(25) Fresno State 55, Toledo 54

1234OTT
#25FRES (2-1)1431771455
TOL (1-2)7143171354

Final

8:15 PM ET, September 20, 2008
Glass Bowl
TOLEDO, OH

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.
Team Stat Comparison
 
1st Downs2428
Total Yards420598
Passing231301
Rushing189297
Penalties4-337-53
3rd Down Conversions4-107-18
4th Down Conversions0-02-3
Turnovers11
Possession29:5530:05
Air/Ground Leaders
Fresno State Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Brandstater22/2823140
Toledo Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Opelt22/4126530
Moore1/12400
Fresno State Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Mathews1887013
Harding986131
Toledo Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Williams23142137
Collins15138235
Fresno State Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Ajirotutu480047
Moore579138
Toledo Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Williams6114144
Allen893223
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTERFRESTOL
TD14:26Ben Jacobs 29 Yd Fumble Return (Kevin Goessling Kick) 70
TD07:34Dajuane Collins 26 Yd Run (Alex Steigerwald Kick) 77
TD06:37Ryan Mathews 16 Yd Pass From Tom Brandstater (Kevin Goessling Kick) 147
SECOND QUARTERFRESTOL
FG09:43Kevin Goessling 34 Yd 177
TD06:37John Allen 14 Yd Pass From Aaron Opelt (Alex Steigerwald Kick) 1714
TD00:09Dajuane Collins 2 Yd Run (Alex Steigerwald Kick) 1721
THIRD QUARTERFRESTOL
FG10:35Kevin Goessling 36 Yd 2021
FG08:34Alex Steigerwald 37 Yd 2024
TD06:44Bear Pascoe 4 Yd Pass From Tom Brandstater (Kevin Goessling Kick) 2724
TD00:20Anthony Harding 31 Yd Run (Kevin Goessling Kick) 3424
FOURTH QUARTERFRESTOL
TD12:54Morgan Williams 4 Yd Run (Alex Steigerwald Kick) 3431
TD10:20Marlon Moore 38 Yd Pass From Tom Brandstater (Kevin Goessling Kick) 4131
TD03:07Stephen Williams 44 Yd Pass From Aaron Opelt (Alex Steigerwald Kick) 4138
FG00:15Alex Steigerwald 33 Yd 4141
OVERTIMEFRESTOL
TDAaron Opelt 1 Yd Run (Alex Steigerwald Kick) 4148
TDIsaac Kinter 7 Yd Pass From Tom Brandstater (Kevin Goessling Kick) 4848
TDTom Brandstater 1 Yd Run (Kevin Goessling Kick) 5548
TDJohn Allen 3 Yd Pass From Aaron Opelt (Two-Point Conversion Failed) 5554
Associated Press

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.

College Football Scores

Other Scores:

Thursday, September 18th
21 West Virginia 14 Final
Colorado 17 OT
Saturday, September 20th
3 Georgia 27 Final
Arizona State 10
4 Florida 30 Final
Tennessee 6
Buffalo 21 Final
5 Missouri 42
6 LSU 26 Final
10 Auburn 21
Rice 10 Final
7 Texas 52
9 Alabama 49 Final
Arkansas 14
Massachusetts 14 Final
11 Texas Tech 56
12 South Florida 17 Final
Florida International 9
Troy 10 Final
13 Ohio State 28
Wyoming 0 Final
14 Brigham Young 44
15 East Carolina 24 Final
North Carolina State 30 OT
Temple 3 Final
16 Penn State 45
Boise State 37 Final
17 Oregon 32
18 Wake Forest 12 Final
24 Florida State 3
Sam Houston State 14 Final
19 Kansas 38
20 Utah 30 Final
Air Force 23
South Carolina State 0 Final
23 Clemson 54
25 Fresno State 55 Final
Toledo 54 OT