Rockets roll over Wolfpack, 37-24

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Senior quarterback Logan Woodside threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns, while senior wide receiver Cody Thompson caught a career-high eight passes for 101 yards to lead Toledo to a 37-24 victory over Nevada in Reno Saturday. Senior running back Terry Swanson ran for 101 yards added two touchdowns to the cause.

The Rockets (2-0) outgained the Wolfpack (0-2) in total yards, 426-386, and never trailed in the contest. The Rockets, who led by as many as 17 points in both halves, also forced two key turnovers in the second half.

UT got on the board on its first possession, taking a 3-0 lead on a 25-yard field goal by Jameson Vest. Moments later, Nevada tied the score on a 47-yarder by Spencer Pettit. Following a short punt out of bounds by the Wolf Pack, Toledo drove 50 yards in eight plays, culminated by a 12-yard TD catch by Diontae Johnson from Woodside to make the score 10-3 with 3:21 to play in the opening quarter.

Toledo missed a chance to extend the lead on the first play of the second quarter when fullback Reggie Gilliam was stopped on fourth-and-one play at the goal line. However, the Rocket defense forced a punt, giving Toledo the ball back on the UN 34-yard line. Five plays later, Terry Swanson ran it in from three yards out to extend the UT lead to 17-3 with 10:59 to play in the half. Vest knocked home his second field goal of the half with 5:17 to play to give UT a comfortable 20-3 lead.    

Nevada scored its first touchdown of the game with 52 seconds left in the first half, a 19-yard pass from Ty Gangi to Daiyan Henley to cut the UT lead to 20-10.

The Rockets gobbled up over six minutes of the clock to start the second half, a 13-play, 75-yard drive that was finished off by Swanson from one yard out to make the score 27-10. Nevada answered the call with a six-play, 75-yard drive that took just 1:30. Gangi ran it in from one yard out to trim the lead to 27-17.

Toledo made it 34-17 on an eight-yard pass from Woodside to Thompson with 3:45 left in the third quarter. But once again, Nevada answered, this time on a 75-yard bomb from Gangi to McLane Mannix on the very next play from scrimmage.

The Rockets missed a chance to grow the lead when Vest’s 31-yard field goal went wide left. But Toledo avoided damage on Nevada’s ensuing possession when Tuzar Skipper forced a fumble on a pass attempt by Gangi that was recovered by Nate Childress. Toledo wasn’t able to convert on the turnover, but the Rocket defense forced another turnover on Nevada’s next possession. Junior defensive end Olasunkanmi Adeniyi hit Gangi’s arm on a pass attempt that was picked off by senior linebacker Ja’Wuan Woodley on the UN 36-yard line. Toledo settled for a field goal that made the score 37-24 with 4:31 to play.

On the ensuing drive, the Wolfpack marched all the way down to the Toledo 18-yard line, trying to make it a one-score game. But the Toledo defense held and on fourth and two Gangi’s pass attempt fell incomplete, sealing the victory and a 2-0 start to the season for the Rockets.

Toledo will return home Saturday, Sept. 16, for a 7 p.m. matchup with Tulsa in the Glass Bowl.