MONTGOMERY, ALA – Taylor Lamb rushed for a touchdown and threw a touchdown, and Darrynton Evans returned a kickoff for a score to lead Appalachian State past Toledo 31-28 on Saturday in a thrilling, back-and-forth Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama.
Lamb had 126 yards rushing on nine carries and Marcus Cox, the
Mountaineers’ career rushing leader, had 143 rushing yards and a
touchdown for Appalachian State, which won its second straight Camellia Bowl in only its second season in the FBS.
The game kicked into high gear in the second half, with the teams
combining for 28 points in the final 8:04 of the third quarter. Appalachian State took touchdown leads on a Lamb keeper on fourth down and Evans’ 94-yard kickoff return.
Toledo answered each time, scoring touchdowns on a pass from
quarterback Logan Woodside to Cody Thompson and on a short plunge from
running back Kareem Hunt late that sent the game into the fourth quarter
tied 28-28. Appalachian State marched
to the Toledo 21-yard line to open the fourth quarter but squandered
the opportunity with a failed fake field goal attempt. The Mountaineers took the lead on their next drive, this time settling for Michael Rubino’s 39-yard field goal that put Appalachian State up 31-28 with five minutes left.
Toledo kicker Jameson Vest missed a 30-yard field goal on its ensuing
drive after a bizarre sequence that saw the Rockets called for delay of
game on fourth-and-2 at the Appalachian State 8-yard line with 2:06 to play.
After the penalty pushed Toledo back 5 yards, Vest’s kick sailed barely
outside of the right goal post, according to the officials. The Mountaineers, the co-champions of the Sun Belt, ran out the final minutes and celebrated.
Woodside finished 18 of 26 for 247 yards with two touchdowns, and Hunt
scored two touchdowns and became the program’s career rushing leder with
120 yards on 22 carries. Appalachian State scored
on its first possession, with Lamb connecting with Deltron Hopkins on a
16-yard touchdown pass. The Rockets answered quickly, with Woodside
capping a four-play, 75-yard drive with a touchdown pass to tight end
Michael Roberts. Hunt and Cox got going in the second quarter, with each scoring rushing touchdowns to send the game into halftime tied 14-14. NOTES: RB Kareem Hunt became Toledo’s career rushing leader, breaking Chester Taylor’s mark of 4,849 yards. … Appalachian State beat
Ohio in last year’s Camellia Bowl. … Toledo was making its 16th bowl
appearance, the most by any MAC team. The Rockets were in a bowl for the
sixth time in the last seven seasons. … Toledo WR Cody Thompson set
the school season record for receiving yardage, breaking Lance Moore’s
mark. … Toledo entered the game with 20 interceptions, third most in
the nation.
