Watch the 2001 MAC Championship Game
Watch Todd France score on "Nerd Up the Middle"

University of Toledo Associate Athletic Director for Communications Paul Helgren shares his 12 favorite Rocket Football victories since 1998, the year he began working with Toledo Football. No. 2 on his list is the Rockets' incredible 41-36 comeback victory over Marshall in the 2001 MAC Championship Game.

Toledo 41, Marshall 36 (Nov. 30, 2001 – MAC Championship Game)

It lasted just six games played over seven years, but it is no exaggeration to say that the rivalry between Toledo and Marshall from 1997-2003 was one of the most intense in college football at the time.

The two teams split the six games, with Marshall winning the 1997, 1998 and 2002 MAC title games over the Rockets in Huntington. Toledo trampled the Thundering Herd at home in 2000 and surprised them in Huntington in 2003. In between those two Rocket victories was the MAC Championship Game in the Glass Bowl in 2001, the greatest of them all, the one that had enough drama to fill a season of "Friday Night Lights."

Toledo won the contest, 41-36, halting Marshall's attempt to win its fifth consecutive MAC title. As if that wasn't enough, the game also featured:

• The Herd taking a seemingly insurmountable 23-0 lead in the first half.
• Byron Leftwich gleefully skipping down the length of the field after throwing a long touchdown pass in the third quarter.
• A frantic second-half Toledo comeback, spurred by Chester Taylor's 252 all-purpose yards (188 rushing, 64 receiving) and two touchdowns.
• The now-famous "Nerd Up the Middle" trick play that resulted in a 16-yard Rocket touchdown run by the most unlikely player on the field.

First, a little background on the game. Marshall was an also-ran program in the MAC from 1953-69, having failed to win a single league title in those 17 years. The Herd dropped out of the MAC and down to Division I-AA, where it reinvented itself as a power. The MAC invited Marshall back into the league in 1997, and in a move that defies logic, allowed its prodigal son to host the first four MAC Championship Games. Loaded with superstars like Randy Moss and Chad Pennington, the Herd won all four games, the first two against Toledo. Toledo got a measure of revenge with a 42-0 home-field, regular-season victory in 2000, but Marshall had the last laugh that season, winning its fourth consecutive league title, this time against Western Michigan.

In 2001, the MAC came to its senses and decreed that the division winners should alternate hosting the league title game, beginning with the West Division that year. That set up an opportunity for Toledo to finally get a shot at the title on its home turf.

Marshall entered the game as the favorite. The Thundering Herd was 10-1 and ranked No. 18 in the country. Toledo was 9-2 but coming off a 56-21 drubbing at rival Bowling Green a week earlier. Senior quarterback Tavares Bolden sat out that game with back spasms, creating further doubt about the Rockets' chances.

The early portion of the game did little to ease the concerns of Rocket fans. Marshall opened the contest by moving 80 yards in 12 plays, taking a 7-0 lead on a 14-yard TD reception by Denero Marriott. Marshall then surprised the Rockets with a squib kick that was fumbled by up-man Tom Ward. Marshall recovered on the UT 47-yard line. Seven plays later, Leftwich hit Marriott from 15 yards out. The extra point was no good, leaving the score at 13-0 Marshall.

Toledo was forced to punt on its next possession, but at least punter Brandon Hannum pinned the Herd on its own 11-yard line. That didn't stop Leftwich, who needed just two completions to get Marshall back into the end zone, the second a 62-yarder to Franklin Wallace to make the score 20-0 with 6:30 left in the first quarter.

After another Toledo punt, Marshall marched down to the UT one-yard line, poised to make it 27-0. Inexplicably, Marshall Coach Bob Pruett opted to throw on first-and-goal from the one. Linebacker David Gardner broke through the line and sacked Leftwich for a seven-yard loss. The Herd ended up settling for a 28-yard field goal. True, it was now 23-0, but the Rockets' defensive stand was at least a moral victory.

Toledo countered with a long drive that was stopped on downs, but the Rocket defense came through again, forcing Marshall to punt for the first time. This time, Toledo's offense took full advantage, moving 80 yards to trim the lead to 23-7.

The momentum shift continued when Toledo recovered a Marshall fumble on the ensuing kickoff. The Rockets had first-and-goal from the five-yard line but had to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Todd France, trimming the Marshall lead to 23-10 going into halftime.

Toledo took the opening kickoff of the second half and leaned on Taylor to get them in the end zone. Taylor accounted for 57 yards on drive, taking it in from 17 yards out to make the score 23-17. All eyes were now on Leftwich and the Herd. What happened next was the first of two iconic moments that helped this championship game attain its legendary status.

With momentum now clearly favoring Toledo, Marshall came up with a devastating counter-punch. On the first play of the drive, Leftwich hit Marriott deep over the middle for a 68-yard score. In his excitement, Leftwich skipped the length of the field to join in the celebration in the end zone. That's right, he didn't run, he skipped. The Marshall faithful located in the northeast corner of the stadium went crazy at the big play as well as the sight of their 6-6, 240-pound giant of a quarterback skipping down their opponents' field.

Leftwich's message to the Rockets was clear: this is just too easy. Your offense might be able to put some points on the board, but your defense cannot stop me.

The Toledo sideline heard that message loud and clear. Some Rocket players were clearly agitated. You can just imagine what was being said: are we going to let that happen? On our field? It was a key turning point in a game that had many of them.

The turnaround for Toledo's defense began immediately. Marshall's attempt for a two-point conversion failed, pumping much-needed energy into the Toledo sideline.

The Rocket offense wasted no time in adding to the emotional shift. On the third play of the ensuing drive, Bolden hit Taylor for a 38-yard gain to the five-yard line. Antwon McCray took it in from there to cut the lead to 29-24.

On Marshall's next dive, UT linebacker Corey Morris picked off Leftwich at the UT 41-yard line. What happened on Toledo's next drive was the second iconic moment of the game, a play that was been relived and discussed countless times by Rocket fans over the past two decades.

On fourth-and-six from the Marshall 16-yard line, France lined up for a 33-yard field goal that would cut the Marshall lead to two points. Instead, Amstutz gambled, reaching deep into his bag of tricks. On a play Amstutz later told the world was called "Nerd Up the Middle," France faked the kick, taking the ball directly from Bolden, the holder, and dashed 16 yards though a gaping hole and into the end zone. In his excitement, France kept right on going and barreled into the goal post.

"I thought when I called the play I might be the biggest nut in America," Amstutz said after the game. Instead, he looked like a genius. Once trailing 23-0, his Rockets now led, 32-29, with four minutes left in the third quarter.

Toledo's defense kept up the heat, forcing Marshall to punt on its next possession. On the very next play by the Rockets' offense, Taylor broke free for 65 yards to the Marshall 15-yard line. However, Toledo could go no further and settled for a 28-yard France field goal to make the score 35-29.

Marshall regained the lead, 36-35, on an 87-yard drive that ended with Marriott's fourth TD reception of the game. Things looked grim when Bolden was sacked on third down at the UT three-yard line, forcing Hannum to punt from the back of the end zone. But Curtis Jones mishandled the punt and Keith Dandridge pounced on it to give the Rockets the ball near midfield.

With the game on the line, Amstutz leaned on Taylor, who carried the ball on the final five plays of the drive, the last an eight-yard TD with 6:43 left. Toledo's attempt at a two-point conversion was no good, leaving the score at 41-36 with plenty of time for Marshall to score a go-ahead touchdown.

The Herd then marched the ball down to the UT 15-yard line but could get no further. On fourth-and-10, Toledo put the pressure on Leftwich, who moved out of the pocket pass and fired to Josh Davis, who was open in the end zone. Leftwich's pass sailed just out of Davis' reach and fell incomplete.

Toledo took over on its own 15 needing to run out the final 2:25 on the clock. Naturally, they went back to Taylor, who gained five, four and seven yards on consecutive carries, the last one coming on third-and one that clinched the victory and a MAC title for the Rockets. Moments later, thousands of UT students stormed the field to celebrate what surely was the greatest comeback victory ever witnessed in the long and esteemed history of the Glass Bowl.

After the game, Toledo's coaches and players could hardly believe what had just transpired. Offensive coordinator Rob Spence, who had helped guide the Rockets to 35 points in the middle two quarters, summed it up best.

 "I've never seen anything like this," said Spence. "It was unreal. Incredible. You just witnessed an absolute miracle."
 
Paul Helgren's All-Time Favorite Rocket Victories
2. Toledo 41, Marshall 36 (Nov. 30, 2001 - MAC Championship Game)
3. Toledo 24, Penn State 6 (Sept. 2, 2000)
4. Toledo 35, Miami 27 (Dec. 2, 2004 - MAC Championship Game)
5. Toledo 35, Pittsburgh 31 (Sept. 20, 2003)
6. Toledo 49, Bowling Green 41 (Nov. 23, 2004)
7. Toledo 45, Akron 28 (Dec. 2, 2017 - MAC Championship Game)
8. Toledo 16, Arkansas 12 (Sept. 12, 2015)
9. Toledo 33, Northern Illinois 30 (Nov. 23, 2002)
10. Toledo 42, Air Force 41 (Dec. 29, 2011 – Military Bowl)
11. Toledo 44, Bowling Green 41 (2OT) (Nov. 22, 2005)
12. Toledo 32, Temple 17 (Dec. 22, 2015 - Marmot Boca Raton Bowl)