OXFORD, Ohio – In a battle of the two division leaders of the Mid-American Conference, Toledo came away with a 21-17 victory over Miami in Oxford on Saturday.

With the win, the Rockets (7-1, 4-0 MAC) keep their one-game cushion over Northern Illinois in the MAC West standings and remain two games up on Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan.

Toledo led 21-3 at halftime before Miami (6-2, 3-1 MAC) scored a pair of third-quarter touchdowns to make it 21-17. The Rockets' offense was held scoreless in the second half, but the defense turned in a masterful fourth quarter to help seal the win. Two three-and-outs and a crucial turnover in the final two minutes helped propel Toledo to a thrilling win.

"We had some big defensive stops in the second half and we were very efficient on offense in the first half," said Head Coach Jason Candle. "Credit Miami with some really good defensive stops on third down. Our third-down percentage was uncharacteristically low and lot of that had to do with them giving us problems, stacking the box at the line of scrimmage. Winning games on the road in this conference is difficult to do. That's a good football team we just played. I'm really happy for our guys to come out with a win. I'm really proud of the defensive effort, especially in the second half."

Junior quarterback Dequan Finn completed 16-of-28 passes for 160 yards and two scores while rushing for 34 yards and another touchdown. Seniors Devin Maddox and Anthony Torres caught Finn's touchdowns, the first TD catch for both players this season. Torres caught three balls for a team-best 49 yards, while senior wide receiver Jerjuan Newton led Toledo with four catches. Junior running back Peny Boone added a team-best 73 rushing yards on the ground.

The secondary caused fits for the Miami passing attack all game long, combining for 10 pass breakups between six different players. Senior Chris McDonald and junior Quinyon Mitchell led the way with three pass breakups apiece. Senior defensive end Adrian Woliver made his first start of the season on the defensive line and made it count, tallying two sacks. Junior safety Maxen Hook led the Rockets with eight tackles.

First Quarter

• Toledo drove 59 yards in nine plays on its second drive of the game, scoring on a three-yard completion from Dequan Finn to Devin Maddox.
• Toledo held Miami to a field goal following a 13-play drive when Quinyon Mitchell broke up a third-and-three pass attempt in the end zone.

Second Quarter

• Toledo made it 14-3 on a touchdown run from Finn on fourth-and-one, capping a 16-play, 75-yard drive.
• Tight end Anthony Torres made a leaping catch in the end zone from 20 yards out to make 21-3 with 33 seconds left in the half.

Third Quarter

• Miami cut the lead to 21-10 on its first possession of the half with a two-yard touchdown run by Kenny Tracy.
• Toledo stopped Miami's next drive when Dallas Gant intercepted a pass on the UT 24-yard line on a pass that was broken up by Quinyon Mitchell.
• Following a lengthy delay due to the injury of Miami quarterback Brett Gabbert, Miami scored on a two-yard run up the middle to shrink Toledo's lead to 21-17 with 1:19 left in the quarter.

Fourth Quarter

• The Rockets' defense stood tall in the fourth quarter, forcing two three-and-outs and holding the RedHawks to just 44 yards of offense.
• Miami got the ball back with 2:33 on the clock with a chance to win, but Adrian Woliver forced a fumble near midfield and Deshawn Holt recovered it to seal the win.

• Toledo's win makes it 7-1 for the first time since 2017 when it opened with an 8-1 mark. It is also the first time the Rockets have won seven straight games since the 2015 season when they began the season 7-0.
• Toledo begins the MAC season with a 4-0 mark for the first time since 2017 when it opened with a 5-0 league record.
• Toledo remains in first place in the MAC West Division, with a one-game lead over Northern Illinois (3-1) in the MAC West standings and remain two games up on Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan (both 2-2).
• Dequan Finn completed 16-of-28 passes for 160 yards and two TDs. He was 13-of-16 with two scores in the first half.
• Tight end Anthony Torres caught his first career touchdown pass in the second quarter.
• Devin Maddox caught his first TD reception of the season in the first quarter, the 14^th of his career.
• Miami sacked Finn in the third quarter, the first sack allowed by Toledo since the third quarter of the San Jose State game on Sept. 16, a streak of 19 quarters without allowing a sack.
• Six Rocket defensive backs broke up at least one pass: Chris McDonald and Quinyon Mitchell led the Rockets with three, and RJ Delancy, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Nate Bauer, and Zachary Ford all tallied one apiece.
• Dallas Gant's third-quarter interception was the first of his career. He is the sixth different player this season with an interception.
• Adrian Woliver had his first start of the season and tallied two sacks and a key forced fumble on Miami's last possession.

Up Next

      The Rockets return home to play Buffalo in a Halloween contest on Tuesday, Oct. 31.