Washington, D.C. – The University of Toledo Rockets knocked off the Air Force Falcons, 42-41, in a thrilling finish to the 2011 Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman, benefiting the USO. The game was played Wednesday, December 28 at 4:30 p.m. at RFK Stadium and aired nationally on ESPN.

 Air Force (7-6, 3-4 MWC) scored with 52 seconds remaining to pull within one of Toledo (9-4, 7-1 MAC) and elected to attempt a two-point conversion rather than kicking an extra point to tie the game at 42. However, the Rockets’ defense proved staunch, thwarting Falcons’ kicker Parker Herrington on the two-point attempt.  The Falcons’ ensuing on-side kick was secured by Toledo, and the Rockets picked up a first down to ensure the victory.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the 105 Rockets who travelled to D.C.,” said Toledo Head Coach Matt Campbell, who had the interim tag removed from his title on December 12.  “This team has been resilient all year.  When we were 1-3, we thought we were the best 1-3 team in the country.  The players turned it around.  When you have a good team and a good program, it is because of the players. We have 21 seniors and a group of young men who are resilient and believe in themselves.  There has been a lot of talk with Coach Beckman leaving, but we stayed focused on the opportunity at hand and won a bowl game. ”

An expected offensive spectacle saw 35 total first quarter points. The teams set the Military Bowl mark for first half points with 1:36 remaining in the first period. Three of the opening periods’ five touchdowns were scored within 53 seconds, beginning with a 22 yard run by Air Force’s Tim Jefferson with 2:29 to go, and ending with a 3 yard rush to the endzone by the Falcon’s Mike DeWitt with 1:36 left on the clock.

After a high-powered first half, both teams stepped up defensively as each forced a turnover in the third quarter and gave up only seven points apiece. The game remained tied at 35 until a Toledo 33 yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Terrance Owens to sophomore wide receiver Bernard Reedy gave the Rockets a 42-35 edge with 5:02 to play.

Reedy caught three touchdown passes for the Rockets on four receptions for 126 yards, earning game MVP honors. Paul Hornung Award candidate Eric Page guided the way for Toledo early, breaking off an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to give Toledo a 21-7 lead. Page turned in 212 all purpose yards, while running back Adonis Thomas paced Toledo on the ground with 108 yards and a touchdown.

Toledo’s defense added a touchdown of its own, a 37 yard interception return in the third quarter by junior safety Jermaine Robinson.

Led by a dominant run game, the Falcons gained 248 yards on the ground. Senior wide receiver Jonathan Warzeka finished off his Falcon career with 95 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving.

“It has been a great six days in D.C.; a first class bowl game all the way with great potential for the long haul,” stated Air Force Head Coach Troy Calhoun.  “It has been an honor to coach these guys.  They are a little disappointed right now, but in life it will be splendid to see what they do down the road as officers and later in life as leaders.”

The Military Bowl is in its fourth year of existence and is the only bowl game located in the Nation’s Capital.  It’s goals are to generate broad support for the USO, positively impact the regional economy, honor the U.S. military and solidify Washington, D.C. as a leading college football destination.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the 105 Rockets who travelled to D.C.  This team has been resilient all year.  When we were 1-3, we thought we were the best 1-3 team in the country.  The players turned it around.  When you have a good team and a good program, it is because of the players. We have 21 seniors and a group of young men who are resilient and believe in themselves.  There has been a lot of talk with Coach Beckman leaving, but we stayed focused on the opportunity at hand and won a bowl game. ”

On Air Force going for two…
“We talked about it because they faked some extra points and field goals this year.  I give the defensive coaches a lot of credit because we stayed in a defensive play rather than a block play, and our kids did a good job defensively on the play.”

Sophomore Wide Receiver Bernard Reedy – 2011 Military Bowl MVP:
“It was great play calling and when your quarterback is getting you the ball, you have to make the most of it.   After halftime we needed everyone to step up and I took that on.

“It meant a lot for us to do this for Coach Campbell.  We have a thousand playmakers on our team and you never know who is going to have the opportunity and who will step up.”

Washington, D.C. – The DC Bowl Committee today announced that the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman and benefiting the USO, will include a United States service academy as the Air Force Falcons (7-5) from the Mountain West Conference (MWC) have accepted an invitation to play at RFK Stadium on December 28 in Washington, D.C.  Air Force will host the Toledo Rockets (8-4) from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in a match-up that will air live on ESPN at 4:30 p.m. EST.

“This is a tremendous matchup for the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman,” said Steve Beck, president and executive director of the bowl. “The game is all about the men and women of our military and raising support and awareness for the USO, so having a military academy represented in the Air Force Academy versus an exciting, high-scoring Toledo Rockets team is great for our game.  We look forward to hosting both teams and their dedicated fans throughout bowl week here in the nation’s capital.”

The 2011 season has been a record-setting one for Air Force, as the school is making its fifth straight bowl appearance for the first time in school history. In a game that celebrates the dedication and sacrifice of military personnel, Air Force will enter the 2011 Military Bowl as holders of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for a second consecutive season.  The Falcons’ rallied from a two-touchdown halftime deficit against Army on November 5 for a 24-14 win over the Black Knights to retain possession of the coveted award presented each season to the winner of the triangular series among the teams representing U.S. military academies – Army, Navy and Air Force. The Falcons beat Navy 35-34 in overtime on October 1.  Two members of the Falcons’ roster, offensive lineman Jordan Eason (Smithfield, Va.) and defensive lineman Harry Kens (Vienna, Va.), will be making their returns to the D.C. area for the December 28 game.

Quarterback Tim Jefferson leads an Air Force offense that is one of the most explosive in the country. The Falcons average 34.4 points per game and are second in the nation in rushing with a 320.3 per-game average. Air Force is second in the Mountain West Conference and among the nation’s elite in total offense at 458.8 yards per game, including 138.5 yards passing. All four are mark career best in the tenure of Head Coach Troy Calhoun (2007-present). Linebackers Brady Amack and Alex Means, along with safety Jon Davis, lead a Falcons’ defense that has also been solid this season, ranking seventh nationally in pass defense, with an average of 162.7 yards per game.

Guided by third-year head coach Tim Beckman, the Toledo Rockets will be making their second-straight postseason bowl appearance. Toledo comes into the game on a roll, finishing the season 8-4 (7-1 in the MAC) and winners of seven of their last eight contests. The Rockets seven conference wins tied for first in the MAC with Northern Illinois, to whom they suffered their only conference defeat.  Their non-conference schedule consisted of games against three teams from BCS conferences and the Rockets nearly knocked off perennial power Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio on September 10 before falling 27-22.

Leesburg, Va.-native Ross Madison will be making a homecoming when the Rockets travel to nearby D.C. for the game. The sophomore safety played in all 12 games for Toledo this season, recording 25 total tackles and an interception.

The goals of the Military Bowl are to bring the excitement of postseason college football to the Washington, D.C. region, while supporting the USO, USO-Metro and our nation’s military personnel. Last season the bowl donated over $100,000 to the USO and USO-Metro, as well as over 5,000 free tickets to active-duty servicemen, women and their families. This year, fans can again lend their support to our armed forces by purchasing tickets for use by military members and their families.

Tickets for the 2011 Military Bowl can be purchased through Ticketmaster, or via the Military Bowl’s website at www.militarybowl.org.

Washington, D.C. – The DC Bowl Committee announced today the addition of 13 new board members for 2011. Of the new board members, 11 represent Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) institutions, while the remaining two derive from the USO-Metro and the Collegiate Athlete Emergency Assistance Fund.  The 2011 Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman, benefiting the USO will be held December 28 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. at 4:30 p.m. EST and air nationally on ESPN.  The ACC participant and its opponent will be announced Sunday evening.

New board members include: Larry Leber, Billy Davis, Janet Hill, Gordon Holder, Frank Williams, Bob Pinkner, Michael Waldron, Chris Cole, Chris Harrison, John Skipper, Chris King, Paul Norman and Andrew Phillips. The group adds a variety of backgrounds and specialties, including many ties to the U.S. military, to the existing board.

Leber represents Boston College and is the President/CEO of Upshire Realty Advisors, L.L.C., a real estate investment limited liability company which invests and develops retail, commercial and residential projects in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

A former standout football player at Clemson who later played in the NFL, Davis is currently serving as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the US Secret Service Special Operations Division and responsible for USSS counterterrorism tactical units.

Hill is the mother of former Duke men’s basketball star Grant Hill and is a principal in Hill Family Advisors, overseeing the family’s assets and investments.  She is the former co-owner and vice president of Alexander & Associates, Incorporated, a corporate consulting firm in Washington, D.C. and served seven years as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army.

Representing Florida State University, Holder is the retired Vice Admiral of the United States Navy and a current Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton. In his current capacity, he serves as the Officer in Charge of the U.S. Marine Account and is one of the leaders of the firm’s Supply Chain Management team.

A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Williams is the Chairman and principal owner of William Enterprise of Georgia, Inc., a holding company with control of six subsidiaries in the various areas of the steel industry. Additionally, he serves as a trustee of the Alumni Association at Georgia Tech.

Representing the University of Maryland, Pinkner is the president of Bond Distributing Company, a family-owned, full-service beverage distributer based in Baltimore.

A University of Miami graduate, Waldron currently holds the title of Definitive Logic’s Navy Program Manager for the Naval Sea System Command. Waldron received his bachelor’s in Information Technology from the University of Miami, and a master’s in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia. He serves as the President of the University of Miami Alumni Club in Washington, D.C.

A retired Rear Admiral, Cole served 32 years in the U.S. Navy upon graduation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He now serves as a Vice President of the Louis Berger Group, Inc., an engineering consulting company in Washington D.C.

A former University of Virginia and NFL offensive lineman, Harrison is the owner and managing member of the C.A. Harrison Companies, LLC, a company which focuses on the development of affordable housing in urban environments for mid to low-income families.

Skipper is co-founder and CEO of National Conference Services, Inc. (NCSI), a firm which produces technology events for the federal government, Department of Defense and intelligence community. He also resides on the Board of Directors of the Virginia Tech Athletic Fund.

King is a Senior Telecom Services Analyst and Director at Stifel Nicolaus.  A graduate of Wake Forest University, with a bachelor’s degree in politics and economics, King received his MBA with a concentration in finance from the University of Maryland. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Wake Forest University Deacon Club.

Norman is a principal and founder of The Concordia Group, a Washington, D.C.-based company specializing in developing land in the D.C. area. He currently serves on the Board of the USO-Metro.

A Maryland native and graduate of Stanford University, Phillips started three years for the Cardinal, twice receiving honorable mention All-Pac 10 and All-Pac 10 academic honors.  He will represent the College Athlete Emergency Assistance Fund on the DC Bowl Committee Board of Directors.  The fund was created in memory of Phillips’ father Bill, who tragically lost his life in a 2010 plane crash.

In addition to overseeing the Military Bowl, the DC Bowl Committee works on various other endeavors including the Military Bowl Touchdown Club. The Touchdown Club is a membership organization dedicated to ensuring the sustainability of the game, establishing the region as a college football destination, and providing members with unique opportunities and programs yearlong that also benefit military families.  Membership information on the Military Bowl Touchdown Club is available at MilitaryBowl.org/touchdown-club.