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From left, Trevon Mathis, Toledo head coach Jason Candle and quarterback Logan Woodside, the senior quarterback who also won Player of the Game, hoist the trophy after winning the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.
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Toledo routs Akron for first MAC title since 2004

Blade/Lori King

Toledo routs Akron for first MAC title since 2004

DETROIT – In its first Mid-American Conference championship game since 2004, the University of Toledo football team was not going to leave anything to chance.

Pinned back at their own 3-yard line, with 1:39 showing on the first-half clock, most teams would have run out the remaining time and gladly taken a 21-point lead into the locker room.

Not this Toledo team. With time left on the clock, this Rockets’ coaching staff and this offense was not going to let a MAC championship moment go to waste.

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What ensued was an eight-play, 97-yard drive that put a stamp on Toledo’s 45-28 MAC championship game win over Akron on Saturday at Ford Field.

“To be able to put yourself in that situation you have to have a lot of trust in your quarterback [Logan Woodside] and I do,” UT coach Jason Candle said. “When we were able to get ourselves out of that hole and get ourselves closer to the 30 or the 40 yard line and got towards mid field, I thought if we could take a couple calculated risks there and hit on them, we’d have a chance to go down and score. That drive really stuck out to me.”

VIDEO: Toledo celebrates winning MAC Championship game

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UT senior running back Terry Swanson started the drive with three straight runs of 18, 10, and 8 yards. Senior quarterback Logan Woodside then hit tight end Drew Rosi on a 18-yard pass play and finished off the drive with completions of 16 and 27 yards to Jon’Vea Johnson. The 27-yard TD catch from Johnson, a perfect pass from Woodside down the left sideline, gave Toledo complete control of the game with a 28-0 lead at halftime.

“First off, Terry got us going,” Woodside said of the drive. “We ran the ball really well. After Terry had a couple big runs, we took a couple shots and luckily Jon’Vea got open and I put the ball where it needed to be.”

Woodside tossed three first-half touchdown passes on the way to a 307-yard, four-TD performance and Swanson rushed 21 times for 180 yards and two touchdowns.

Diontae Johnson racked up 118 receiving yards and two TD catches, while Jon’Vea Johnson added 103 receiving yards and a TD of his own.

Shakif Seymour added a 12-yard TD catch in the third quarter and Jameson Vest converted on a 47-yard field goal.

Another key stretch in the game came with Toledo leading 7-0. The Rockets fumbled on a botched snap and on the ensuing Akron drive, the Zips had a touchdown pass called back due to an illegal formation penalty and then had to settle for a 42-yard field goal attempt from Tom O’Leary.

The kick was blocked by Toledo’s Nate Childress and Josh Teachey scooped up the ball and returned it to the Akron 34-yard line. Three plays later, Swanson rushed in for a TD, giving Toledo a 14-0 lead.

Toledo led 38-0 before Akron could get on the board on a Manny Morgan rushing touchdown with 30 seconds left in the third quarter. Freshman quarterback Kato Nelson had two touchdown passes for the Zips and third-string quarterback Robbie Kelley threw a late TD pass to complete the Akron scoring.

The win for Toledo, its first MAC championship in 13 years, was a long time coming for the team and this senior class.

“It’s definitely a long time coming, but this team just grinded all year and we had great leadership starting with coach Candle in preparing us for this moment,” Swanson said. “It’s definitely special for this city, this university, and the fans.”

This Rockets team successfully navigated a tough MAC schedule to finish 7-1 in the conference and cleared almost every hurdle in its way.

They battled injuries throughout the season, including losing three interior lineman and star senior receiver Cody Thompson.

VIDEO: MAC Championship game

Candle said this is one of the best teams he has had at Toledo in staying true to the process and putting in the necessary work each day. Toledo set out this offseason to win a MAC title, and by taking a day-by-day approach to the season, they were able to accomplish that goal, capped off by a convincing win on Saturday.

“I’m just really proud of our football team for being who they said they wanted to be,” Candle said. “These guys set out on a journey back in January and like every team across the country, they want to be champions. This, coupled with the great coaching staff we have, which filtered down to the senior leaders, I’m just so proud that they were able to set the culture and what they wanted it to be. They maintained it throughout the entire year, which is really difficult to do and we are just really proud that they were able to finish it.”

Contact Brian Buckey at bbuckey@theblade.com419-724-6110, or on Twitter @BrianBuckey.

First Published December 2, 2017, 8:56 p.m.

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From left, Trevon Mathis, Toledo head coach Jason Candle and quarterback Logan Woodside, the senior quarterback who also won Player of the Game, hoist the trophy after winning the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Diontae Johnson reacts after scoring a touchdown against Akron during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Terry Swanson runs for a touchtown against Akron during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo head coach Jason Candle greets Jon'Vea Johnson after Johnson caught a touchdown pass during the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo wide receiver Diontae Johnson catches the ball for a touchdown past Akron defensive back Denzel Butler during the second quarter of the Mid-American Conference championship NCAA college football game Saturday.  (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Toledo quarterback Logan Woodside runs the ball against Akron during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo safety Josh Teachey breaks up a pass to Akron's Austin Wolf during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Tyler Taafe puts pressure on Akron quarterback Thomas Woodson during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Nate Childress is congratulated on the sidelines by coaches after blocking a field goal attempt by Akron's Nick Gasser during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Danzel McKinley-Lews is chased by Akron's Jordan Goerge, 7, and Jeffrey Lubin during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
The Toledo Rockets are ready to hit the field during the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Akron quarterback Kato Nelson is sacked by Toledo's Ja'Wuan Woodley, 30, and Tyler Taafe during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo safety Josh Teachey celebrates breaking up a pass to Akron's Austin Wolf during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Diontae Johnson makes a touchdown on a pass by quarterback Logan Woodside against Akron during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo safety Josh Teachey runs with a blocked Akron field goal during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Diontae Johnson catches a touchdown pass against Akron during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Trevon Mathis intercepts a pass to Akron's A.J. Coney during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Terry Swanson runs for a touchtown against Akron during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo quarterback Logan Woodside runs behind Danzel McKinley-Lewis during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Terry Swanson runs for a touchtown against Akron during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Jon'Vea Johnson makes a touchdown pass against Akron during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo fans cheer after the Rockets score a touchdown during the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Fans cheer after Toledo's Nate Childress blocked an Akron field goal attempt during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Olasunkanmi Adeniyi is escorted off the field after being ejected during the fourth quarter in the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Fans celebrate Toledo winning the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo had coach Jason Candle, right, reacts to a touchdown against Akron during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo fans pack the stadium, in back, during the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo fans boo an excessive roughness call against Olasunkanmi Adeniyi during the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
A Toledo fan questions a referee call during the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo head coach Jason Candle runs onto the field to greet Akron head coach Terry Bowden seconds after winning the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo quarterback Logan Woodside shows off his plaque for earning player of the game in the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Trevon Mathis and his teammates take a selfie with the trophy after winning the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
From left, Trevon Mathis, Toledo head coach Jason Candle and quarterback Logan Woodside, who was player of the game, 11, hoist the trophy after winning the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Chris Norwood shows a sign to fans after winning the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Chris Norwood shows off his God, Family & Football tattoo after they won the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo's Nate Childress blocks the field goal attempt by Akron's Nick Gasser during the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Toledo greets the fans after winning the MAC Championship football game against Akron at Ford Field in Detroit.  (Blade/Lori King)
Blade/Lori King
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