Notebook: UT caps season with 63-44 win over Arkansas State in GoDaddy Bowl

The University of Toledo football team capped off the 2014 season Sunday night with a 63-44 victory over Arkansas State in the GoDaddy Bowl. Some notes on the game:

Hunt’s night

UT sophomore running back Kareem Hunt may need to spend the entire offseason in an ice bath after this one.

Hunt carved through the Red Wolves for a career-high 271 yards, reaching the end zone five times to tie the NCAA record for touchdowns in a bowl game. The performance bumped the second-year tailback all the way from 14th to ninth on Toledo’s career rushing-yards list.

During his fifth scoring play, Hunt violently collided head-to-head with an Arkansas State defender. He passed the sideline concussion testing only to return to the trainers later with leg cramps. Hunt finished with 32 carries, averaging 8.5 yards per clip against the Red Wolves.

O-Line’s farewell performance

UT’s senior offensive line went out with a bang.

Not only did the unit pave the way for Hunt’s performance, they also cleared space for sophomore rusher Damion Jones-Moore, who rumbled for 103 yards and two of his own touchdowns.

Toledo’s line, led by first-team All-Mid-American Conference center Greg Mancz, kept running lanes clear and sophomore quarterback Logan Woodside clean for the majority of the night.

Defensive woes

Once again, Toledo’s issues on defense were masked by the Rockets’ success on offense.

Arkansas State sophomore quarterback Fredi Knighten had his way with UT’s depleted secondary, throwing for 403 yards and five touchdowns. Red Wolves wide out Booker Mays grabbed three of those scores, finishing with 138 yards on five receptions.

ASU wide receiver J.D. McKissic finished on the doorstep of his own 100-yard night, grabbing seven balls for 99 yards.

It wasn’t all bad for the Rockets’ defense. The unit notched the first touchdown of the night after stripping Knighten of the ball on ASU’s first drive, then UT repeated the feat shortly before halftime for a second score.

Ejection

Right before Hunt’s fifth touchdown of the night, Arkansas State lost a defender for the rest of the game.

ASU’s Xavier Woodson was ejected from the contest early in the fourth quarter after earning an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for reportedly threatening an official. The altercation between him and the referee occurred in the end zone, with UT preparing for a 4th and 1 attempt.

Woodson remained on the field briefly before heading to the sideline to speak to Red Wolves’ head coach Blake Anderson. Woodson was then escorted to the locker room.