TOLEDO – Senior wide receiver Bernard Reedy caught a 20-yard touchdown pass in the second overtime to give Toledo a breath-taking 45-44 victory over Navy at the Glass Bowl Saturday afternoon.
Toledo took advantage of a missed extra point by Navy on its touchdown in the second OT. After Geoffrey Whiteside scored on a six-yard run, Nick Sloan's point after attempt sailed wide right, opening the door for the Rockets. On Toledo's second play in the second OT, senior quarterback Terrance Owens hit Reedy across the middle for the score. UT junior Jeremiah Detmer was successful on the point after, giving the Rockets their first overtime win since a 37-31 double-overtime win vs. Kansas in the Glass Bowl in 2006.
The victory was a relief for Toledo (4-3, 2-1 MAC), which led by 10 points, 31-21, and pinned Navy (3-3) in at the four-yard line on a punt by Vince Penza with 8:35 to play. But the Midshipmen pulled off a 96-yard touchdown drive and a 40-yard field goal by Sloan with no time on the clock to send the game into overtime.
Throughout the rain-soaked day, it was a battle of running attacks, the triple option of Navy vs. the run-oriented spread of UT. UT senior David Fluellen rushed for 160 yards and one touchdown but left the game in the fourth quarter with what Rocket Coach Matt Campbell called a back injury. Fluellen, who was walking around on the sideline after the game, will be evaluated further on Sunday. Freshman Kareem Hunt added a season-high 127 yards and two scores as Toledo's running game racked up 321 yards on 46 carries.
Navy's ground game totaled 419 yards on an eye-popping 93 carries. The Midshipmen were paced by junior Noah Copeland's 153 yards, one of four players with at least 50 yards rushing. Navy had less success passing the ball, however, as Toledo racked up a season-high six sacks and held quarterback Keenan Reynolds to 5-of-12 for 95 yards.
Toledo and Navy traded touchdowns throughout the contest. Navy opened the scoring on its first drive, rolling 75 yards on eight plays, the last seven of them runs. Toledo countered with an 11-play drive th at resulted in a 47-yard field goal by Jeremiah Detmer, cutting the lead to 7-3 with 7:16 remaining in the first quarter.
Toledo's defense came through with a big play early in the second quarter to give the Rockets a 10-7 lead. Senior defensive end Jayrone Elliott forced a fumble from Navy QB Keenan Reynolds, scooped up the loose ball, fought off a tackler with a stiff-arm near midfield, then ran the rest of the way for a 68-yard touchdown. It was the fourth consecutive game that Toledo scored on a fumble recovery.
Navy took advantage of a short Toledo punt to regain the lead, 14-10, with less than a minute in the first half. Reynolds capped a nine-play, 55-yard drive with a 20-yard TD pass to Noah Copeland to give the Midshipmen the halftime advantage.
Toledo struck back quickly in its first possession of the second half on a 44-yard scoring run from Fluellen to take a 17-14 edge. The lead was brief, however, as Navy marched down the field on the next drive in a 10-play drive that featured no completed passes. Reynolds went the final yard to put the Middies up, 21-17.
Freshman Kareem Hunt continued the rushing barrage with a pair of second-half touchdowns. He scored his first collegiate touchdown with 5:38 to play in the third quarter, breaking a tackle and bolting 52 yards to give the Rockets a 24-21 lead. Hunt scored again early in the fourth quarter, this time from 16 yards out, giving Toledo its biggest lead, 31-21, with 12:10 to play.
Neither team scored on their next possessions, but Toledo seemed to be in great shape when Penza knocked his punt down to the Navy four-yard line. But 10 plays later, Navy was in the end zone on a three-yard run by Reynolds, cutting the lead to three points with 4:57 left.
Navy forced another Toledo punt and moved the ball to the UT 23-yard line before settling for a 40-yard field goal to send the game into overtime.
Toledo scored first in overtime, a one-yard run by Damion Jones-Moore. Navy countered with a one-yard run by Reynolds to send the game into the second overtime and set the stage for the dramatic second overtime.
The Rockets return to action next Saturday when they travel to arch-rival Bowling Green for the Battle of I75.
