Bowling Green, Ohio – Senior Terry Swanson rushed for a career-high 192 yards and redshirt freshman Shakif Seymour tied a school record with five touchdowns as Toledo rolled to a 66-37 victory over Bowling Green in the Battle of I-75 in Bowling Green Wednesday night.

      It was the Rockets' eighth-consecutive win over BGSU and the most points Toledo has scored against its arch-rival since a 63-0 triumph in 1935.

      The victory put Toledo (9-2, 6-1 MAC) in position to earn its first trip in 13 years to the Mid-American Conference Championship Game. With a win over Western Michigan at the Glass Bowl on Nov. 24, the Rockets would clinch at least a tie with Northern Illinois (8-3, 6-1 MAC) for the MAC West Division title. Toledo would advance to the title game vs. the East Division champion by tie-breaker due its 27-17 victory over Northern Illinois on Nov. 2.

      Bowling Green gave the Rockets a battle in the first half, trailing only by a field goal, 24-21, at intermission. But a four-touchdown barrage by Toledo in the third quarter gave the Midnight Blue and Gold a comfortable 52-28 edge heading into the fourth quarter.

      Toledo outgained Bowling Green in total offense, 637-389. While Swanson and company were racking up big chunks of yards on the ground, senior Logan Woodside efficiently piled up 232 yards on 13-of-18 passing. Woodside also threw for a pair of touchdowns, giving him 87 for his career and breaking the Toledo record of 85 previously held by Bruce Gradkowski (2002-05).

      The Falcons got on the scoreboard first when quarterback Jarret Doege hit Teo Redding over the middle for a 57-yard score. Toledo quickly tied the score on a seven-play drive that featured only running plays. Swanson gained 52 of the yards but Seymour finished it off with a three-yard dash into the left corner. A short while later, Seymour finished off another drive with a two-yard TD run that capped a 12-play, 95-yard drive, giving Toledo a 14-7 lead with 1:51 left in the first quarter.

      Bowling Green took advantage of a bad snap on a Toledo punt early in the second quarter, tackling punter Michael Julian on the UT 24-yard line. On the very next play, Doege connected with Andrew Clair, tying the score at 14-14. Toledo re-took the lead, 21-14, moments later on Seymour's third touchdown of the night, a 10-yarder that capped a four-play, 67-yard drive.

      Bowling Green's defense set up its third touchdown, stopping UT on fourth-and-one from its own 35-yard line. Three plays later the Falcons tied the score for the third time when Doege hooked up with Redding again, this time from 17 yards out.

      The Rockets took a 24-21 edge into halftime when Jameson Vest kicked a 24-yard field goal in the waning seconds of the period.

      UT upped the lead to 31-21 on its opening drive of the second half, moving 55 yards on four running plays. Seymour finished it off for the fourth time, this time from 23 yards out. Following a three-and-out by BGSU, Toledo struck again as Woodside hit Jon'Vea Johnson for a 45-yard TD pass to make the score 38-21 with 11:45 to play. The TD pass was Woodside's 86^th of his career, breaking the previous school record of 85 by Bruce Gradkowski (2002-05).

      Doege kept the Falcons in it with a 27-yard TD pass to Scott Miller, cutting the lead to 38-28 with 10:15 left in the third quarter, but Toledo scored two more times in the quarter to put the game on ice. Seymour scored his fifth touchdown of the game, a one-yard plunge that finished off a 14-play, 72-yard drive. Two minutes later, Woodside hit Diontae Johnson on a 41-yard pass that he tipped two times before hauling it in for the score.

      BGSU trimmed the lead to 52-31 with a 32-yard field goal by Jake Suder with 11:39 to play. Just seconds later, sophomore Art Thompkins tacked on another score on an 88-yard TD run to make the score 59-31.

      Walk-on senior Brad Smith capped the Rockets' offensive production with the first touchdown of his career, a four-yard score with 4:48 remaining. Bowling Green added a two-yard touchdown run on the final play of the game to bring the final score to 66-37.


Highlights from UT's win against BG.


Head Coach Jason Candle post-game.


Senior Logan Woodside post-game.


Senior Terry Swanson post-game.


Redshirt freshman Shakif Seymour post-game.