TOLEDO, Ohio – Junior quarterback Eli Peters hit junior tight end Drew Rosi for a 15-yard touchdown in overtime to lead Toledo to a 37-34 victory over Eastern Michigan at a rain-soaked Glass Bowl on Saturday.

      The Eagles took the lead in overtime, 34-31, on a 24-yard field goal by Chad Ryland. Toledo was faced with third-and-10 from the 15-yard line when Peters hit Rosi on a corner route to send the Rockets into a wild celebration.

      "I'm really proud of our football team," said head coach Jason Candle. "We have a group of selfless people that really came together and played hard. There were a lot of times today that they could have buried their head in the sand but they didn't. The elements were obviously tough to play in especially with our ball security and that's something we need to clean up. It was a tough, gritty performance by a lot of our guys. Our guys really believe in each other and that gives you a chance to win any game no matter what the elements are."

      Added Peters, "I'm still numb from it all. It's an unbelievable win. We went through a lot of ups and downs but we found a way to win. That's what we've been preaching all week about overcoming adversity and never giving up. The offensive played an unbelievable game with the weather conditions. We knew we were going to have to play the whole game in the rain and they propelled us to the victory today." 

      Sophomore running back Bryant Koback led the Rocket offense with a career-high 259 yards and two touchdowns. Peters, starting his first game of the season in place of injured quarterbacks Mitchell Guadagni and Carter Bradley, completed 9-of-18 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Shakif Seymour added 94 yards rushing as Toledo racked up 504 yards of total offense, 366 on the ground.

      Toledo broke open a 10-10 tie with three consecutive touchdowns in the first six minutes of the third quarter to take a 31-10 lead. But EMU stormed back with three straight scores of its own, the last a 26-yard TD run by Shaq Vann with 2:35 left. The Eagles had a chance to win it in regulation but Ryland's 33-yard attempt sailed wide right with 1:03 to play.

      The win moves Toledo to 5-3, 2-2 in MAC play, a game behind Ball State (3-1) and a half-game behind Western Michigan and Central Michigan (both 3-2). Eastern Michigan falls to 4-4, 1-3 MAC.

First Quarter

      Toledo jumped on the board first on its opening drive, scoring on a five-yard run by Bryant Koback that capped a 15-play, 67-yard drive. The Rockets missed a chance to add to their lead when Koback lost the ball at the pylon on an attempted dive into the end zone, resulting in a touchback for EMU.

Second Quarter

      Evan Davis connected on a 26-yard field goal early in the quarter to boost Toledo's lead to 10-0. EMU cut the lead to 10-7 on a one-armed touchdown grab by Arthur Jackson from Mike Glass from 24 yards out. On their next possession, the Eagles tied the score on a 29-yard field from Chad Ryland.

Third Quarter

Toledo wasted no time at the start of the second half, moving 44 yards in three plays to a take a 16-10 lead. Ronnie Jones set up the drive with a 48-yard kickoff return. Shakif Seymour finished the drive with a seven-yard run. The extra point was no good due to a bobbled snap. The Rockets added to their lead on a 19-yard TD pass from Eli Peters to Bryce Mitchell. Peters hooked up with Drew Rosi for the two-point conversion to make the score 24-10. Moments later, Koback made it 31-10 with a 54-yard TD run. EMU came back with an 11-play drive that was capped by a four-yard rushing TD by Glass. The Eagles went for two points on the conversion with Glass' pass attempt falling incomplete, making the score 31-16.

Fourth Quarter

      EMU cut the lead to 31-24 on a three-yard TD and a two-point conversion run by Shaq Vann with 8:18 to play. Vann scored again on a 26-yard TD run  to tie the score with 2:35 left. The Eagles recovered a Toledo fumble and had a chance to win it in regulation, but Ryland's 33-yard attempt sailed wide right with 1:03 to play.

Overtime

      The Eagles took possession first and grabbed a 34-31 lead on a 24-yard field goal by Ryland. Toledo was faced with third-and-10 from the 15-yard line when Peters hit Rosi on a corner route to send the Rockets into a wild celebration.

Up Next

      The Rockets host Kent State on Tuesday, Nov. 5 (Time and TV TBA).


Highlights from Toledo's win over Eastern Michigan.


Head Coach Jason Candle post-game.


Junior Eli Peters post-game.


Junior Drew Rosi post-game.


Sophomore Bryant Koback post-game.