Post-Game Notes vs. Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois at TOLEDO
Nov. 3, 2015
Toledo, OH (Glass Bowl)
Post-Game Notes
Tonight’s loss snapped Toledo’s 10-game winning streak, dating back to last season. With the setback, the Rockets fall to 19-4 at home under fourth-year head coach Matt Campbell.
With tonight’s loss, UT slips to 36-9 in MAC games since 2010. Six of those nine setbacks have come against Northern Illinois.
Tonight’s attendance was announced at 23,089, marking the third time this season the Rockets have drawn at least 23,000 fans this season.
Junior RB Kareem Hunt carried the ball a season-high 25 times for a season-best 140 yards and two touchdowns. Hunt was credited with a six-yard TD run in the first quarter and a one-yard TD plunge in the third. It was Hunt’s second multiple TD effort of the season and eighth in his collegiate career.
Sophomore RB Terry Swanson toted the rock 16 times for 133 yards, topping the century mark for the fourth time this season. Swanson averaged a staggering 8.3 yards per carry.
Junior RB Kareem Hunt finished with a game-high 140 yards and was followed closely by sophomore RB Terry Swanson with 133 yards, marking the first time this season the Rockets have had two players with at least 100-yards rushing.
Senior WR Alonzo Russell hauled in an 11-yard TD reception in the first quarter to move into a tie for third place in school history with 23 career TD catches with Bernard Reedy (2010-13). Russell finished with two catches for 30 yards. He has now caught at least one pass in 46 straight games, tied for the second-longest streak in school history with Mel Long (1997-2000).
Senior LB Chase Murdock totaled a season-high and team-tying best 11 stops, signifying his second double-digit tackle effort of the year. Murdock’s previous best effort was 10 tackles against Iowa State on Sept. 19.
Sophomore LB Ja’Wuan Woodley recorded a career-best 11 stops and a contest-best 3.0 tackles-for-loss. Woodley came into tonight’s game with 19 tackles on the season.
Junior FS DeJuan Rogers returned to the lineup and forced a fumble on NIU’s opening possession. Rogers had missed the last two games due to injury. He finished with seven tackles and one pass breakup.
Senior DL Orion Jones recorded 1.0 tackle-for-loss and equaled his season high with seven stops. Jones has now totaled a tackle-for-loss in every game this season. He also had seven tackles against Iowa State on Sept. 19.
Sophomore CB Trevon Mathis made his first start of the season and recorded his first interception of the year in the second quarter. Mathis also recovered a fumble on the game’s opening drive.
Senior DE Allen Covington recorded a sack in the third quarter and finished with a season-tying best six tackles. Covington also had six stops at UMass last Saturday.
Junior P Nick Ellis was credited with a season-long 63-yard punt in the third period. Ellis has now tallied four punts of at least 50 yards this season. He was also credited with an 18-yard run on a fake punt in the second quarter which resulted in a first down.
Freshman PK Jameson Vest was 2-of-3 on field goal attempts, booting a 39-yarder in both the first and fourth quarters. Vest has now converted multiple field goals on four occasions this season.
Toledo gave up a 52-yard field goal in the third quarter, signifying the first points allowed by the Midnight Blue & Gold in the period this season.
UT surrendered its first two sacks of the year. The Rockets came into tonight’s game as one of only two teams in the country that could make that claim. The other is Air Force, which has no sacks in 76 attempts.
