TOLEDO, OH - Redshirt freshman Morgan Williams is Toledo's Athlete of the Week after running for a school-record 330 yards in addition to three touchdowns to lead Toledo to a 42-14 victory over Miami in the Glass Bowl last Friday.
Williams, a two-time Ohio high school player of the year out of Canton McKinley High School, had runs of 86, 58, 30 and 25 yards, helping him shatter the previous Rocket rushing mark of 304 yards set by Casey McBeth against Akron in 1994. Williams previous game high was 142 yards vs. Fresno State on Sept. 20. He now has 857 yards for the season, 22 yards short of freshman team record of 879 yards.
Williams opened the scoring in the first quarter with an eight-yard scoring run on Toledo’s opening drive. He set up the next score on a 25-yard run to the one-yard line before quarterback Aaron Opelt put it across on a one-yard plunge to put UT up, 14-0, early in the second quarter.
Williams struck again on Toledo’s next possession with an 86-yard TD run, the third-longest scoring run in school history. Miami scored with nine seconds left in the half to make the score 21-7 at the half.
Williams wasted no time getting back in gear in the second half, bolting 58 yards to the Miami five-yard line on Toledo’s first drive in the third quarter. Two plays later junior wide receiver Robin Bailey scored from two yards out on a reverse to put Toledo up, 28-7.
Williams broke the record with a 30-yard run with a little less than 12 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. He was then replaced by redshirt freshman Adonis Thomas, who later scored on a 10-yard run with 8:12 remaining in the game.
Toledo will close out the 2008 season in the Glass Bowl next Friday when it hosts arch-rival Bowling Green in Tom Amstutz’s final game as head coach.
