Junior Vandeross III scored the winning touchdown in the sixth overtime to give Toledo a thrilling 48-46 victory over Pittsburgh in the GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday.
Vandeross was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after finishing the contest with a career-high 12 receptions and a career-best 194 receiving yards.
Toledo celebrates after beating Pittsburgh, 48-46, in six overtimes in the GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday. It was the longest bowl game in NCAA history.
The contest was the longest bowl game in NCAA history, topping the five-overtime contest between South Florida and San Jose State in the Hawaii Bowl two days ago.
“This senior class wanted to go get a win and the young players did a really great job practicing all week long,” said Head Coach Jason Candle, who tied Gary Pinkel as Toledo’s all-time winningest coach with his 73rd victory. “There was great effort and it showed that this team wanted to set the table for what next year could be. So many of these seniors have been here for a long time and have been through some really tough times. It felt like we had to win the game three or four times today, but we are so proud of this team.
“To hang in there and to keep fighting like we did today, we were able to keep up with the emotional swings over the course of the game. It was a sloppy game at times, but I am proud of our response. Today’s game was ultimately defined by who made the last play and who threw the last punch.”
Pitt (7-6) looked like it had the game in hand in the second half, reeling off 18 consecutive points to take a 30-20 lead early in the fourth quarter, when defensive tackle Darius Alexander scored on a 58-yard pick-six to cut the lead to 30-27. Freshman Dylan Cunanan’s 51-yard field goal tied the score at 30-30 with 1:45 left.
The two teams traded scores in the first two overtime periods before moving into two-point conversation in the third overtime. After Vandeross caught the game-winner, Pitt’s final pass attempt to tie the game fell incomplete, igniting a wild celebration on the field.
Toledo (8-5) led 20-12 at halftime thanks to a pair of big plays. Trailing 12-6 midway through the second quarter, the Rockets scored two touchdowns in 14-second span, first on a 67-yard TD reception by Vandeross and then on a 42-yard pick-six by Braden Awls.
Toledo was led by junior quarterback Tucker Gleason, who completed 26-of-50 passes for a career-high 336 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Jerjuan Newton finished with eight receptions for 84 yards in his final game as a Rocket.
The defense was led by safety Jaden Dottin, who had a career-high 10 tackles and his first career interception.
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