Rockets Outlast Western Michigan for Key MAC Win, 45-38

Saturday, October 24

Toledo, Ohio

12:00 p.m.

University of Toledo

6-2 , 3-1

Western Michigan

5-3 , 3-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Western Mich.	0	14	21	3	38
Toledo	14	17	7	7	45

Final Stats (PDF)

CJ Miller rushed for 183 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter in Toledo's 45-38 win over Western Michigan on Saturday.

Photo by: Daniel Miller/University of Toledo

10/24/2026 5:00:00 PM | Football

Box Score Final Stats (PDF)Mike Jacobs press conference transcript

Toledo totals 595 yards to thwart Broncos' comeback bid

TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo roared out to a three-score halftime lead and withstood a second-half rally to earn a critical 45-38 Mid-American Conference victory over Western Michigan on Saturday at the Glass Bowl.

The Rockets (6-2, 3-1 MAC) blasted off in the first half, building a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and led 31-14 at halftime. The Broncos (5-3, 3-1 MAC) got within three, 38-35, after the third quarter and tied it in the fourth, but the Rockets retook the lead and forced a 3-and-out and intercepted a pass in the final minutes. The Rockets handed its second consecutive opponent its first MAC loss.

Despite having just one opening day starter on the offensive line, CJ Miller didn't have any trouble finding space to run, rushing for 183 yards on 33 carries (5.5 yards per carry) and a touchdown. Autavius Ison and John Alan Richter added rushing scores on the afternoon.

Adjatay Dabbs (124 yards, eight catches) and Bryson Hammer (107 yards, seven catches) made dual 100-yard receivers.

Richter threw for 391 yards, the second-most of his career, on 29-of-41 passing with three touchdowns.

Defensive end Andrew Zock continued his impressive month of October (dubbed Zock-tober) with five tackles, two tackles for loss and a strip sack which led to a Rockets fumble recovery. Nicholas Thompson marked a career-high nine tackles and his first career interception. Israel Petite snagged the game-sealing INT in the fourth, totaling two pass breakups and four tackles. The linebacking duo of Julian Fox and Isaac Zay combined for 14 stops and two TFLs.

The victory doubled as the 100th career win for Mike Jacobs, who became the 17th-fastest NCAA football coach across all divisions to reach the century mark (125 games).

How It Happened

The game started with back-to-back turnovers. Toledo QB John Alan Richter threw an interception on the fifth play, but the Rockets got the ball back on an Andrew Zock strip sack that was recovered by Julian Fox.
Once they got the ball back, the Rockets marched 32 yards in six plays, with Richter scoring a TD on a four-yard run.
The Broncos went three-and-out on their next possession, and Toledo responded with a nine-play, 92-yard TD drive that ended on a 3-yard Autavius Ison run.
The Rockets made it 17-0 on the first play of the second quarter, with a 23-yard Reice Griffith field goal. The score came after a Nicholas Thompson interception.
Western Michigan got on the scoreboard with a 13-yard touchdown pass to cap a 10-play 74-yard drive.
Richter made it 24-7 Rockets on a perfectly lofted 7-yard pass to Daryl Barnett Jr. in the corner of the end zone midway through the second quarter.
With just under two minutes left in the first half, Western Michigan scored a TD to make it 24-14. The Broncos only needed five plays to travel 80 yards, getting into the end zone on a 2-yard run.
Toledo's 2-minute offense went 82 yards in 10 plays and 1-minute, 41-seconds for a TD via a 17-yard pass from Richter to Adjatay Dabbs. The Rockets led 31-14 at halftime.
Western Michigan returned the opening kickoff of the second half 92 yards for a touchdown, and cut the score to 31-28 after an 11-play, 55-yard drive that included two third-down conversions and a fourth-down conversion. Western Michigan QB Broc Lowry scored after being helicoptered over the goal line on a 2-yard run.
Richter completed a 47-yard pass to Bryson Hammer on 3rd & 6, and then connected with Dabbs from five yards out for the duo's second TD pass-catch of the day to give the Rockets a 38-28 lead.
Western Michigan pulled within three again on a 41-yard fourth-down touchdown pass and fourth-and-6.
The Broncos tied the game on a 23-yard field goal with 9:19 left in the fourth quarter. Western Michigan got to the 1-yard line but was flagged for a false start penalty that stalled the drive.
Toledo responded with a 75-yard drive to retake the lead, 45-38, with 4:23 left. Miller supplied the go-ahead score from 11 yards out.
After the two teams traded 3-and-outs, giving Western Michigan the ball at its 23-yard line with 1:52 to play, Israel Petite picked off a pass to clinch a Toledo victory.

Game Notes

The Rockets' win makes the program bowl eligible for the 17th consecutive season. Toledo has the sixth-longest bowl eligibility streak among FBS institutions and second-longest among the Group of Six (Boise State).
Toledo's 92-yard scoring drive was its longest of the season and its second 90-yard drive in as many weeks.
The Rockets' 595 total yards were its most of the season and the fourth time Toledo has posted at least 500 yards in a game.
Toledo outgained Western Michigan 189 yards to two in the first quarter, and 10 first downs to zero. The Rockets had 357 yards and 19 first downs in the first half alone.
Defensive end Andrew Zock marked 2.0 tackles for loss for the fourth-straight game – every game in October and the 11th time in his career.
Adjatay Dabbs (124) and Bryson Hammer (107) became Toledo's first 100-yard receiving duo since Diontae Johnson and Jon'vea Johnson in the 2017 MAC Championship Game.
Hammer marked a career-high with his 107 yards, while Dabbs' pair of touchdown was his second multi-receiving TD game of the season (Michigan State).
CJ Miller's 183 yards were 13 away from his career high of 196 in Week 5 against Ball State.

Up Next
Toledo is off next Saturday before traveling to California's capital city for the first-ever meeting with Sacramento State on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The kickoff time will be announced on Monday. The game will be televised on ESPN2, ESPNU or CBS Sports Network and can be heard on the Rocket Radio Network.