The Toledo Rockets zoomed by the Arkansas State Red Wolves, 37-7, in the Glass Bowl Saturday night.
UT put 10 points on the scoreboard in less than three minutes to start the game against the team from the Sun Belt Conference and never looked back.
Running back Terry Swanson scored two touchdowns for the Rockets in the victory over Arkansas State in the Glass Bowl.
On the kickoff, Toledo linebacker Jaylen Coleman popped the ball loose, and the fumble was recovered by teammate Delando Johnson on the 31-yard line.
Toledo cashed in on the turnover when freshman kicker Jameson Vest booted a 31-yard field goal to put UT up 10-0 with 12:07 to go in the first quarter.
Arkansas State then intercepted Phillip Ely and took over on the Rockets’ six-yard line. But Toledo’s tough defense forced the Red Wolves to attempt a field goal, which was missed.
The two teams traded possessions until UT senior safety Rolan Milligan brought down a tipped pass for an interception and raced 36 yards to increase Toledo’s lead to 17-0 in the final seconds of the first quarter.
It was another turnover that led to the Rockets’ next score. Junior defensive tackle Treyvon Hester knocked the ball loose and senior defensive end Trent Voss picked it up and took it to Akransas State’s three-yard line.
Sophomore running back Terry Swanson scored on a three-yard run at 11:34 mark in the second quarter to push UT’s lead to 24-0.
The Red Wolves got on the board with an explosive 92-yard kickoff return by J.D. McKissic to cut UT’s lead to 24-7.
Toledo killed some clock on its next possession, going 69 yards in 16 plays in a little more than six minutes. Vest added three points with a 23-yard field goal to make it 27-7.
The Red Wolves had seven penalties in the first half for 85 yards, and their total offense was 86 yards in 27 plays.
It was Vest again with a 44-yard field goal at the 8:34 mark in the third quarter to boost UT’s lead to 30-7.
Toledo’s defense tamed the Red Wolves’ high-powered offense, which didn’t convert a third-down conversion until three minutes were left in the third quarter. The Rockets had six tackles for loss. Senior defensive tackle Orion Jones recorded three sacks.
Swanson scored again on a one-yard run for UT and Vest kicked the extra point to boost the Rockets’ score to 37-7 with 5:34 to go in the fourth quarter.
While it was a rematch of the GoDaddy Bowl, two star players were missing: running back Kareem Hunt for the Rockets and quarterback Fredi Knighten for the Red Wolves. Toledo won that bowl matchup, 63-44. UT has played Arkansas State four times and is 4-0.
With back-to-back victories over Bowl Championship Series Power Five conference teams Arkansas and Iowa State, Toledo is now 3-0.
The Rockets will open Mid-American Conference play against Ball State in Muncie, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 3, at 3 p.m. The game will be carried by the American Sports Network.
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