TOLEDO, Ohio – Toledo scored on the opening kickoff and never looked back in its 31-13 victory over Buffalo on a chilly and snowy evening at the Glass Bowl on Tuesday.

The victory was the Rockets' eighth straight and moves their record to 8-1, 5-0 in MAC play, securely in first place in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference. Toledo has a two-game lead over Northern Illinois and Central Michigan (both 3-2) with three games left in conference play.

Junior Jacquez Stuart got Toledo off to a hot start with a 97-yard touchdown right up the middle on the opening kickoff. Moments later, junior Peny Boone bolted 71 yards for a score that gave Toledo a 14-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.

Buffalo (3-6, 3-2 MAC) cut the lead to 14-7 but Toledo scored the final 10 points in the first half to take a 24-7 halftime lead. The Rockets survived a pair of costly turnovers in the second half but their defense kept the Bulls from making a serious rally.

"I'm extremely proud of our team tonight," said Head Coach Jason Candle. "There are ebbs and flows in every game. I thought our special teams up until the blocked punt were excellent throughout the football game. We had some key defensive stops throughout the game, and it was good to create some turnovers. Offensively, there were some bright spots and a lot of yards gained in the first half. But the turnovers are going to stick like a knife in my side. We have to get those things corrected, get those things fixed, and have a good week as we prepare for this next game. Like I've said before, it's hard to win games in our league and consistently do it. I'm happy with our guys and we'll continue to press on here."

Boone rushed for 125 yards on 12 carries, his sixth 100-yard game of the season. He nearly cracked the 1000-yard mark, ending the evening with 990 for the season. Stuart added 40 yards and one score. Junior quarterback Dequan Finn completed 12-of-19 passes for 173 yards and one TD.

Junior safety Maxen Hook led the defense with 13 tackles, an interception and one pass breakup. Senior linebacker Dallas Gant tied Hook for the team lead with 13 tackles while senior cornerback Chris McDonald added an interception. Junior cornerback Quinyon Mitchell had three pass breakups and also blocked a punt in the second half.

First Quarter

• Jacquez Stuart took the opening kickoff up the middle for a 97-yard touchdown.
• After a three-and-out by Buffalo, Toledo struck again with a 71-yard TD run by Peny Boone to give Toledo a 14-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.
• Buffalo took advantage of a 47-yard return on an interception with a four-yard TD pass from Cole Snyder to Cole Harrity, trimming the Toledo lead to 14-7.  

Second Quarter

• Toledo made it 21-7 less than a minute into the second quarter on a 26-yard TD pass from Dequan Finn to Anthony Torres.
• Toledo tacked on a 39-yard field goal by Luke Pawlak with 54 seconds left in the half to take a 24-7 lead into the locker room.

Third Quarter

• Toledo scored on its second possession of the half on a drive that was set up on a blocked punt by Quinyon Mitchell. Stuart scored from 12 yards out on the first play after the block to increase Toledo's lead to 31-7.
• A Toledo fumble deep in its own end set up a one-yard touchdown run by Jacqez Barksdale to cut the lead to 31-13 with 43 seconds left in the quarter.

Fourth Quarter

• Buffalo had two long drives but the Rockets' defense stopped them both times on fourth down.

Up Next

      The Rockets host Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, Nov. 8 (7:30 p.m./ESPN2).

Toledo Post-Game Notes

• Toledo's win makes it 8-1 for the first time since 2017 when it also opened with an 8-1 mark.
• The Rockets have won eight straight games for the first time since 2012 when they won eight straight following a season-opening overtime loss at Arizona. The last time Toledo won nine in a row was in 1983 when the Rockets reeled off nine straight victories before ending up 9-2 for the season.
• Toledo begins the MAC season with a 5-0 mark for the first time since 2017 when it won its first five MAC games. The last time Toledo was 6-0 in MAC play was in 1997.
• Jacquez Stuart's 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was the second of his career. He also had a 97-yarder vs. Eastern Michigan on Nov. 2, 2021, which was also the last time a Rocket returned a kickoff to the house.
• Peny Boone's 71-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was the longest of his career. His previous long run was 54 yards vs. Western Michigan on Sept. 23 of this year.
• Boone rushed for 125 yards on 12 carries, his sixth 100-yard game of the season. He entered the game ranked 10^th in the nation in rushing yards.
• Boone's 125 yards gives him 990 for the season, leaving him just 10 yards shy of becoming the 19^th Rocket to crack the 1000-yard mark for rushing in a season.
• Quarterback Dequan Finn completed 12-of-19 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown. He now has 6,015 career passing yards, eight behind Kevin Meger's 6,023 yards from 1989-92 that rank seventh in program history.
• Junior tight end Anthony Torres caught a 26-yard touchdown pass one week after catching his first career TD vs. Miami.
• Torres led the Rockets with a career-high four receptions and a career-best 84 receiving yards.
• All three of freshman Emilio Duran's punts landed inside the 20-yard line, giving him 14 punts inside the 20 in 32 attempts.
• Senior Dallas Gant and junior Maxen Hook topped the Rockets with 13 tackles apiece. Hook's 13 tackles tied a career high, while Gant's total was two shy of his career best.
• Hook also registered his team-high third interception of the season. He now has five picks in his Rocket career.
• Junior Quinyon Mitchell notched three pass breakups, giving him 13 for the season and leaving him one shy of the school career record of 42 held by Samuel Womack (2017-21). His 13 breakups are tied for fifth best in program history.