Toledo capitalized on a second half meltdown by the Kent State football team to beat the Flashes 34-21 tonight at the Glass Bowl in Toledo.

With Kent State leading 21-7 late in the second quarter, the Rockets scored 20 unanswered points to stay undefeated in Mid-American Conference play. The Flashes drop to 1-2 in the conference and 2-4 overall.

The night started promising for the Flashes though.

Sophomore quarterback Spencer Keith threw for 106 yards and junior running back Jacquise “Speedy” Terry ran for 98 yards and three touchdowns in the first half.

Throwing mostly short, high-percentage passes, Keith drove the offense down the field for touchdowns in the Flashes’ first two possessions of the game. Terry punched the ball in on runs of one and five yards to give Kent State a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

Toledo found its way on the scoreboard with a 12 play, 75 yard drive capped off by a 22-yard catch-and-run by junior running back Adonis Thomas.

Thomas finished with 47 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. He also caught five passes for 54 yards and a score.

With 3:44 left in the first half, Terry ran for his career-high third touchdown of the night to put the Flashes up 21-7.

The score would be the Flashes’ last of the night.

In the third quarter, Toledo scored on three straight possessions while the Flashes racked up three consecutive three-and-out offensive series. The Rockets piled up 172 yards (90 rushing, 82 passing) in the third quarter while holding Kent State to -24 (-20 rushing, -4 passing).

Toledo junior running back Morgan Williams rushed twice for 35 yards to spark Toledo’s first touchdown drive of the third stanza. On the ensuing Kent State possession, the Rockets trapped the Flashes deep in their territory and forced a punt from the six-yard line.

Toledo’s offense stalled with its favorable field position, but a costly penalty on third down by senior cornerback Kirk Belgrave kept the Rockets’ drive going. On the next play, Thomas dashed 22 yards for his second score of the night to tie the game.

The Rockets added a field goal at the end of the third quarter to take their first lead of the game.

Kent State’s offense continued to collapse in the fourth quarter. After another Toledo field goal put the Flashes down 27-21, Terry fumbled away the ball on the Flashes’ nine-yard line. Three plays later, Dantin scrambled into the end zone to put the game out of reach for the Flashes.