Oct. 28, 2000

Box Score| Quotes

From wire reports and UT Sports Information

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Down 14-0 before the offense had a chance to touch the ball, Toledo desperately needed quarterback Tavares Bolden to make something good happen. Bolden threw for a touchdown and ran for another as Toledo rallied for 35 unanswered points to defeat Navy, 35-14, at Annapolis on Saturday. Bolden got the Rockets back into the game by halftime, then produced three touchdowns in the third quarter Saturday as Toledo (7-1) recorded its fourth straight victory, 35-14 over winless Navy.

"A quarterback is judged by whether he can bring a team back after it's down 14-0. He made play after play after play," Toledo coach Gary Pinkel said.

Bolden completed 17 of 28 passes, including a 19-yarder for a TD to Donta Greene.

"I'll pass when the opportunity is there, and I'll run when a hole is there. That's the kind of package I bring to the game," Bolden said.

Navy jumped out to a 14-0 lead, scoring touchdowns on its first two possessions. The Midshipmen went 80 yards on their opening possession, scoring on a five-yard run by Josh Bock. On the ensuing kickoff, Navy recovered an on-side kick at the Toledo 46-yard line. Nine plays later quarterback Ed Malinowski scored on a one-yard carry to give Navy a two-touchdown lead before Toledo's offense had even got on the field.

It was all Toledo after that, however. The Rockets got on the scoreboard on their first possession, as Chester Taylor capped a 71-yard drive with a two-yard TD run with 1:56 to play in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Todd France kicked field goals of 43 and 37 yards into a stiff wind to cut Navy's lead to 14-13 at halftime.

"When we went down 14-0, there was a sense of urgency for us," Pinkel said. "Our offense finally got the ball, and we were fortunate enough to make some defensive adjustments. We responded well."

Toledo scored touchdowns on its first three possessions in the third quarter, making the score 35-14 and effectively cinching the win. Bolden called his own number for a five-yard touchdown on the first TD of the third quarter, then hit Donta Greene for a 19-yard strike. Taylor capped the scoring with an 18-yard ramble in the end zone with 56 seconds to play in the third quarter.

Taylor ran for 112 yards on 21 carries., the sixth time this season he has cracked the 100-yard mark. Bolden was 17-of-28 for 135 yards, and ran for 87 yards on 14 carries.

Toledo's defense, ranked No. 2 in the nation in rushing defense and scoring defense going into the game, was nearly impenetrable after the first quarter. Navy gained 113 yards on the ground on its first two possessions, but just managed just 14 rushing yards for the remainder of the game. Toledo had 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including three sacks.

The Rockets, who have won four straight by a combined 160-28 score, travel to MAC West foe Northern Illinois next week.