Toledo 31, Purdue 20

By foxsports
Published

Austin Dantin rushed for two touchdowns and passed for two more to lead Toledo past Purdue 31-20 on Saturday.

The sophomore quarterback totaled 64 yards on the ground and completed 21 of 31 passes for 209 yards for the Rockets (3-1), who won at Ross-Ade Stadium for the first time since 1992.

Rob Henry, filling in for an injured Robert Marve for the second straight week, threw for 140 yards, a touchdown and an interception for the Boilermakers (2-2), who were denied their first three-game winning streak since starting 5-0 in 2007.

Purdue rushed for more than 200 yards for the third straight game.

Toledo came in ranked last in the nation in total offense.

The Rockets registered 378 yards, 157 more than their season average.

Dantin capped the Rockets' 13-play, 85-yard opening drive with a 5-yard TD pass to Eric Page.

Dantin went 6 of 7 for 68 yards on the drive.

The Rockets went 3-for-3 on third-down conversions. Marve re-injured his left knee on the Boilermakers' third drive of the game. On second-and-5 from the Purdue 25-yard line, Toledo defensive tackle Elijah Jones blitzed, forced Marve to fumble and recovered at the Purdue 13. Marve did not return.

Three plays later, Dantin hit Danny Noble in the back of the end zone from seven yards out to put the Rockets up 14-0 late in the first quarter.

Ryan Casano tacked on a 34-yard field goal to push the lead to 17-0 with 4:51 left in the half.

Henry drove the Boilermakers to the Toledo 18 on Purdue's last drive of the first half, but a 35-yard field goal attempt from Carson Wiggs missed wide right. Wiggs put Purdue on the board with a 49-yard field goal early in the third quarter.

Toledo responded with a 58-yard touchdown run from Dantin. Jared Crank capped the Boilermakers' next drive with his first career rushing touchdown from 36 yards out to pull Purdue to within 24-10.

Dan Dierking scored on an 8-yard pass from Henry to bring the Boilermakers within a touchdown late in the third.

Wiggs kicked a 22-yard field goal with 8:07 to play to cut the lead to 24-20, but Archie Donald intercepted Henry on Purdue's next drive. A 1-yard TD run from Dantin with 5:24 left sealed the victory for the Rockets.