The first Mid-American Conference (MAC) football team became bowl eligible after the Toledo Rockets won their game on Saturday.
The win for Toledo marks their 15th straight season becoming bowl eligible, the eighth-longest in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
The Rockets win came on the road in Ypsilanti when they took on Eastern Michigan. The final score was 29-28, with Toledo on top.
Things were not looking good for Toledo going into the fourth quarter, trailing 19-7.
However, the Rockets had an explosive final quarter.
Junior quarterback Tucker Gleason threw for three touchdowns and a two-point conversion to give his team the upper hand in the final two minutes.
Eastern Michigan fought back with a Hail Mary 36-yard pass thrown by senior quarterback Cole Snyder to bring the Eagles within one point of the Rockets.
Despite the opportunity to tie the game and send it into overtime with a field goal, the Eagles chose to try to end it with a two-point conversion attempt. Toledo junior cornerback Avery Smith found a way to break up the pass, advancing Toledo to a 3-2 conference record.
Buffalo also advanced to a 3-2 record within the MAC and now only needs one more win to become bowl eligible.
The Bulls traveled to Akron, ultimately beating the Zips 41-30.
This game was quite similar to the game between Eastern and Toledo, with Akron scoring 23 points in a furious charge in the fourth quarter.
Akron’s opening drive touchdown with a 29-yard touchdown pass from redshirt junior quarterback Ben Finley to junior wide receiver Ahmarian Granger may have initially shocked Buffalo; however, the Bulls then responded with 38 straight unanswered points.
Buffalo senior quarterback CJ Ogbonna threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in a seemingly unstoppable way in the game on Saturday.
Wednesday night is when two teams have the chance to become bowl eligible.
Ohio has the chance at 7:00 p.m. when they take on winless Kent State in Kent. The Bobcats would advance to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the MAC.
Western Michigan, the only team to remain undefeated within the MAC, will have the opportunity to become bowl eligible when they take on Northern Illinois at 7:00 p.m. in Kalamazoo.
