TUSCON — Here was our quarter-by-quarter analysis as the action unfolded in Saturday’s Arizona Bowl. Team stats can be found at the bottom of the article.
FIRST QUARTER
■ What happened: Toledo trails after barely possessing the football. The Rockets had two possessions for barely five minutes of game time.
One of the plays of the year was wiped off the board for the Rockets.
Late in the first quarter, Toledo was facing 3rd-and-10 on the Wyoming 29-yard line. The Cowboys sent the house and UT countered with a screen pass to tailback Jacquez Stuart. The ball deflected off his fingertips and was caught by center Devan Rogers, who raced to the end zone for an apparent touchdown.
Imagine if this would have counted...@ToledoFB | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/S1nglNSK0t
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The officials huddled for nearly a minute and decided that the play was legal because it was deflected. But the head referee then clarified that it was illegal touching. After a video review, the call was confirmed.
The 5-yard penalty took the Rockets out of field-goal range, and Tucker Gleason threw an interception, though Wyoming cornerback Tyrecus Davis went down at the 2.
■ Analysis: Wyoming’s offense is moving at will. The Cowboys averaged more than eight yards per play. Toledo is fortunate to only be down 3-0. It’s a pace that is unsustainable for the UT defense.
SECOND QUARTER
■ What happened: A one-play, 80-yard touchdown drive — an 80-yard run by Jacquez Stuart — put Toledo in front at the half.
On the previous possession, Luke Pawlak made a 33-yard field goal.
■ Analysis: Wyoming had the ball for 21 minutes and has only six points to show for it because the Rockets have buckled down defensively when they needed stops.
On their final 14 plays of the half, the Cowboys gained 68 total yards and three first downs.
THIRD QUARTER
■ What happened: Wyoming had the ball at the 5-yard line midway through the third quarter. On third down, QB Andrew Peasley dropped back into his own end zone, and Esean Carter gobbled him up. Peasley fumbled and the ball trickled out of the back of the end zone for UT’s first safety since 2010.
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The Rocket defense extends the lead with a SAFETY ????@ToledoFB | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/EaNy6rb2ka
It was a game-changing play that not only put the Rockets up 12-6 on the scoreboard but immediately gave them another opportunity to score.
On the ensuing kickoff, Jacquez Stuart had a 35-yard return to midfield. Tucker Gleason made a critical 4th-and-9 completion to Jerjuan Newton, which set up Luke Pawlak’s second 33-yard field goal of the game.
The 15-6 lead was the largest of the game.
■ Analysis: Since the first two possessions, Toledo’s defense has been lights out. One of the themes of the season is how they reversed their previous fourth-quarter foibles. They can prove it one final time in the next 15 minutes.
FOURTH QUARTER
■ What happened: With 12:20 remaining in the fourth quarter, Wyoming go the ball on their 27-yard line after a Toledo punt. For the first time in the game, the Cowboys went on a sustained drive, going 73 yards on eight plays for a touchdown.
During the drive, quarterback Andrew Peasley was knocked out of the game on a hard tackle. Evan Svoboda ran twice out of the shotgun for seven yards, including a 1-yard sneak for the touchdown. Toledo held a 15-13 lead.
After the Rockets punted on their next drive, the Cowboys took over at their 6-yard line and Peasley returned to the game.
Aided by an unnecessary roughness penalty on Toledo cornerback RJ Delancy III, Wyoming took the ball to the Rockets' 7. Wyoming's John Hoyland kicked a 24-yard field goal as time expired to send Toledo to a 16-15 loss.
First Published December 30, 2023, 10:25 p.m.
