It was a game that could have been scripted in Hollywood.
The Toledo-Marshall championship match-up Friday night culminated in a Rocky vs. Apollo underdog showdown that featured Toledo running back Chester Taylor challenging Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich for the Mid-American Conference's heavyweight prize.
And, it was Taylor who scored the knockout blow, an 8-yard touchdown run with 6:34 to play in the fourth quarter that proved to be the winning score. Taylor's Rockets beat the Thundering Herd 41-36 at The Glass Bowl in Toledo, Ohio to become the first team other than Marshall to win the MAC Championship game.
Leftwich, the winner of the Vern Smith Leadership Award given to the conference's best football player, had one more opportunity to answer. He spotted an uncovered receiver on a slant pattern coming across the goal line, but his pass sailed high and Toledo ran out the remaining 2:43.
Both Taylor and Leftwich lit up the scoreboard and piled up the offensive yardage while the heavyweights made big play after big play. Leftwich threw for 421 yards passing and four touchdowns; Taylor had 188 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
The underdog Toledo squad fell behind early when the Herd scored the game's first 23 points before the Rockets recorded even a first down. Receiver Denero Marriott caught two of his four touchdown passes in an opening quarter that was completely dominated by Marshall.
The Rockets, however, fought their way back into the game behind touchdowns by Taylor, receiver Carl Ford, and running back Antwon McCray. Midway through the third quarter Toledo had erased their 23-point deficit and trailed the Herd 29-24, setting the stage for a gutsy play call by head coach Tom Amstutz.
Toledo kicker Todd France lined up for a 33-yard field goal. As he strode toward the ball, his holder - and quarterback - Tavares Bolden picked the ball up off the turf and handed it off to France, who ran 16 yards for a touchdown that gave the Rockets their first lead of the game.
"I thought when I called the play I might be the biggest nut in America," Amstutz told the Associated Press after the game.
The move caught the Marshall defense by surprise, and the kicker ran untouched until he was knocked down by, off all things, the goalpost in the back of the end zone.
"There was nobody there in front of me, absolutely nobody," France told the AP. "I couldn't believe it."
France, in celebration of his first career touchdown, ran straight into the padded post, a battle he lost. He recovered in time to kick a 28-yard field goal that put the Rockets up by six, 35-29.
Leftwich, however, found Marriott on an 18-yard touchdown pass to give Marshall their final lead of the game, 36-35.
A special teams mistake by the Herd ultimately led to Taylor's game-winning run. The Rockets were forced to punt, but Marshall's Curtis Jones muffed the return and the ball was recovered by Toledo's Keith Dandridge on the Marshall 47-yard line.
"The difference in the game was the kicking game," Marshall head coach Bob Pruitt told the AP.
A disappointing crowd of 20,025 was in attendance. Toledo averaged 32,012 fans for regular season home games.
Along with winning the Vern Smith Award, Leftwich was honored as the MAC Offensive Player of the Year. He set a new single season conference record for passing yards, and was listed as a semi-finalist by The Football News as its national Offensive Player of the Year, an award won by former Marshall stars Randy Moss and Chad Pennington.
Marshall linebacker Max Yates took home MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. He led the conference in tackles with 145 and had six sacks.
Bowling Green's Urban Meyer was named the MAC Coach of the Year for the Falcons' impressive turnaround season. Bowling Green finished 8-3 this year, 5-3 in the MAC. Last year they were 2-9, and 2-6 in conference play. In his rookie year, Meyer guided the Falcons to their first winning season since 1994. His club also became the first team in MAC history to post three regular season wins against opponents from the leagues that compete in the Bowl Championship Series.
Toledo will play in the Motor City Bowl at Detroit, Mich. on Saturday, Dec. 29 against an opponent from Conference USA that is yet to be determined. Kickoff is set for noon. The game will be televised live on ESPN.
Marshall will face the East Carolina Pirates, a Conference USA opponent, in the GMAC Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 19. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and starts at 7 p.m. This season marks the first in which the MAC has competed in the GMAC Bowl.
