Down 42-28 with under three-and-a-half minutes to play, the Toledo football team pulled off one of the most unlikely comebacks in program history, rallying to stun Temple, 49-48, in an overtime thriller at Glass Bowl Stadium on Saturday.
Trailing by 10 at the half, the Rockets (2-1) scored early in the fourth quarter for a 28-27 lead, but the Owls (1-2) scored 15 points on consecutive offensive possessions and led 42-28 as the game entered the final two minutes; however, the Rockets scored, recovered the onside kick and scored again in a span of 11 seconds to tie the game with under a minute left in regulation.
The Toledo football team pulled off one of the most unlikely comebacks in program history, rallying to stun Temple, 49-48, in an overtime thriller at Glass Bowl Stadium on Saturday.
Toledo and Temple both quickly scored touchdowns in overtime, before an incomplete pass on Temple’s two-point try capped the Rockets’ comeback.
Junior quarterback John Alan Richter was 38 of 51 through the air for 429 yards and four touchdowns, setting career highs in completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns. Senior Connor Walendzak led UToledo on the ground with 62 yards on 12 carries and two rushing touchdowns, with his 1-yard rush in overtime serving as the winning score.
Seniors Terrell Crosby, Jr. (seven catches, 95 yards) and Adjatay Dabbs (eight receptions, 88 yards) led the Rockets in receiving. Junior Bryson Hammer chipped in 67 yards, including Toledo’s longest reception (43 yards). Miller, Walendzak, Jacob Newell and Daryl Barnett Jr. each caught receiving touchdowns, with Barnett grabbing a 23-yard strike with 54 seconds to play to tie the game.
Senior Kaleb Hutchinson led the Rockets with 10 tackles, while junior Julian Fox and senior Armorion Smith each contributed nine stops. Junior Nicholas Thompson recorded a strip sack in the fourth quarter, which junior Andrew Zock recovered.
How It Happened
Linebacker Isaac Prince recovers the onside kick attempt with 1:05 left in the game, paving the way for Toledo to tie.
• Temple scored first, connecting on a 41-yard field goal after a Toledo fumble.
• The Rockets responded with a grinding, 11-play drive that saw UToledo’s offensive line create wide running lanes for Connor Walendzak, who got Toledo on the doorstep. CJ Miller punched the ball into the end zone from 1-yard out.
• The Owls came back with consecutive touchdowns for a 17-7 lead midway through the second quarter, scoring on a 2-yard pass and a 3-yard run.
• The teams traded touchdowns the rest of the half, with Temple leading 24-14 at halftime. Walendzak capped Toledo’s drive with a 2-yard rush.
• Toledo used a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to get within three points of Temple, 24-21. Tight end Jacob Newell had two receptions for 29 yards on the drive, including a 9-yard TD catch.
• Temple’s second field goal from beyond 40 yards made it 27-21 Owls with 5:09 left in the third quarter.
• A strip sack by Nicholas Thompson and a fumble recovery by Andrew Zock set up a short field for the Rockets, which they made good on with a 9-yard pass to Walendzak on 3rd & goal for a 28-27 lead with 12:29 left.
• The Owls took the lead on a 69-yard touchdown reception by Colin Chase and converted the two-point try. After a Toledo three-and-out, the Owls set up another scoring drive with a 50-yard run and scored on a 2-yard rush by Sam Brown for a 42-28 edge with 6:40 remaining.
• The Rockets embarked on a 10-play, 83-yard drive in just 2:03 to cut the deficit to 42-35 with 1:05 to go. The Rockets’ Isaac Prince then recovered the onside kick to set up Toledo on the plus side of the field.
• Toledo then struck in two plays and just nine seconds, with Richter finding Daryl Barnett, Jr. in the corner of the end zone to tie the game, 42-42 to force overtime.
• A 24-yard pass to Sam Lee set up Walendzak’s go-ahead one-yard rush.
• Temple quarterback Ajani Sheppard scored from one yard out to cut the lead to 49-48 and set up a 2-point try for the win. The pass fell incomplete for the Rockets’ victory.
Game Notes
Mere seconds after Toledo’s onside kick recovery, Daryl Barnett catches the touchdown pass to tie the game at 42 (after the extra point) with 54 seconds remaining in the game.
• The Rockets erased a 10-point halftime deficit, coming back from double digits down at the half to win for the first time since Nov. 14, 2023 at Bowling Green.
• Toledo extended its home winning streak to eight, dating back to the beginning of the 2025 season.
• The Rockets played and won their first overtime game since the 2024 GameAbove Sports Bowl, a 48-46 victory in six overtimes over Pitt.
• John Alan Richter set career highs in passing yards (429), completions (38) and passing touchdowns (4).
• Connor Walendzak set a career high with his three total touchdowns.
• Bryson Hammer’s 43-yard slant to set up a Rocket TD was the longest catch of his career.
• Nicholas Thompson’s forced fumble was the first of his career. Andrew Zock’s ensuing recovery was the second fumble recovery of his career.
• Toledo marks its first victory over the American Athletic Conference. Saturday was just the second all-time meeting against the conference.
The Rockets close the homestand on Saturday, Sept. 26, hosting San Diego State at the Glass Bowl. Kickoff is at noon on CBS Sports Network and the Rocket Radio Network. Tickets are available online at UTRockets.com/tickets. The Aztecs are 1-2.
First-year Head Coach Mike Jacobs and his wife, Lacey Jacobs, celebrate on the field following his team’s big win at Glass Bowl Stadium.
