Woodside, Rockets’ offense overwhelm Zips
DETROIT — Jason Candle had every reason to be conservative at the end of the first half in Saturday’s Mid-American Conference championship game.
His Toledo Rockets had a 21-point lead and were facing a first down at their own 3-yard line with 1:39 left in the second quarter. The percentage play was to run out the clock, especially as they were getting the ball to start the second half.
Instead, Candle put the ball in the hands of quarterback Logan Woodside and he responded, fueling a 45-28 victory.
“I’ve got the best passer in the history of this school,” Candle said. “You have to trust your quarterback to go for it in that spot, and I have that faith in Logan.”
After Terry Swanson ran the ball to the Toledo 39, Woodside took over. With eight seconds left in the half, he finished off the 97-yard drive with his third touchdown pass, hitting Jon’Vea Johnson for 27 yards and a 28-0 lead.
“Terry had a lot to do with that drive, because his runs got us out of the hole,” said Woodside, who finished with four touchdown passes. “After that, Coach gave me a chance to make some plays.”
The Rockets built the
lead to 38-0 on their way to the victory. Akron didn’t score until Manny Morgan’s rushing touchdown with 30 seconds left in the third quarter.
“They played a little softer in the second half, because they knew they were so far ahead,” Akron coach Terry Bowden said. “Our guys played as hard as they could, and we got some quick scores late, but Toledo still won by a good margin.”
Swanson finished with 180 yards and two touchdowns.
“Logan is so good that he opens up all kinds of space for the running game,” he said. “Add in a great offensive line, and it makes my life a lot easier.”
Receivers Diontae Johnson (118 yards) and Jon’Vea Johnson (103) combined for 221 yards and three touchdowns for Toledo (11-2), which won its third conference championship game and first since 2004.
Toledo, which hadn’t won 11 games since going 11-0-1 in 1995, will play in a bowl game for the fourth straight season and the seventh time in eight years. A bowl-game victory would tie the school record of 12 wins, set in 1970 and tied the next year.
“When you have offensive balance, not just with the run and the pass, but two receivers getting the ball and making plays, you are going to be tough to stop,” Candle said. “We have great players, and it is our job to find ways to get them all involved.”
Akron (7-6) forced five turnovers but couldn’t overcome the halftime deficit in their second lopsided loss to Toledo this season. They were hurt in the first half by a 48-yard punt return by Danzel McKinley-Lewis and a 36-yard return of a blocked field goal by Josh Teachey.
Woodside threw a touchdown pass in each of the first two quarters to Diontae Johnson, and Swanson rushed for 61 yards and another score before halftime. Toledo outgained Akron 326-98 in the half.