Toledo 23, Cincinnati 16

PONTIAC, Mich., Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Chester Taylor rushed for a Motor City Bowl record 190 yards and the go-ahead touchdown with 3:23 left Saturday as Toledo rallied, then held off Cincinnati, 23-16, to cap its first season under Coach Tom Anstutz.

One of the best running backs in the country despite his lack of national publicity, Taylor hit one of the huge holes provided by his offensive line and scored the decisive touchdown on a 24-yard run.

"He finally hit the big play late in the game to give us the victory," Anstutz said of Taylor, a three-time first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection. "It was a great way for him to end his career here at Toledo."

Taylor had 30 carries for 190 yards in his final college game. Toledo had 321 rushing yards to 13 for Cincinnati -- also Motor City Bowl records for most and least.

"You have to give credit to Toledo, but it was embarrassing for us because we didn't stop the run at all," Cincinnati coach Rick Minter said. "They ran right at our line. If you can't answer that physical challenge, it's demoralizing."

Despite their inept running game, the Bearcats had a chance to tie it in the final minute, but safety Andy Boyd stripped Jackson in the end zone, breaking up what cuold have been a five-yard touchdown pass.

After the ball was tipped through a quartet of defenders, Jackson grabbed the bottom of it as Boyd reached in and pried it loose.

"I was just trying to rip the guys arms apart," Boyd said. "I didn't see the ball hit the ground, but I heard our fans cheering, so I knew something good was happening."

"It would have been a miraculous play if he had caught it," Bearcats freshman quarterback Gino Guidugli said. "I told him afterwards, he had already made two big plays. You can't expect to make great play after great play."

The Rockets ran out the clock, giving them consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time since the early 1970s. It was the first season as a head coach for Anstutz, who took after Gary Pinkel went to Missouri.

It was quite a rookie year for the 46-year-old Anstutz, who has earned the nickname "Toledo Tom."

A product of Toledo's Whitmer High School, Anstutz played offensive line, earned his bachelor's and master's degrees and served as an assistant for 21 seasons at Toledo before getting the head job.

"I'll be carrying this trophy around for a week," he said. "I had planned to take it to the casino tonight, put it on the blackjack table and play a couple of hands to see if I still had some luck."

It was Toledo's first postseason appearance since 1995.

Marshall had represented the MAC in each of the previous four Motor City Bowls before Anstutz guided the Rockets to a 41-36 victory over the Thundering Herd in this year's league title game.

Anstutz, a defensive-minded coach, inherited the MAC's best running back in Taylor, who is second on the conference's all-time rushing list behind Miami of Ohio's Travis Prentice.

Taylor nearly made himself eligible for the NFL draft after Pinkel left, but Anstutz convinced him to stay.

"We got the MAC and the bowl game so I'm glad I came back," Taylor said. "Everything he said was going to happen, did happen."

Taylor had help as quarterback Tavares Bolden added 235 all-purpose yards and a touchdown run. He set up a second-half field goal with a 41-yard run and added a 28-yard scamper to tie it at 13-13 with 1:44 left in the third quarter.

"He's just a complete football player," Anstutz said. "He's not just a great athlete playing quarterback. He's a complete player."

Bolden finished with 99 yards rushing and completed 14 of 28 passes for 136 yards with an interception in his final college appearance.

"Taylor sealed the deal, but Tavares broke our backs with some key plays," Minter said. "When the opposing quarterback rushes for 100 yards, it's a pretty effective offense."

Guidugli was effective, completing 29 of 46 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown, but he couldn't prevent the Bearcats from losing the Motor City Bowl for the second straight year.

Cincinnati's Tye Keith set a Motor City Bowl record with nine catches for 63 yards.

"It doesn't mean anything," Keith said. "It's the second year we've come to this game and the second year we've gone away with a loss. We came here to win the game."

It was Guidugli's first postseason game, but it didn't look like it. The true freshman was cool until the closing moments, nearly rallying his team for its first bowl win since 1997.

Guidugli received little help. DeMarco McCleskey led Cincinnati in rushing with 18 yards on 10 carries.

The Bearcats scored 13 straight points in the second quarter for a 13-3 lead as Guidugli threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Tim Walker between a pair of field goals by Jon Ruffin.

Ruffin added a 25-yarder to tie it, 16-16, with 6:26 left as the Bearcats drove 73 yards before stalling.

Toledo had settled for a short field goal of its own, with Todd France booting a 30-yarder for a 16-13 with 9:42 to play, capping a 76-yard drive.

France also had field goals of 28 and 42 yards.