Rockets Defused: Toledo drops sixth straight against NIU after, 32-27 loss

The University of Toledo’s football team came up short 32-27 in a heartbreaking defeat against Northern Illinois.

“It hurts,” said head coach Matt Campbell. “We had chances to win this football game but we didn’t take them.”

With the loss, the Rockets’ current losing streak against the Huskies is extended to six years.

Toledo led or tied the entire game until the last two minutes after a 2-yard touchdown run from Joel Bouagnon.

“We had our opportunities to put them away and unfortunately we didn’t,” Campbell said. “I’m disappointed in our execution tonight and it cost us the football game.”

UT’s offense struggled through the air as senior quarterback Phillip Ely was just 15-33 passing with two interceptions. He finished the night with 16 passing yards and a first quarter 11-yard touchdown pass to Senior Alonzo Russell.

Toledo’s rushing attack didn’t miss a beat. Junior Kareem Hunt led all rushers with 143 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Sophomore Terry Swanson also broke the century mark with 133 yards on the ground. The two combined for over 100 rushing yards for the first time this season.

The Rockets’ offense mustered up 427 total yards of offense but could only put the ball in the endzone three times. UT had plenty of chances to bust this game wide open but had trouble executing all night.

Toledo opened the scoring on their second drive of the night taking an early 7-0 lead with 8:05 left in the first quarter. Russell’s 11-yard touchdown reception was good enough to move him into a tie for third place with Bernard Reedy in school history with 23 touchdown receptions.

The Huskies would respond quickly with a 67-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Drew Hare to senior Tommy Lee Lewis on the next possession to tie things up at 7-7 midway through quarter one.

The Rockets’ offense answered right away. Swanson brought the Rockets inside the red zone after a 58-yard scamper down to the NIU 20.

Hunt then finished off the five-play, 83-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run right up the middle of the NIU defense to take a 14-7 lead with 6:04 left in the first quarter.

The Rockets would get a chance to extend their lead after forcing the Huskies to a three-and-out but their drive stalled out at the NIU 23. Freshman Jameson Vest came out to convert a 39-yard field goal to extend the UT lead to 17-7.

The Huskies kept chipping away with field goal after field goal. Sophomore kicker Christian Hagan was four-for-four on the night with a career long 52-yard field goal in the third quarter.

Hagan’s 36-yard field goal with 39 seconds left in the first quarter cut the UT lead to 17-10.

The Rockets would respond moving the ball down field with ease until center Ruben Carter and Ely had a miscommunication problem and fumbled at the NIU 36.

On the ensuing possession, sophomore defensive back Treyvon Mathis intercepted Hare’s pass at the Toledo 11-yard line to give the ball back to the Rockets with 12:20 in the second quarter.

UT’s offense would be forced into another three-and-out after the turnover. Campbell and the boys had some tricks up their sleeves and faked the punt on fourth down. Junior punter Nick Ellis picked up 18 of the eight yards needed for the first down.

The momentum would be short-lived as UT’s offense was unable to get anything going in the second quarter.

With 7:29 left in the first half, NIU quarterback Drew Hare went down with an apparent right leg injury and wouldn’t return. Redshirt freshman Ryan Graham was forced to come in and play and he played well. Graham finished the night with 9-of-12 passing for 132 yards and a touchdown.

Toledo’s defense held the Huskies to two late-first-half field goals and took a 17-16 lead into the locker room.

After a slow start to the second half Hunt finally got the Rockets’ offense moving with a rush of 37-yards right up the middle to take Toledo down to the NIU 31 yard line. Hunt would eventually punch it in for his second rushing touchdown of the night to extend the Rockets’ lead to 24-16 with 4:23 remaining in quarter three.

NIU would drive down to the Toledo 35 where they would be stopped and forced to kick their fourth field goal of the night and Hagan’s career long. NIU closed the gap to 24-19 with 2:34 remaining in the third quarter.

Toledo entered the fourth quarter with a five-point lead and the ball on the NIU 28.

The Rockets drive hit a road block at the 21-yard line and Vest knocked the 39-yard attempt right in between the uprights to push the UT lead to 27-19 with 13:45 remaining in the game.

On the ensuing possession and after a personal foul to keep the Huskies drive alive, the Huskies needed just three plays to score on a 7-yard fade route from Graham to junior Kenny Golladay to cut UT’s lead to 27-25 with just 9:27 showing on the clock.

Toledo had a chance to extend their lead late in the game but their drive would stall at the 30-yard line which forced Vest to come on to attempt a 47-yard field goal attempt. The kick sailed wide right to keep UT’s lead at 27-25 with 5:19 left in the game.

“I think we hurt ourselves,” said senior linebacker Chase Murdock. “We didn’t play the football we know how to play and we paid for that.”

The Huskies took advantage of the Rockets’ miscue and drove 70 yards to take their first lead of the night 32-27 with 1:59 remaining on the clock.

Toledo had one last chance to put together a game-winning drive from their own 23-yard line.

But on the first play from scrimmage, Ely threw an interception to NIU’s senior linebacker Boomer Mayes ending all hope for the Rockets with the crowd leaving almost instantly.

“If we let this contradict our whole season then that’s not smart by us,” Murdock said.

Toledo will travel to Central Michigan next Tuesday with only three games left on their schedule.