Toledo Rolls Behind Taylor

Chester Taylor lived up to the hype.

Taylor rushed for a Motor City Bowl-record 190 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 3:23 left for No. 25 Toledo, which defeated Cincinnati, 23-16, Saturday in front of 35,000 at the Silverdome

“Taylor was as good as advertised,” Cincinnati Coach Rick Minter said of the game’s most valuable player.

Cincinnati (7-5) drove to the five-yard line but couldn’t convert on fourth and four with 50 seconds to play. Cincinnati’s Ray Jackson couldn’t catch a deflected pass in a crowded end zone, sealing the victory for Toledo (10-2).

“Everybody was talking about our offenses before the game,” Toledo Coach Tom Amstutz said. “But it always comes down to defense.”

Toledo averaged nearly 35 points this season and the Bearcats averaged nearly 30.

Toledo’s Tavares Bolden completed 14 of 28 passes for 135 yards and had one pass intercepted. He rushed for 99 yards, which helped the Rockets set a Motor City Bowl-record with 322 yards rushing.

Toledo held Cincinnati to 13 yards rushing, also a record for the bowl.

Taylor’s 24-yard touchdown capped an 80-yard drive, which he keyed with three carries for 52 yards. He had a bowl-record 31 carries.

Taylor celebrated with his family and friends, who drove less than an hour from his hometown of River Rouge, Mich., to see him play.

“The offensive line did a great job,” Taylor said. “All I had to do was break tackles.”

Cincinnati linebacker Antwan Peek was surprised at how well Taylor ran past the defense.

“He was more of a power runner than I thought he was,” Peek said. “He ran the ball really hard and his second-efforts were outstanding. I knew he was a good running back, but I didn’t expect him to do what he did to us.”

Cincinnati’s Gino Guidugli completed 29 of 46 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown. Tye Keith had 63 yards on a bowl-record nine receptions.

“I’d give the record back for a win,” Keith said.

The teams put together long drives on their first two possessions of the fourth quarter but settled for field goals.

The Rockets went 76 yards in 14 plays over five minutes but stalled at Cincinnati’s 13. Todd France’s 30-yard field goal gave them a 16-13 lead with 9:42 left.

The Bearcats stalled at Toledo’s eight after driving 73 yards. Jonathan Ruffin’s 25-yard field goal tied the score with 6:26 to go.

“They were just a better team than us in the second half,” Peek said. “It’s that plain and simple.”

Bolden’s running helped Toledo score 10 third-quarter points to tie the score, 13-13.

He ran for 41 yards on a draw on the first play of the second half, and the drive ended with France’s 42-yard field goal.

Bolden tied the score late in the third quarter when he rolled left, turned upfield and sprinted 28 yards for a touchdown.

“It was really his big plays that broke our backs,” Minter said of Bolden.

Toledo was in control early, but it had only a 3-0 lead to show for it.

The Rockets outgained Cincinnati, 109 yards to three, with 70 yards from Taylor, in the first quarter.

Cincinnati held Taylor to one yard on a fourth-and-three play at the five-yard line midway through the first quarter.

Cincinnati’s John Hinson intercepted a long lob from Bolden and returned it 20 yards to Toledo’s 44, leading to Ruffin’s 29-yard field goal that tied the score, 3-3.

Guidugli’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Tim Walker with 2:43 left in the half put Cincinnati ahead, 10-3.

Ruffin’s career-best 46-yard field goal as time expired put the Bearcats ahead, 13-3, at halftime.

Toledo’s David Gardner made 11 tackles and was selected the game’s best lineman or linebacker.