Military Bowl 2011

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Military Bowl 2011

  • Toledo's Eric Page is pursued by two Falcons defenders

1 2 3 4th total
Toledo Rockets 21st 7th 7th 7th 42
Air Force Falcons 14th 14th 7th 6th 41
date December 28, 2011
Stadion RFK Stadium
city Washington, DC
favourite Toledo
Television broadcast
Network ESPN

The Military Bowl 2011 (officially: Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman ) was a bowl game of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) between the Toledo Rockets and the Air Force Falcons . The Rockets won the game 42:41. The most valuable player was Toledo's Bernard Reedy , who caught four passes for 126 yards and three touchdowns .

background

Originally, the Military Bowl 2011 was contractually intended for the Navy Midshipmen against a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Navy could not achieve the required six wins to be eligible for a bowl game, however. The ACC could not provide a team either, which is why two new teams had to be selected. On December 7, 2011, the University of Toledo and Air Force Academy teams were selected.

The Air Force Falcons were able to win seven games in the regular season and lost five, making them the fifth time in a row to participate in a bowl game. The offense of the Falcons was able to shine with misdirections, counters and a variety of offensive formations. In particular, the triple option from the shotgun and the pistol formation used them intensively and got a large number of different players in the backfield in motion. The Falcons' successful pass defense allowed only 162.7 yards per game.

The Toledo Rockets were also able to declare themselves eligible for bowls with eight wins in twelve games. Like the Falcons, the Rockets made one of the 25 best offenses in the country with their spread offense . The Rockets were able to trump with one of the best running games in the country. The passing game was also competent, especially through wide receiver Eric Page , who had set a new school record with 112 passes in the 2011 season before the bowl game. The defense of the Rockets, however, was less successful and had already allowed 63 points twice in the season. Defending the pass was particularly problematic, while the Rockets Defense against the barrel only allowed 123 yards per game. It was the new head coach Matt Campbell's first game after Tim Beckman left Toledo for Illinois after the end of the regular season.

Course of the game

The game started with a strong offensive performance from both teams. In the first quarter alone, 35 points were scored, including three touchdowns in less than a minute - two touchdown runs by the Falcons and an 87-yard kickoff- return touchdown by Toledo’s Eric Page . Previously, the Rockets had already worked out a 14-0 lead within 16 seconds. After a 17-yard touchdown pass to Bernard Reedy , returner Cody Getz fumbled after a tackle from Desmond Marrow and Toledo's junior Sylvestre captured the ball on the following kickoff . Adonis Thomas then ran over 41 yards into the opponent's first play of the drive Touchdown end zone.

Five minutes in the second quarter, the Falcons finally equalized after a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth down with 21:21. The Rockets responded with a 49-yard touchdown pass to Reedy on the following drive. Two minutes before the end of the first half, Air Force leveled with a 37-yard touchdown pass - again on fourth down. In the middle of the third quarter, Jermaine Robinson caught an interception that he carried back over 37 yards for the touchdown, giving Toledo a 35:28 lead. The Falcons responded directly with a 50-yard drive, which was completed with a 2-yard touchdown run that leveled the score. Five minutes before the end of the final quarter, the Rockets scored another touchdown and took the lead with 42:35. 52 seconds before the end of the game, the Falcons scored a touchdown and shortened to 41:42. Instead of the point after touchdown (PAT), the Falcons chose a two-point conversion through a fake PAT. Defensive end Jayrone Elliott forced a fumble from holder David Baska . The ball then rolled out of the end zone and after conquering the kickoff, Toledo secured victory.

Importance to the Toledo Rockets

To mark the 100th anniversary of the football team, the defense of the final two-point cover was chosen as one of the ten most significant moments in team history.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Jeremy Mauss: 2011 Military Bowl: Q&A With Hustle Belt. In: mwcconnection.com. Mountain West Connection, 2011, accessed December 12, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Toledo vs. Air Force - Game Summary - December 28, 2011 - ESPN. In: espn.com. ESPN.com, accessed December 12, 2019 .
  3. ↑ 2011 Military Bowl. In: militarybowl.org. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (American English).
  4. ↑ a b c d Rockets Prevail with Narrow 42-41 Victory in 2011 Military Bowl. In: utrockets.com. University of Toledo Athletics, accessed December 12, 2019 .
  5. ↑ 2011 Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman Set For Dec. 28 at RFK Stadium. In: navysports.com. Naval Academy Athletics, accessed December 12, 2019 .
  6. ^ Gene Wang: Without Navy, Military Bowl has an opening . In: Washington Post . 2011, ISSN  0190-8286 ( washingtonpost.com ).
  7. ↑ FAQ: Military Bowl - Sports Illustrated. In: si.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019 .
  8. ↑ Air Force to face Toledo in Military Bowl Dec. 28. In: af.mil. U.S. Air Force, accessed December 12, 2019 (American English).
  9. ↑ a b c d Military Bowl: Three Keys. In: espn.com. ESPN.com, 2011, accessed December 12, 2019 .
  10. ↑ Toledo vs. Air Force - Game Recap - December 28, 2011 - ESPN. In: espn.com. ESPN.com, accessed December 12, 2019 .
  11. ↑ David Luther: 2011 Military Bowl: Is Air Force's Final-Minutes Conversion a Gutsy Call or Dumb. In: bleacherreport.com. Bleacher Report, accessed December 12, 2019 .
  12. ^ A b Russ Oates: 2011 Military Bowl, Toledo Vs. Air Force: Falcons Fall To Rockets, 42-41, Miss Chance For 3rd Consecutive Bowl Win. In: sbnation.com. SBNation.com, 2011, accessed December 12, 2019 .
  13. ↑ John Robinson Block (Ed.): 100 Years of Toledo Football . Toledo Blade Company , 2017, ISBN 978-0-692-94023-5 , pp. 75 .