Rockets win their final home game of the season

The Toledo Rockets took on Ball State in the last home game of the season. Despite heavy fog, the Rockets managed to come out on top with a score of 37-19. Junior quarterback Logan Woodside also broke another record this game, passing Bruce Gradkowski to become the all time leader for passing yards in a single season with 3,653 yards. This game was the last chance for the Rocket’s team to prove themselves before facing off against 17 ranked Western Michigan next friday.

The Cardinals took over first on offense, but were stopped after a short 11 play drive. Toledo started their drive inside their own 10, but they moved down the field quickly, resulting in a 28 yard touchdown pass from third-year quarterback Logan Woodside to second-year wide receiver Jon’vea Johnson. After the extra point the score stood 7-0. Ball State took back over on offense, but their drive was short lived. Toledo got the ball back after just 4 plays from the Cardinals. Toledo took over from their own 12, and quickly moved down the field after a series of Woodside completions, but ultimately resulted in a Toledo punt. The Cardinals took the field again with 2:40 left in the field, but were forced to punt. Fourth-year wide receiver Corey Jones was sent back to receive, and returned the punt 63 yards back for the second rocket touchdown of the quarter. This puts the score at 14-0 Toledo, and put the ball back in Ball State’s possession. The Cardinals did not maintain possession for long, after a botched handoff in which Zach Quinn recovered the fumble, giving the Rockets the ball back with 1:12 left. The Rockets failed to score, leaving Toledo with a 14-0 lead going into the second quarter.

The rockets took over the second quarter and quickly converted their recovered fumble into a field goal, giving the Rockets a 17-0 lead. Ball State took over at their own 25, but kick-started their drive with a big 35 yard rush from second year Ball State quarterback Riley Neal. From that play the Cardinals continued their march down the field, ultimately resulting in a 10 yard touchdown pass from Neal to third-year wide receiver Corey Lacanaria. After the extra-point, the score stood 17-7, with Toledo in the lead and the Ball in their possession. Toledo took the field at their own 31, and quickly moved backwards after a rush for a loss of 2 yards, and then a false start penalty, making it 2nd and 17 from Toledo’s own 24. Woodside quickly made up for the penalty, completing a 19 yard pass to Corey Jones on the next play. After three incomplete passes, Toledo faced a fourth down, but attempted to convert instead of go for the field goal. Woodside’s pass to Johnson was dropped, and Ball State took over. Ball State made a quick drive down the field, including a 27 yard pass from Riley to fourth-year receiver Aaron Hepp, putting Ball State well within the red-zone. Despite the excellent field position, the Rocket defense held up, and managed to keep Ball State to only a field goal. The rockets returned to took the field again at the 30 yard line after a 19 yard return from Corey Jones. The rockets could not convert a first down, and were forced to punt. Ball State started their drive on their own 29, and attempted to drive down the field despite the heavy fog. The Cardinals were unsuccessful, and punted the ball back to the rockets with two minutes left in the half. Despite struggling on the first two plays, Toledo found success when Woodside connected to Corey Jones for a 36 yard gain, and a Rocket first down. The Rockets hammered down the field with less than a minute left in the half in an attempt to score before halftime. The Rockets inched closer to their goal after a 13 yard pass from Woodside to Hunt put them at their own 20, and well within field goal range. The Rocket’s settled for the field goal, making the score 20-10 heading into halftime, as fog continued to coat the field.

The Rockets took the field first in the second half, and exploded for a 71 yard touchdown from Woodside to Hunt on the second play of the half, making the score 27-10. This touchdown gave Woodside the University of Toledo record for overall passing yards in a single season with 3,575 overall yards. After a failed drive from the Cardinals, a fantastic punt gave the Rockets a starting field position at their own four yard line. The rockets were unable to convert until a monster rush from Kareem Hunt, who exploded for a 39 yard gain, and a rocket first down. The rockets running game didn’t let up after that, just one play later fourth-year running back Damion Jones-Moore carried the ball for a big 29 yard gain, and another first down. The rockets were unable to find the field goal, but second-kicker Jameson Vest was able to find the uprights, nailing a career long 49 yard field goal to give the rockets a 20 point advantage over the Ball State cardinals. After the kick-off sailed out of bounds, the Cardinals took the field at their own 35 yard line to try and get their first score of the half. The Cardinals drove up the field, and managed to get to the 19 yard line before being stopped and forced to kick the field goal. The 39 yard kick was good, making the score 30-13. The rocket offense picked back up at their own 20 after a touchback. The rockets quickly scored another Touchdown after a 42 yard pass from Woodside to third-year wide receiver Cody Thompson to make the score 37-13 in the rockets favor. As the Cardinals took the field, the fog started to really fill the field, making the visibility for both sides become a real issue. The Cardinals could not make much of an advance before the clock hit zero, making the score 37-13 going into the final quarter.

The cardinals slowly moved up the field, trying to complete passes with the low visibility. Ball State trudged up the field, managing to go 55 yards on 15 plays before turning the ball over on downs, and giving the football back to the Toledo offense. Despite the thick fog, Woodside was able to keep the passing game strong, completing the first three passes of their drive. This luck didn’t last, as the drive ended with Woodside throwing an interception in the endzone, picked off by second-year cornerback Josh Miller. Ball State took the field at their own 20, and started a desperate attempt to even the score as their hopes for a bowl game diminished. Ball State managed to sneak in a touchdown as Riley passed to Hazelton Jr., but the two-point conversion attempt was no good. This put the ball back in Toledo hands after a failed onside kick, and allowed the Rockets to run out the clock, ending the game with a score of 37-19, and a Toledo win.

This victory for the Rockets gives them a lot of momentum heading into their biggest game of the year against Western Michigan next friday. The game will be played at Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, Michigan.