WASINGTON D.C. — Air Force and Toledo caught a beak in the weather for today’s matchup in the Military Bowl in RFK Stadium.
Where as Tuesday was overcast and rainy in the nation’s capital, game day was sunny, but chilly for the 2:30 p.m. kickoff.
Pregame forecasts called for a high scoring game featuring Air Force’s potent running game that averaged 320.3 yards a game against Toledo’s mixture of running and passing that averaged 493.2 yards in the regular season.
TOLEDO DEFEATS AIR FORCE 42-41
Toledo 42, Air Force 41. :52 of the fourth quarter.
Tim Jefferson threw a 33-yard TD pass to Zack Kauth with less than a minute remaining, after a 12-play drive than went 78 yards over 4:09.
But the Falcons tried for a fake field goal on the extra point to go for two points, and fumbled the exhange out of bounds in the end zone.
Toledo 42, Air Force 35. 5:01 of the fourth quarter.
Terrance Owens connected with Bernard Reedy for a 33-yard scoring pass to put the Rockets back ahead late in the game. It was the third time Owens and Reedy connected for passing TD.
Third quarter ends
Air Force 35, Toledo 35. 5:59 of the third quarter.
The Falcons bounced right back when Mike DeWitt ran around the left end for a 2-yard TD, capping a 7-play, 50-yard drive.
Toledo 35, Air Force 28. 8:56 of the third quarter.
Air Force QB Tim Jefferson had a pass intercepted but Toledo’s Jermaine Robinson, who ran back 37 yards for a touchdown. The Rockets took the first lead of the second half.
Shootout of a first half ends
Beyond the score being tied 28-28, the first-half stats between Air Force and Toledo were mostly even. The Falcons held a 256-231 advantage in total yards, but both teams gained 11 first downs. Toledo, though, averaged 7.1 yards per play in the first two quarters, while AFA averaged. 6.5 yards.
Air Force 28, Toledo 28. 2:07 of the second quarter.
The Falcons tied the score again after Jonathan Warzeka caught a 37-yard TD pass from Tim Jefferson. It ended a quick 4-play, 44-yard drive that took 1:53.
Toledo 28, Air Force 21. 7:49 of the second quarter.
The Rockets regained the lead after Terrance Owens threw a 48-yard TD pass to Bernard Reedy. Working in the shotgun, with a five-wide receiver set on 2nd-and-8, Owens threw a seem pass to Reedy who sprinted untouched down the middle of the field.
Air Force 21, Toledo 21. 9:43 of the second quarter.
Air Force had a 1st-and-goal from Toledo’s 3-yard line and on fourth down, Asher Clark hopped over a defender on the right side for a 1-yard TD run. The score tied the game for the first time since the start, after a 12-play, 79-yard drive over 5:09.
First quarter ends
Toledo 21, Air Force 14. 1:36 of the first quarter.
Jonathan Warzeka’s 60-yard run on Air Force’s second play of the next drive put the Falcons on the 3-yard line. And Mike DeWitt ran off the left tackle for a TD on the next play, cutting Toledo’s lead to seven points in a wild first quarter.
Toledo 21, Air Force 7. 2:17 of the first quarter.
After Air Force got on the board, Toledo responded quickly. Briceton Cannada returned the ensuing kickoff 57 yards, running right up the middle, for a touchdown. The Rockets regained a 14-point lead.
Toledo 14, Air Force 7. 2:29 of the first quarter.
After a shotgun snap, Air Force QB Tim Jefferson ran a draw play down the right side, going 22 yards for the Falcons’ first score.
His TD capped an 8-play, 64-yard drive that took 3:53.
Toledo 14, Air Force 0. 6:22 of the first quarter.
Air Force’s Cody Getz fielded Toledo’s kickoff, but the Rockets forced and recovered a fumble. On the next play, Adonis Thomas ran left through the line and sprinted 40 yards for a TD to put Toledo ahead by 14.
Toledo 7, Air Force 0. 6:38 of the first quarter.
The Falcons held Toledo to a missed field goal on the Rockets’ first drive, but Air Force went three-and-out on its first attempt. Toledo responded by driving 53 yards in seven plays, over 2:44. The Rockets scored on Bernard Reedy’s 17-yard touchdown catch fromTerrance Owens.
Triple-option attack vs. Toledo’s scoring power
With the passing of quarterbacks Terrance Owens and Austin Dantin and the running of AdonisThomas and Morgan Williams prividing the power, the Rockets averaged 42.2 points a game.
Air Force put up an average of 34.4 points a game with quarterback Tim Jefferson and fullback Mike DeWitt each scoring 10 touchdowns.
Jefferson was Air Force’s leader in total offense with 492 rushing yards and 1,478 passing yards. With 12 passing touchdowns and 10 on the ground, the senior Air Force quarterback accounted for 22 touchdowns. — Irv Moss, The Denver Post
