Toledo Dominates by Land and by Air

Bruce Gradkowski and the Toledo Rockets came up with one big play after another. Texas El Paso came up short in the postseason again.

Gradkowski threw five touchdown passes and Trinity Dawson rushed for 132 yards, leading the Rockets to a 45-13 victory over the Miners on Wednesday night in the GMAC Bowl at Mobile, Ala.

“Wow, that felt good,” Toledo Coach Tom Amstutz said.

But it wasn’t just the offense that came up big for Toledo (9-3), which had lost its last two bowl games. David Thomas returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown.

“We just came and played the best game we could ever play,” Thomas said. “It was kind of like everything we did was right.”

Mike Alston contributed two key tackles for the Rockets to end the first half when Texas El Paso was threatening to cut into a 28-13 deficit. It was the last time the Miners (8-4) appeared likely to mount a rally.

Texas El Paso ended its season with a defeat for the 19th consecutive year and dropped to 0-4 in bowls since 1967, despite making big strides in two years under Coach Mike Price. Price was fired from Alabama in May 2003 after an evening cavorting with strippers in Pensacola, Fla.

He has led Texas El Paso to consecutive postseason games for the first time in 50 years, but the Miners finished the season with three losses in a row.

“They just came out and beat us in all aspects of the game,” linebacker Jeremy Jones said. “Their offense was striking and going on all cylinders tonight.”

The Mid-American Conference continues to dominate the GMAC Bowl, moving to 5-0 with yet another potent offense showcasing itself. The Toledo defense was pretty stout too.

Gradkowski completed 18 of 32 passes for 298 yards with touchdowns to five receivers. Two of his passes were intercepted, but it hardly mattered. The senior threw five touchdown passes in a game for the first time this season and third time in his career.

The Rockets also harried Texas El Paso’s prolific passer, Jordan Palmer. He was only 14 for 33 for 163 yards with an interception and sat out several series in the second half after spraining his left ankle on the final play before halftime.

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Wisconsin running back Booker Stanley was suspended from the team after he was arrested on suspicion of choking a woman at his apartment.

The suspension could mean the Badgers will be without Stanley when they play Auburn in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 2 in Orlando, Fla. Stanley has 69 carries for 340 yards and three touchdowns this season.

The 22-year-old junior could face charges of second-degree reckless endangerment, false imprisonment, two counts of battery and intimidation of a victim, said Mike Hanson, a Madison police spokesman. Dane County Dist. Atty. Brian Blanchard said he would consider formal charges in the next few days. Stanley was still in custody Wednesday afternoon.

Stanley allegedly battered and choked a 20-year-old woman early Wednesday, Hanson said. There was no indication that the woman, who had previously been in a relationship with Stanley, sought medical attention.

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Former New Mexico State coach Tony Samuel was hired to take over at Southeast Missouri State.

Samuel, who served as defensive ends coach at Purdue this season, signed a five-year contract with Southeast Missouri. He replaces Tim Billings, who resigned last month with a 25-43 record over six seasons. The Redhawks of Division I-AA finished 2-9 this season.