Rockets fall to Appalachian State, 31-28, in Camellia Bowl

December 17, 2016 | Athletics, Events, News

By Paul Helgren

Senior Kareem Hunt rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns to become Toledo’s all-time leading rusher, but it wasn’t enough as Toledo fell to Appalachian State, 31-28, Saturday night in the 2016 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.

App State scored on a 39-yard field goal with 5:14 left in the fourth quarter to give the Mountaineers a 31-28 lead. Toledo had a chance to tie the score, but Jameson Vest’s 30-yard field goal attempt with 1:48 left was wide right.

Senior Kareem Hunt led the rushing attack with 120 yards, giving him 4,945 career rushing yards, which breaks the all-time record at Toledo previously held by Chester Taylor.

Hunt led the rushing attack with 120 yards, giving him 4,945 career rushing yards, which breaks the all-time record at Toledo previously held by Chester Taylor (4,849 from 1998 to 2001). It was also the 28th 100-yard game in his career, breaking the school mark of 27 held by Taylor.

Senior Logan Woodside connected on 18 of 26 passes and added to his nation-leading total by throwing two touchdown passes. He leads the nation with 45 touchdown passes, four more than the No. 2 QB (Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes with 41).

Senior Logan Woodside threw two touchdown passes. He leads the nation with 45 TD passes.

Junior Cody Thompson led the team with 99 yards on five receptions, giving him 1,269 on the season and surpassing the Toledo record of 1,194 set by Lance Moore in 2003.

The contest was a close battle throughout the night with neither team leading by more than seven points. The score was tied at 7, 14, 21 and 28.

The Mountaineers struck first, moving 72 yards on 10 plays in their first drive for the touchdown, a 16-yard pass from Taylor Lamb to Deltron Hopkins.

Tight end Michael Roberts celebrated after a 15-yard touchdown catch that made it 7-7 in the first quarter.

Toledo tied the score, 7-7, on a 15-yard scoring strike from Woodside to tight end Michael Roberts. The big play on that drive was a 58-yard bomb from Woodside to Corey Jones that set UT up at the App State 17-yard line.

The teams traded three punts each before App State scored on a 13-yard run by Marcus Cox to give the Mountaineers a 14-7 lead with 6:03 to play in the second quarter.

Toledo struck back when Hunt bolted 26 yards into the end zone to tie the score at 14-14.

App State regained the lead on a 13-yard touchdown run by quarterback Lamb on a fourth-and-one play with 8:04 to play in the third quarter.

Senior DeJuan Rogers took down a Mountaineer.

Later in the quarter, Toledo tied the score once again, 21-21, on a four-yard touchdown pass from Woodside to Thompson.

However, the Mountaineers wasted no time when Darrynton Evans returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown.

Toledo evened the score at 28-28 with a one-yard run by Hunt. The drive was set up by Woodside’s 58-yard pass to Thompson across the middle of the field to the four-yard line.

App State had a chance to take the lead with a 38-yard field goal attempt, but the Mountaineers attempted a fake. The pass attempt fell incomplete giving the Rockets the ball on their own 21-yard line. The Mountaineers took advantage at a later opportunity and regained the lead with a 39-yard field goal by Michael Rubino.

Toledo had a chance to win or tie on its final possession. Jones got the Rockets in good field position with a 31-yard kickoff return to the UT 43-yard line. Toledo moved the ball to the ASU eight-yard line, but the drive stalled, setting up Vest’s missed field goal attempt.