TOLEDO, Ohio — Peny Boone ran for a career-high 211 yards including two fourth-quarter touchdowns, backup quarterback Tucker Gleason threw for two scores and Toledo defeated Western Michigan 49-31 on Saturday in a Mid-American Conference opener for both teams.
Boone's 54-yard run to the Western Michigan 1-yard line set up Connor Walendzak's score for a 35-31 lead. Boone added a 19-yard score to extend the lead to 11 points with nine minutes remaining then a 2-yard score in the final minute.
Toledo (3-1, 1-0) trailed 24-14 at halftime and starting quarterback Dequan Finn left with an injury early in the third quarter. Gleason came on to throw a pair of TD passes in the quarter for a 28-24 lead. WMU (1-3, 0-1) took the lead back with a CJ Hester 1-yard run before Toledo's final three touchdowns.
Gleason and Finn both threw for two scores though Finn was intercepted twice. Jerjuan Newton had three TD catches.
Jalen Buckley ran for 190 yards on 29 carries and two scores for the Broncos.
Each team had four turnovers. Keni-H Lovely forced a fumble and returned it 16 yards for a WMU touchdown and Tate Hallock added two interceptions and a forced fumble. Emanuel McNeil-Warren had an interception and forced a fumble for the Rockets.