Nov 7, 2001

By JOHN SEEWER
Associated Press Writer

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - Toledo wasn't about to let Western Michigan spoil this season, too.

A year ago, Western Michigan handed Toledo its only loss and kept the Rockets out of a conference championship and a bowl game.

"We didn't have to talk about it," Toledo coach Tom Amstutz said. "We felt the pain for a whole year."

On Tuesday night, Toledo jumped to a 17-point first-half lead and hung on to beat the Broncos 41-35.

Toledo (7-1, 4-1) remained in the Mid-American Conference race, but will need help getting to the league championship game.

Toledo, the preseason favorite in the MAC and ranked in the Top 25 before losing to Ball State two weeks ago, must beat Eastern Michigan next week, and Ball State must lose to Northern Illinois for the Rockets to win the MAC West.

Against Western Michigan, Chester Taylor ran for 203 yards on 30 carries and scored twice for Toledo.

Taylor would have had even more yards if he had not been ruled down before breaking loose on what appeared to be a 75-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Television replays showed Taylor's knee didn't touch the ground.

"I just caught my balance," he said. "If my knee would've hit, I would've stopped. That was a long run."

Taylor, who topped the 100-yard mark for the 22nd time, pushed his career total to 4,283 yards, breaking the school record of 4,153 set by Wasean Tait from 1993-98.

Western Michigan coach Gary Darnell was impressed.

"I think he's a major league player," Darnell said.

Western Michigan (4-5, 3-3) had two crucial special-teams mistakes in the first half.

The first came when Jehu Anderson blocked Adam Anderson's punt and Corey Morris scooped it up and ran 15 yards for a score to give Toledo a 14-7 lead with 2:42 left in the first quarter.

The Broncos trailed 21-14 when Ron Rogers fumbled on a kickoff return midway through the second quarter.

Toledo kicker Todd France recovered at the Western Michigan 24 and the Rockets scored two plays later, with Tavares Bolden hitting Adam Clarke with a 17-yard touchdown pass.

"It was just too much too early," Darnell said. "We were always playing catchup."

The Broncos were dealt a big blow when quarterback Jeff Welsh was knocked out of the game on their next possession.

Welsh, making his first start in two weeks after suffering a collapsed lung, went down hard on his right shoulder after scrambling for a first down, breaking his collarbone.

Welsh was 8-of-11 for 144 yards and two touchdowns midway through the first half, before being injured.

He threw touchdown passes of 39 and 18 yards to Antonio Thomas.

Welsh watched the second half from the sidelines and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

Still, the Broncos weren't done.

Backup Jonathan Drach threw two touchdown passes in the second half. And when Scott Robinson returned a blocked punt 21 yards, the Broncos trailed just 41-35 with 1:59 to play.

Toledo then recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock.

"That game was closer than the fans were thinking," Amstutz said.

Toledo's offense struggled in the second half, but was impressive in much of the first half.

Taylor capped a 78-yard game-opening drive with a 1-yard TD run, and caught a 9-yard pass from Bolden that put Toledo up 21-14 with 12:22 to go in the second quarter.