DEKALB, Ill. – Sophomore quarterback Carter Bradley threw for a career-high 432 yards and three touchdowns to lead Toledo (3-2, 3-2 MAC) to a 41-24 victory over Northern Illinois (0-5, 0-5 MAC) in DeKalb on Saturday. It was Toledo's first win in DeKalb since 2006.
Bradley, filling in for the injured Eli Peters, completed 29-of-44 passes and added 44 yards rushing. His 432 yards passing was the seventh-highest total in Toledo history and the most by a Rocket quarterback since Logan Woodside threw for 458 yards vs. Tulsa in 2017.
"I'm very proud of our football team," said Head Coach Jason Candle. "We showed a lot of resolve, a lot of fight. It's our first win here since 2006. Wins are hard to get in this league, especially on the road."
Bradley led the Rockets to a season-high 614 yards of total offense. He completed passes to nine different receivers, led by junior Isaiah Winstead's career-high eight receptions and 106 receiving yards. Senior Danzel McKinley-Lewis added a career-high 110 yards receiving on six receptions and one TD. Redshirt freshman Micah Kelly led the rushing attack with 72 yards on 12 carries, scoring the Rockets' final TD of the game late in the fourth quarter. Junior Bryant Koback added 65 yards and one TD on 17 carries.
Northern Illinois led 21-14 early in the second quarter and the contest was tied at halftime, 24-24, before Toledo rallied. Toledo's defense, which gave up 24 points in the first half, pitched a shutout in the final 30 minutes, holding the Huskies to just 88 yards of offense in the second half. Senior safety Tycen Anderson led the way with a team-high eight tackles and one pass breakup.
First Quarter
     Toledo opened the scoring on its first possession, moving 80 yards in 10 plays behind five completions and an 11-yard rush by Bradley. Bradley hit McKinley-Lewis in the corner of the end zone from 21 yards out to make it 7-0. Northern Illinois countered with a 28-yard touchdown run by Harrison Waylee to knot it up at 7-7.
Second Quarter
     NIU took advantage of an interception, driving 78 yards in seven plays to take a 14-7 lead on a five-yard pass from Ross Bowers to Danie Crawford. Toledo started on its own two-yard line on the ensuing possession but it didn't matter as Bradley quickly drove the Rockets 98 yards in 10 plays. Bradley completed four big passes on the drive, and Koback finished it off with a one-yard TD run to tie the score. The Huskies regained the lead, 21-14, on a 26-yard TD throw from Bowers to Tyrice Richie. Toledo answered with a big play on fourth-and-seven as Bradley hit Bryce Mitchell on a sideline completion. Mitchell spun to the inside of the field and bolted 44 yards for the touchdown to tie the score at 21-21. The Rockets' defense then forced an NIU fumble that UT converted into a 25-yard field goal by Thomas Cluckey with 1:45 left in the half. The Huskies matched that with a 29-yad field goal with 17 seconds remaining to send the teams into the locker room tied at 24-24.
Third Quarter
     Toledo opened with two good drives but was stopped by an NIU interception at the NIU 25-yard line and then with an incomplete pass on fourth-and-12 from the NIU 20. On the other side of the ball, the Rocket defense kept Northern in check, forcing a pair of punts.
Fourth Quarter
     Toledo took a 27-24 lead on a 22-yard Cluckey field goal on the Rockets' first possession of the half. After another NIU punt, the Rockets marched 80 yards in seven plays, capped by a 15-yard touchdown from Bradley to Ronnie Blackmon. After Northern gave up the ball on downs, the Rockets iced the game with a 25-yard scoring run by Micah Kelly with 2:01 to play that proved to be the game's final score.
Up Next
     The Rockets host Central Michigan in the regular-season finale on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 3:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Highlights from Toledo's win over Northern Illinois.
Head Coach Jason Candle Post-game.Â
Sophomore Carter Bradley Post-game.
Senior Tycen Anderson Post-game.Â
