Herron knocks down 2-point try to lift No. 25 Bulldogs in double-OT

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Top 25 Overview

It was over when... When Nico Herron knocked down Aaron Opelt's two-point conversion pass in the second overtime. Gameball goes to... Tom Brandstater, who was 22-for-28 for 235 yards and four touchdowns. Stat of the game... 327. Fresno State had just 98 yards in the first half but put up 327 after the intermission. Complete Top 25 Overview

Team Stat Comparison
1st Downs	24	28
Total Yards	420	598
Passing	231	301
Rushing	189	297
Penalties	4-33	7-53
3rd Down Conversions	4-10	7-18
4th Down Conversions	0-0	2-3
Turnovers	1	1
Possession	29:55	30:05

Air/Ground Leaders
Fresno State Passing   C/ATT YDS TD INT Brandstater 22/28 231 4 0	Toledo Passing   C/ATT YDS TD INT Opelt 22/41 265 3 0 Moore 1/1 24 0 0
Fresno State Rushing   CAR YDS TD LG Mathews 18 87 0 13 Harding 9 86 1 31	Toledo Rushing   CAR YDS TD LG Williams 23 142 1 37 Collins 15 138 2 35
Fresno State Receiving   REC YDS TD LG Ajirotutu 4 80 0 47 Moore 5 79 1 38	Toledo Receiving   REC YDS TD LG Williams 6 114 1 44 Allen 8 93 2 23

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER				FRES	TOL
	TD	14:26	Ben Jacobs 29 Yd Fumble Return (Kevin Goessling Kick)	7	0
	TD	07:34	Dajuane Collins 26 Yd Run (Alex Steigerwald Kick)	7	7
	TD	06:37	Ryan Mathews 16 Yd Pass From Tom Brandstater (Kevin Goessling Kick)	14	7
SECOND QUARTER				FRES	TOL
	FG	09:43	Kevin Goessling 34 Yd	17	7
	TD	06:37	John Allen 14 Yd Pass From Aaron Opelt (Alex Steigerwald Kick)	17	14
	TD	00:09	Dajuane Collins 2 Yd Run (Alex Steigerwald Kick)	17	21
THIRD QUARTER				FRES	TOL
	FG	10:35	Kevin Goessling 36 Yd	20	21
	FG	08:34	Alex Steigerwald 37 Yd	20	24
	TD	06:44	Bear Pascoe 4 Yd Pass From Tom Brandstater (Kevin Goessling Kick)	27	24
	TD	00:20	Anthony Harding 31 Yd Run (Kevin Goessling Kick)	34	24
FOURTH QUARTER				FRES	TOL
	TD	12:54	Morgan Williams 4 Yd Run (Alex Steigerwald Kick)	34	31
	TD	10:20	Marlon Moore 38 Yd Pass From Tom Brandstater (Kevin Goessling Kick)	41	31
	TD	03:07	Stephen Williams 44 Yd Pass From Aaron Opelt (Alex Steigerwald Kick)	41	38
	FG	00:15	Alex Steigerwald 33 Yd	41	41
OVERTIME				FRES	TOL
	TD		Aaron Opelt 1 Yd Run (Alex Steigerwald Kick)	41	48
	TD		Isaac Kinter 7 Yd Pass From Tom Brandstater (Kevin Goessling Kick)	48	48
	TD		Tom Brandstater 1 Yd Run (Kevin Goessling Kick)	55	48
	TD		John Allen 3 Yd Pass From Aaron Opelt (Two-Point Conversion Failed)	55	54

TOLEDO, Ohio -- Toledo's Tom Amstutz could see that his players didn't have much left.

That's why he decided to go for a two-point conversion and the victory against No. 25 Fresno State at the end of two overtimes.

It didn't work.

Nico Herron knocked down Aaron Opelt's pass and the Bulldogs held on to beat Toledo 55-54 on Saturday night.

Amstutz decided to go for the win after the Rockets scored on Opelt's 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end John Allen on fourth down to make it a one-point game.

Fast Facts

• The two teams combined for more than 1,000 yards (Toledo 598, Fresno 427).

• Each team had only one turnover, despite combining to run 170 plays.

• Toledo has now lost two straight home openers after winning seven in a row.

-- ESPN research

Opelt was pressured on the final play and forced the ball into coverage.

"Our players were tired," Amstutz said.

Players were cramping up and Amstutz worried it was getting too risky to continue on, he said.

"It was time to decide the game," Amstutz said. "I would do it again just the same way, other than we would catch it."

Opelt agreed with his coach.

"I loved it," the quarterback said. "If he gives us that confidence, it makes us feel good as an offense."

In the first overtime, the Rockets (1-2) needed just two plays to jump in front 48-41.

Receiver Nick Moore caught a lateral and then threw a strike to a leaping Stephen Williams at the 1. Opelt then dove over for a 1-yard touchdown.

Tom Brandstater answered with his fourth touchdown pass, a 6-yard throw to Isaac Kinter that tied it at 48.

The Bulldogs (2-1) from the Western Athletic Conference got the ball first in the second overtime and took just three plays to go in front 55-48. Anthony Harding's 23-yard run took the ball to the 2 and Brandstater then dove in on a 1-yard sneak.

Toledo's Alex Steigerwald sent it into overtime with a 33-yard field goal with 15 seconds left.

Fresno State could do little right early on and looked like it was still thinking about last week's disappointing loss to No. 8 Wisconsin that crushed the Bulldogs' BCS bowl hopes.

But in the second half, the Bulldogs scored the first four times they had the ball. Brandstater finished 22-of-28 for 231 yards

"I don't care about the score, I don't care about the stats," Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. "I care that we got the win."

The Bulldogs appeared to take control after going ahead 41-31 with 10 minutes left when Brandstater's 39-yard touchdown pass to Marlon Moore bounced twice off Toledo cornerback Desmond Marrow before landing in Moore's hands.

But Fresno State, which held Wisconsin to 13 points a week ago, couldn't stop Toledo of the Mid-American Conference.

Stephen Williams caught a 44-touchdown pass with 3:07 left and the Rockets then recovered an onside kick, giving them the ball at their own 43.

They quickly drove down field, setting up Steigerwald's tying kick.

The Bulldogs had no answer for Toledo's running game.

DaJuane Collins ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns before leaving with an injured left ankle. His backup, freshman Morgan Williams, ran for 143 yards and one score.

Collins had 103 yards in the first half alone against a defense that had allowed only 130 yards per game on the ground in its first two games against Rutgers and Wisconsin.

Fresno State's offense had just 98 yards in the first half before coming alive.