Dec. 2, 2004
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By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer
DETROIT (AP) - Bruce Gradkowski threw three of his four touchdown passes to
Lance Moore, leading Toledo to a 35-27 win over Miami (Ohio) in the
Mid-American Conference championship game Thursday night.
Toledo (9-3) will return to Ford Field to face Connecticut on Dec. 27 in the
Motor City Bowl. The RedHawks (8-4) will play in either the Silicon Valley
Classic or the Independence Bowl.
For the fourth year in a row, a quarterback threw four TDs in the MAC title
game. Ben Roethlisberger did it last year for the RedHawks, and Byron Leftwich
did it for Marshall the two previous years.
Gradkowski, who left the game briefly with a hand injury, was 18-of-24 for
251 yards with four TDs and one interception. Moore had five receptions for 118
yards and caught three touchdown passes for the third time in his career.
The Rockets trailed 14-7 at halftime and rallied with three TDs in the third
quarter. Toledo went ahead 35-20 early in the fourth on Moore's third score.
Miami pulled within eight points when Josh Betts followed up a 57-yard pass
to Michael Larkin with a 13-yard TD pass to Josh Williams with 4:13 left.
Toledo sealed the win with two third-down conversions on the final drive.
The MAC had its championship game on a neutral field after the previous
seven were hosted by one of the teams in the finals. The announced crowd was
22,138 at the home of the Detroit Lions.
Toledo's Steve Odom made six catches for 78 yards and a score. Scooter
McDougle provided balance for Toledo's offense with 167 yards rushing on 35
carries.
Betts was 20-of-33 for 304 yards with three TDs and two interceptions.
Larkin had nine receptions for 131 yards and a score.
After leaving the game late in the second quarter to have X-rays on his
hand, Gradkowski's felt good enough to throw a 22-yard pass, on a flea-flicker
play, to Moore midway through the third quarter. The game-tying score came two
plays after a converted fourth-and-3 and followed Betts' first interception.
Betts threw another interception on Miami's next drive and Keon Jackson
returned the tipped pass 31 yards for a score, giving the Rockets a 21-14 lead.
The RedHawks answered with an 84-yard scoring drive, capped by Ryan Busing's
8-yard catch in the back of the end zone. Anthony Jordan blocked the extra
point.
Toledo pulled away on its next two possessions with 28- and 29-yard scoring
passes to Moore.
Both teams scored on their first drives, and Miami scored on its second.
Then, the offenses didn't do much until the 27-point third quarter.
Gradkowski started his spectacular game with a perfect 33-yard pass to a
Odom, who was well-covered by cornerback Darrell Hunter.
The RedHawks tied it on an 11-yard TD run by Luke Clemens. They went ahead
14-7 on Betts' 3-yard pass to Michael Larkin.