On a seismic Saturday in college football, featuring the most matchups of unbeaten ranked teams in AP poll history, Toledo delivered one of the most thrilling comebacks in program history, overcoming a 21-point deficit to defeat Kent State 52-31.
The Rockets outscored Kent 45-10 over the final three quarters and 24-0 in the second half, completing their third-largest comeback in 105 seasons.
“Sometimes the phrase ‘team win’ gets blown out of proportion,” Toledo coach Jason Candle said. “But that’s really what today was.”
Dequan Finn had the best overall day of his career, completing 16 of 22 passes for 263 yards with a program-record-tying six touchdowns to four different receivers. He ran 14 times for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Finn’s seven touchdowns are a single-game UT record.
“I want to give huge credit to my offensive line,” he said. “They put a lot of work in and invest a lot of time in the film room. Huge props to them for showcasing their skills today.”
Toledo limited the Golden Flashes to 91 yards in the second half and just eight first downs, which seemed like an impossible feat after the first 30 minutes.
“Our defense didn’t get off to a great start,” Candle said. “But, obviously, they had a lights-out second half and we were able to swing the momentum of the football game, and keep the momentum of the football game.”
In a flash, Kent led 21-0 just five minutes, 20 seconds into the game. The three touchdowns came on 13 offensive snaps, with Kent gaining 148 yards — 11.4 yards per play — in 3:48 of possession.
Facing a three-touchdown hole, Toledo had nine yards and a turnover on four plays.
But the Mid-American Conference shakeup that felt imminent was instead on shaky ground.
The Rockets had 3rd-and-21 from the Kent 27-yard line when Finn found a lane to the end zone. It cut the lead to 21-7 and seemed semi-irrelevant at the moment, but the touchdown would prove to be one of the most important plays of the game because it sent a jolt through the UT offense and the home sideline.
“That was a monster play. Huge play. Huge play,” Candle said. “We just snapped the ball off his feet and probably took us out of field goal range. For him to get us a touchdown right there was a major lift.”
Kent quarterback Collin Schlee had a similar play on the next possession, as he scored on a 10-yard run on 3rd-and-goal to restore a three-touchdown advantage.
But, beginning in the second quarter, Toledo scored a touchdown on six of eight possessions. They kicked a field goal on another and punted once. During that span, Finn had touchdown passes to Devin Maddox (27 yards), Jerjuan Newton (41 and 36 yards), Mikel Barkley (39 and eight yards), and Jamal Turner (seven yards).
“The receivers had a good day,” said Barkley, a TCU transfer. “DQ definitely had a great day. It was just a good performance by him.”
The Rockets had 490 total yards. Peny Boone rushed for 84 yards on 20 carries, and Micah Kelly had 68 yards on 10 carries.
In the first half, Schlee was 7-of-13 passing for 105 yards, and running back Marquez Cooper had 133 yards and two touchdowns.
Schlee finished the game 13 of 26 for 162 yards, and Cooper had 33 yards in the second half.
Kent receiver Dante Cephus, the nation’s seventh-leading receiver (103.2 yards per game), had five receptions for 68 yards with zero touchdowns.
“He was a big focal point,” said UT safety Nate Bauer, who finished with nine tackles, including one tackle for loss, an interception, and a pass breakup. “He’s definitely someone we were keyed in on. We couldn’t let him have too many explosive plays.”
The Flashes had nine plays of 15 or more yards. Two of them came in the second half.
First Published October 16, 2022, 12:23 a.m.
