Colorado at Toledo
Sept. 11, 2008
Toledo, OH (Glass Bowl)
Senior PK Alex Steigerwald, senior QB Aaron Opelt, junior DE Douglas Westbrook and senior DT Matt Shumaker served as tonight's captains. UT names its captains on a game-by-game basis, rewarding players for their effort and dedication.
With tonight's win, the Rockets improve to 3-4 all-time vs. Big 12 opponents (1-0 vs. Colorado, 1-1 vs. Iowa State, 1-3 vs. Kansas), including a perfect 3-0 in the Glass Bowl.
Tonight's game ended at 12:55 a.m., making it the latest-ending game in Glass Bowl history. The latest a Rocket home game had ended was 12:06 a.m., a 37-31 double-overtime win over Kansas on Sept. 15-16, 2006.
Toledo finished with 54 points and topped the 50-point plateau for the 22nd time in school history and 13th time this decade.
Senior QB Aaron Opelt completed 15-of-23 passes for 319 yards and tied his career high with four touchdown tosses. Opelt matched his career best-effort with four TD throws vs. Northern Illinois on Oct. 27, 2007, which also tied for the sixth-most TD tosses in school history in a single game. It is the seventh game in Opelt's collegiate career with at least three TD passes and third contest over 300 yards passing.
Opelt finished the victory with a career-high 428 all-purpose yards (319 passing, career-high 109 rushing), tallying the third-most yards in a single contest in school history.
Opelt also moved into sixth place past Tavares Bolden (1998-2001) on UT's career touchdown list with 36. He is seven behind Gene Swick (1972-75) in fifth place with 43.
Senior RB DaJuane Collins carried the ball 20 times for 160 yards, eight yards shy of his career-best 168 yards at Eastern Michigan on Sept. 13, 2008. It is the fifth time in his career he surpassed the century mark.
Freshman WR Eric Page caught three passes for a team-high 138 yards, including a 70-yard TD catch in the first quarter. Page's TD reception is the longest since Nick Moore had a 70-yard catch vs. Western Michigan on Sept. 29, 2007 and Andrew Hawkins hauled in a 70-yard catch against Buffalo on Oct. 22, 2005. It is also the longest TD pass since Bruce Gradkowski and Kenny Higgins hooked up for a 96-yard TD catch vs. Ball State on Oct. 2, 2004.
Senior PK Alex Steigerwald's 50-yard field goal in the second quarter equaled the fifth-longest field goal in school history and was UT's longest since Todd France booted a school-record 55 yarder vs. Western Michigan on Nov. 6, 2001. He also nailed a 43 yard attempt in the fourth quarter to convert multiple field goals for the 12th time in a game in his collegiate career.
Sophomore TE Danny Noble caught a team-high five receptions for 56 yards. He also scored his first collegiate touchdown with an eight-yard reception in the opening quarter.
Senior TE Tom Burzine scored his first career touchdown with a 23-yard reception in the third quarter.
Toledo finished with a commanding 305-95 edge in rushing yards and 624-451 in total yards.
