injured his knee a week ago in a win over Eastern Washington and his status was uncertain all week. He was listed as questionable on Monday, was upgraded to game-time decision by Wednesday and took reps in warm-ups before the game.

He spent many hours getting treatment throughout the week, arriving at the football facility at 7:30 in the morning and staying until 7:30 at night.

“I felt good in warm-ups, my knee was loose,” he said. “I felt good. There was a thought [that I might not play], but going through the week I was going to treatment and just got better each day.”

The Toledo defense has gotten better with each game.

A unit that has had to answer many questions for seemingly the last five years is doing its best to answer those critics.

The defense is giving up just 23 points a game and 19 over their last two.

UT linebackers Junior Sylvestre and Chase Murdock came up huge on several occasions against the Chips Saturday.

Sylvestre came home free on a blitz in the first quarter, drilled CMU quarterback Cooper Rush jarring the ball loose, scooped it up and took off 22 yards the other direction for a touchdown to put the Rockets up 14-7.

Sylvestre said it was the first time he found the end zone since high school.

“We got a little blitz there that forces the defensive linemen [to make a decision] and someone is going to be freed up and I was the one to be freed up,” he said. “It felt kind of good, I missed that feeling. It was really exciting.”

The junior had 12 total tackles and a sack to go along with his fumble recovery and touchdown.

Murdock - who returned after missing last week’s game with an injury - also had 12 tackles and added two sacks and three tackles for loss.

“Their production all year has been fantastic,” Campbell said. “I can go back to Florida, some big plays at Missouri and certainly last week - that crew continues to be impressive. They’re athletic, they can get to the quarterback and when they come and hit, they’ll bring it.”

The defense forced four turnovers - two interceptions and two fumbles. Rush was limited to 14-of-24 passing for 214 yards and a score.

Toledo led by just seven entering the fourth quarter, but outscored Central Michigan 14-0 in the final 15 minutes with the help of Fluellen and redshirt freshman RB Damion Jones-Moore, who each scored a touchdown in the quarter.

Jones-Moore found the end zone on a 15-yard run on a direct snap, a formation they call “Heavy,” closely resembling the “Wildcat.”

Fluellen’s touchdown run in the first quarter was also sprung from that set.

“It’s something we really worked all fall camp on and we knew there would be a time and place for it,” Campbell said. “Our guys executed it and it’s nice to have a running back like 22 back there to snap it to and Damion came in and did a great job finishing that drive off.”

The Rockets shift their focus to the Ball State Cardinals next Saturday, a big MAC West road game early in the conference season. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST in Muncie, Ind.