Toledo, Ohio – After scoring 17 unanswered points to begin the second half, the NIU football team was down by four points and seemed to have the momentum against Toledo.

Two holding penalties, a five-yard loss on a completed pass and a delay of game penalty gave the Rockets a third down with 33 yards to go.

However, Toledo quarterback Bruce Gradkowski found tight end Andrew Clarke wide open over the middle of the field for a 60-yard touchdown, which helped propel Toledo (7-3 overall, 5-1 MAC) over NIU 49-30.

“That was the turning point in the game,” Gradkowski said. “I don’t think anyone in the stands thought we were going to get it.”

Clarke, a Naperville native, had five catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns. The 6-foot-4 junior went to Neuqua Valley High School.

The loss dropped the Huskies (9-2, 5-2) out of the top 25 in both The Associated Press and ESPN Coaches’ Polls for the first time since Sept. 21.

The Huskies are 0-10 against Toledo since 1990. At Huskie Stadium, NIU lost against the Rockets last year with :41 seconds left to lose the tie-breaker for the MAC West title.

NIU running back Michael Turner jumped into second place on the MAC’s all-time rushing list, passing Toledo’s Chester Taylor (1998-2001). Turner now has 4,775 yards after rushing for 177 and a touchdown on 32 carries Saturday.

The Huskies began the game holding Toledo to a three-and-out and scoring on their first offensive possession.

A screen pass to wide receiver P.J. Fleck for 39 yards down the left sideline got the Huskies to Toledo’s 26-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Josh Haldi found tight end Keith Perry over the middle for a 25-yard touchdown and an early 7-0 lead.

Another three-and-out by the defense gave the NIU offense a chance to extend its lead.

On a fourth-and-five at the Toledo 45-yard line, NIU decided to go for a fake punt, but the snap hit linebacker Brian Atkinson in the face, giving the Rockets the ball near midfield.

“I think that play kind of gave us a little momentum,” Toledo coach Tom Amstutz said. “We ran a fake punt against them last year to get us going.”

Toledo scored on the ensuing possession when Astin Martin went up the middle for a nine-yard touchdown.

In the second quarter, Toledo scored on all three of its possessions.

Gradkowski finished the game 24-of-27 for 301 yards passing and four touchdowns – three passing and one rushing.

Toledo led 28-7 at halftime, but NIU began the second half with a 10-play, 74-yard drive that ended in a Steve Azar 23-yard field goal.

Then, a fumble by Toledo kick returner Rodney Gamby set up another Haldi touchdown pass to Perry to make the score 28-17.

NIU got another touchdown when Haldi connected with Fleck from five yards out. The drive was set up when Toledo running back Trinity Dawson fumbled on the second play of the Rockets’ drive.

Haldi finished 19-of-34 for 211 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.

“Our kids did a great job coming back,” Novak said. “It boils down to making plays, and they did that more.”