With the Hollywood writers still on strike, Toledo’s wild comeback win over Western Michigan last week resembled a rerun of the greatest hits.

“Welcome to MAC football,” coach Jason Candle said afterward, before helpfully volunteering a new league slogan. “Lots of turnovers and six billion penalties.”

If some sanity returned to the script Saturday at the Glass Bowl, it was only a grain of it.

It’s never easy, is it?

The Rockets were in control of their 35-33 win over Northern Illinois, right up until that moment in the final seconds when you looked up and realized — holy freaking Toledo — Homecoming was actually about to turn into one of those wanna-get-away commercials.

Instead …

In the perfect ending to the day’s sun-splashed festivities, the hometown star saved the day.

Welcome back, writers!

You want drama?

There were the Huskies, down two touchdowns just a few minutes earlier but now on the move and needing a field goal to win.

And there was Dallas Gant, the senior linebacker from St. John’s Jesuit who transferred back home from Ohio State last year.

With 10 seconds left and the ball on the NIU 48, quarterback Rocky Lombardi eluded trouble and scrambled left into the open field.

In front of him?

“Nothing but green grass,” safety Maxen Hook said.

Well, and Gant.

Before Lombardi could dash out of bounds to set up a long last-second field goal, Gant tripped him at the Toledo 45 with four seconds remaining.

Hook called it no less than a “potentially season-saving play.” The tackle bled a clock the visitors — out of timeouts — could not stop.

“I looked up,” Gant said, “and saw two … one … zero, and I was like, ‘OK, awesome.’”

The roars from the crowd of 23,417 suggested the feeling was widespread.

Sure, maybe fans were more relieved than elated, and that’s fair.

You could pick apart the Rockets’ late clock management and a prevent-(you-from-winning) defense that allowed 185 yards in the final 10 minutes, and shake your head at a fumble-six that turned a would-be runaway into a thriller.

But how many times have we seen Toledo lose to Northern Illinois in completely unexplainable fashion?

Forget that the Huskies have only one win, which, for the record, came at Boston College.

When the Rockets (4-1) beat NIU for just the second time in their past seven meetings at the Glass Bowl, we’re not going to rain on the parade.

In fact, know my biggest takeaway from Saturday? This could be UT’s most complete team in many years.

That might seem like an odd thing to say, given it allowed the nation’s 127th-ranked offense to pile up 444 yards. But the Rockets’ D — which has finished first or second in the MAC each of the past three seasons — has earned the benefit of the doubt. (All-American corner Quinyon Mitchell returning to full strength will help, too.)

To me, this game was more encouraging than not, because it offered a surprise look at an offense that’s beginning to look like the real deal.

I say surprise, because, just last week, Toledo’s season flashed before its eyes when Finn was carted off the field — and taken to the hospital — with an apparent serious back injury.

The question wasn’t whether he would miss time. It was how much time.

“To be honest,” Finn said, “I kind of didn’t know.”

But the tests came back clean and Finn came back good as ever. He reported for treatment at 5 a.m., every day last week, returned to practice by Tuesday, and was in top form by Saturday.

He bulleted a beautiful 42-yard touchdown pass to Jerjuan Newton on Toledo’s second drive, dashed for a 13-yard score on the next one, and kept Northern guessing to no avail. Finn completed 16 of 20 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns against the Huskies’ third-ranked pass defense and dashed for 61 yards on seven carries.

“I wish I had 12 guys to play with,” Huskies coach Thomas Hammock said. (Note to Notre Dame: Don’t try this at home, either.)

Finn had plenty of help, too.

A year ago, the offensive line was so inconsistent Toledo could have charged opposing defenses rent for living in its backfield. This year, it’s a strength, and it showed again Saturday. A line with the same five starters all season cleared the way for 261 yards on the ground, including 113 from the revelatory Peny Boone and 79 from Jacquez Stewart.

Fans will remember how hard the Toledo offense could make things look the past few years. This one is beginning to look like its high-flying predecessors

“I think everybody can see our offense starting to roll,” wideout Junior Vandeross III.

The guess here is the defense will follow suit, but this is absolutely a team capable of putting it all together.

Until then, Toledo will continue sweating it out. 

I asked Candle afterward what these Rockets and their cardiac finishes are doing to his blood pressure.

“Do you see my hair?” he said with a laugh, pointing to his head of gray. 

As long as the wins keep coming, Candle will gladly make the trade. 

First Published October 1, 2023, 2:44 a.m.