BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – In one of the most dramatic comebacks in Toledo Football history, the Rockets rallied from an 18-point deficit to defeat arch-rival Bowling Green, 32-31, in the Battle of I-75 at Doyt Perry Stadium on Tuesday.

Facing a 4th-and-2 with less than two minutes remaining, junior running back Jacquez Stuart caught a pass from Dequan Finn and scampered 59 yards down the sideline for the game-winning touchdown.

Toledo then stopped the Falcons with a sack and three incompletions to take over on downs. After Finn kneeled down on the game's final play, hundreds of Toledo students stormed the field to celebrate the return of the Battle of I-75 trophy to Toledo and the Rockets' 12th victory in the past 14 seasons over their rivals.

"I'm proud of our football team," said Head Coach Jason Candle, who improved his record to 6-2 vs. BGSU. "I'm super excited for that senior class to be able to play and deal with some of the emotions of what a tough, hard-fought college football game can provide. It was an emotional rollercoaster there for a while, but again I credit our team for when our culture started to hit home. When guys start to repeat what the staff and the coaches and everybody in the locker room say, to not pay attention to the reaction but to the response. And the response has to be an epic one. It was going to take a solid thirty minutes in the second half and all three phases to get a victory. I credit those men in the locker room for making the commitment that we can get a win to one another to get that done.

"Our student section rushed the field at an away game. That tells you everything you need to know about this game. I'm sure the emotion on the other side was the same in our stadium last year. It was a great game for Northwest Ohio, a great game for both communities, a great game for the Mid-American Conference."

The victory was especially sweet for Toledo's players, who were motivated by a 42-35 defeat to Bowling Green in the Glass Bowl last season.

"We lost last year, and it was a big thing to take this trophy back," said senior linebacker Dallas Gant. "This is a good way to send our seniors out right now. A lot of guys have been here longer than me and they wanted to get the trophy back just as bad as me. It was a good win, good to get the trophy back."

Added Finn, "I was emotional out there tonight. I wasn't able to play in last year's game. Seeing the faces in the locker room (last year) was a devastating look. And it's a bittersweet moment now to finally be able to get the trophy back and bring it back to where it belongs, and that's Toledo."

The victory was the 10th-straight for Toledo, which improved its record to 10-1 (7-0 MAC) as it makes its case for a berth into a New Year's 6 bowl game. The Rockets had already clinched a trip to the MAC Championship Game by winning their second consecutive West Division title.

The Rockets, who trailed 28-10 at halftime, outscored the Falcons 22-3 in the second half to complete their largest comeback win of the season and seventh-largest of all time. It's the second-largest comeback ever against BGSU, second only to the 20-point comeback in a 49-41 victory in 2004.

After being outgained in the first half, Toledo held Bowling Green to just 150 yards and three points after halftime. The starkest difference was the fourth quarter, as UT outscored its rivals 15-3 and gained 158 yards of offense while allowing just 28. Toledo allowed just one first down in the final quarter.

Finn threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, with both of his touchdown tosses coming in the second half. The junior signal caller threw for 279 yards and added 35 yards on the ground. Junior running back Peny Boone rushed for 131 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown, a one-yard plunge in the fourth quarter. Stuart and sophomore wide receiver Junior Vandeross III caught Finn's touchdowns, and junior Anthony Torres caught three passes for 71 yards and a two-point conversion.

The Rockets' defense sacked Bowling Green's quarterbacks five times, with junior outside linebacker Deshawn Holt collecting a career-best two sacks and three QB hurries. Junior safety Maxen Hook was Toledo's leading tackler, posting 11 stops and recovering a fumble. Gant and junior Daniel Bolden both collected nine tackles.

First Quarter

• Toledo needed less than two minutes to move 75 yards on its opening drive, scoring on a 23-yard QB draw by Dequan Finn to draw first blood.
• Less than a minute later, Bowling Green struck right back, tying the game on a 56-yard TD reception by Harold Fannin.
• The Falcons took the lead on a two-yard jump pass from Camden Orth to Fannin, capping an eight-play, 51-yard drive.

Second Quarter

• Luke Pawlak narrowed the margin to 14-10 with a 39-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter.
• BGSU responded with a 15-play, 75 yard drive, with Orth scoring on a QB draw up the middle from five yards out to give the Falcons a 21-10 lead with 6:38 left in the half.
• The Falcons increased their lead to 28-10 with a 12-play drive that chewed up all but the final 24 seconds of the clock. Ta'Ron Keith took it across from one-yard out to give BGSU an 18-point lead heading into the locker room.

Third Quarter

• The Rockets took advantage of a shanked punt that gave them the ball on the BG 41-yard line. Two Finn completions got Toledo into the end zone, the second a 22-yard scoring toss to Junior Vandeross, cutting the lead to 28-17 with 12:57 left in the quarter.
• The Falcons were driving deep into Toledo territory when Terrance Taylor forced a crucial fumble. Maxen Hook recovered the ball to turn the tide with 10:13 to go in the quarter.

Fourth Quarter

• Peny Boone bolted 55 yards to the BG 10-yard line, setting up his own one-yard touchdown run two plays later. Finn hit Anthony Torres for the two-point conversation to bring Toledo to within a field goal, 28-25.
• Bowling Green's Alan Anaya connected on a 40-yard field goal with 7:30 remaining to put the score at 31-25.
• Toledo's defense forced a three-and-out and got the ball back with 4:36 left and took over at its own 23-yard line. Seven plays later, Finn found an open Stuart, who turned up field and outran every Falcon defender on the way to the end zone. The TD put the Rockets ahead, 32-31, with 1:45 left.
• Bowling Green's final drive featured three incomplete passes and a sack from Judge Culpepper, a dominant showing by UT's defense on the final drive of the game.

Up Next

      The Rockets finish their regular season at Central Michigan on Friday, Nov. 24 before heading to the MAC Championship Game in Detroit on Dec. 2.

Toledo Post Game Notes

• Toledo is 10-1 for the first time in Jason Candle's eight years at Toledo and has won 10 of its 11 games in a season for the first time since going 11-0-1 in 1995.
• The Rockets have now won 10 straight games in a single season for the first time since 1971. That team went 12-0 in the third and final year of the famous 35-0 run from 1969-71 (Toledo won 12 straight games over two seasons in 2000 and 2001).
• Toledo is 7-0 in MAC play for the first time in school history, though it was also undefeated in MAC play in 1969, 1970 and 1971 (5-0 each year) and in 1995 (7-0-1).
• Junior quarterback Dequan Finn completed 20-of-30 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns.
• Toledo's comeback from an 18-point deficit ranks as the seventh-largest comeback in school history. It is the second-largest comeback against BGSU, trailing only the 20-point rally in a 49-41 victory in 2004.
• The Toledo victory improves its record to 43-41-4 in the all-time series.
• Finn now has 506 rushing yards this season. It is the third straight season in which he has thrown for over 2000 yards and rushed for more than 500, the only Rocket quarterback to hit those milestones in multiple seasons. He is the sixth FBS quarterback this year with at least 2,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards.
• Peny Boone rushed for 131 yards, giving him 1,173 for the season, which ranks 16^th for the most yards in a single season for a Rocket.
• Junior tight end Anthony Torres had three receptions for 71 yards, his fourth consecutive game with at least two catches. He also caught a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter.
• Freshman Emilo Duran's 69-yard punt in the third quarter was his season-long boot. His previous long was 48 yards.
• Junior cornerback Quinyon Mitchell had two pass breakups, his 15^th and 16th of the season, giving him 44 for his career and pushing him past Samuel Womack (42 from 2017-21) as Toledo's all-time leader.
• Junior Deshawn Holt had two sacks, his first game with multiple sacks in his career. He is the fourth different Rocket with at least two sacks in a game this year, joining Adrian Woliver, Jeremiah Peters, and Judge Culpepper (twice).