Senior running back Terry Swanson rushed for a season-high 145 yards and two touchdowns as Toledo dominated Central Michigan, 30-10, on a rainy afternoon in Mount Pleasant.
A driving rain limited the passing games for both teams, forcing the Rockets and the Chippewas to lean on the running game. Toledo was able to sustain a consistent attack on the ground despite missing three starters on the offensive line, while the Rocket defense bottled up the CMU runners and forced Chippewa quarterback Shane Morris into a sub-par performance. Central was held to 244 yards of total offense, including just 49 yards and two first downs in the first half. Morris was 17 of 37 for 182 yards and two interceptions. CMU gained just 62 yards in 21 attempts on the ground, an average of 2.9 yards per carry.
Senior running back Terry Swanson led the offensive attack with 145 yards and two touchdowns.
The game started with a light rain, but by the middle of the first quarter, the conditions worsened, with a hard rain and gusty winds making it challenging for the offenses.
Toledo got on the board first on a 48-yard touchdown run by Swanson on a fourth-and-one call midway through the first quarter. The teams then exchanged empty possessions until Jameson Vest connected on a 41-yard field goal to give Toledo a 10-0 lead with 8:49 to play in the half.
Swanson came through again on fourth down late in the first half, scoring from 22 yards out on fourth-and-two to make it 17-0 with 1:19 left before intermission.
Central Michigan (3-4, 1-2 MAC) got on the board with a 23-yard field goal by Michael Armstrong with 27 seconds left in the third quarter. But the Rockets put the game safely in the win column by responding with an eight-play, 87-yard drive that was finished off by a five-yard run by Woodside. The extra-point attempt hit the upright, making the score 23-3. Seymour had a 39-yard run in the drive.
Moments later, redshirt freshman Justin Clark picked off a pass, setting up an eight-yard TD run by Seymour. CMU scored on a 26-yard pass from Morris to Shane Conklin with a minute to play to close out the scoring.
The Rockets return to Toledo next Saturday to host Akron in a noon kickoff in the Glass Bowl.
