Recap |  Final Stats |  Notes

Toledo Coach Tom Amstutz

"This is good solid team win. It is great to win our home opener. The returning starters and seniors kept their heads up, pushing forward, and not getting down. The leadership of this team did that and this gives us the opportunity to improve as a team."

"We ran the ball well tonight."

"We made some strong defensive blitzes. The percentage of blitzes were higher tonight. The game dictated this and we had the opportunity to do that. Our defense is improving and we'll just have to keep getting better each week."

"When your defense makes stops, that's when you can really capitalize and change the momentum of the game. We did that tonight."

(Lance Moore) "Lance is such a competitor. He has excellent hands. He finds a way to get open."

"I think you saw some other dimensions to our offense tonight. Kenny Higgins had a big touchdown catch. Scooter McDOugle ran hard when he had the opportunity. He's becoming a threat for us. We want to get the ball in lot of people's hands and not be a one-dimensional offense."

"It feels great. It's easier said than done to say keep your head up after a loss. You have to really believe and stay focused."

Toledo Junior QB Bruce Gradkowski
Comments on Tonight's Win
This was a great team win. It felt good to be back home in the Glass Bowl. I thought both our offensive and defensive lines did a great job. Our defense stepped it up when it had to and played a great game.

Comments on Temple's Team
This was a good Temple team we played tonight. They were very physical, but at the same time I thought we matched their intensity for all four quarters. This was a great team victory.

Comments on the Temple Turnover in the Waning Seconds of the Second Quarter that the Rockets were able to turn into a TD
I thought the turning point in the game was the turnover at the end of the second quarter. Our defense made a big stop and caused a turnover. We got the ball back and took advantage of the situation. Kenny Higgins made a nice touchdown catch, the line blocked well and I was able to make the throw. It was a great play overall.

Toledo Senior WR Lance Moore
Comments on Being Able to Capitalize on Temple's Miscues When a team makes a mistake, we want to be able to capitalize on it. Fortunately for us tonight, we were able to do that a couple times. If our defense is out there playing well, we (offense) need to go out there and make plays as well.

Comments on being able to catch 10-plus passes in a game on a consistent basis
Our offensive coordinator Rob Spence does so many different things with me on the field. He moves me around and that keeps defensives thinking, which is what we want. It is a credit to him.

Senior DE Phil Alexander
Commenting on There Being More Intensity by the Defense
I think of it had to do with playing in the Glass Bowl. We were hungry to be home after three away games.

Commenting about Being Able to Put Pressure on Temple Quarterback Walter Washington
The first three games we were really unable to put any pressure on the quarterback. Tonight, we had a great game plan and were able to execute it well and keep their players on their heels.

TEMPLE HEAD COACH BOBBY WALLACE

"I have to give Toledo credit they deserve. They have some very nice players who made some good plays. But the bottom line is that it was the worst I've seen a team beat themselves and that's very disappointing in all my years of coaching. We had several untimely penalties, dropped passes, underthrown passes and missed tackles."

"I told the players at halftime they were beating themselves and it didn't get much better in the second half. I do think we came ready to play and I give our players credit for that. We just have to be a smarter football team to have a chance to win."