TOLEDO – Toledo is a win away from playing for the Mid-American Conference Championship Game after a great second half led to a 24-7 victory against Toledo on Wednesday night at the Glass Bowl.

Defense kept the Bobcats in the game before the offense came to life after halftime with a workhorse rushing performance from Anthony Tyus III, who carried 33 times for 125 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Parker Navarro added 104 rushing yards on 18 carries and found the end zone twice.

Ohio managed just 101 yards of offense before halftime but wound up with 367, including 238 on the ground. Toledo was held in check all game long, with just 194 yards on the night.

After punting five times in the first half and trailing 7-0, the Bobcats (8-3, 6-1 MAC) got things rolling after the defense forced a punt to start the third quarter. Caleb Gossett had a pair of key catches on the drive, including one for a 34-yard gain to the Toledo 5-yard line.

Maxen Hook intercepted Navarro on the next play, however, to keep Ohio off the board, but once more, the defense rose to the occasion. Toledo’s Tucker Gleason completed a 40-yard pass to Eric Holley, but DJ Walker forced a fumble at the end of the play, and Roman Parodie recovered to give the ball right back to the Bobcats.

They cashed in. Tyus rumbled for 34 yards to the Rockets’ 6-yard line on a third-and-5 play, and on third-and-goal from the 1, Navarro reached the end zone, with the extra point tying the game at 7.

Toledo (7-4, 4-3 MAC) fumbled again on its next possession. This time, running back Junior Vandeross III had the ball knocked free by Blake Leake, and Adonis Williams Jr. came up with it near midfield.

Tyus broke free for 20 yards, and Gossett continued his career game on the next drive with two more catches for 25 yards. Ohio took a 14-7 lead on a Navarro 2-yard run on fourth-and-goal.

Gleason fumbled again while being sacked by Ben McNaboe on the next possession, and although he fell on the ball, they went three-and-out again, and Ohio’s offense went back to work. Navarro’s 45-yard run on third-and-6 eventually led to a Tyus 1-yard touchdown run, making it a 21-7 game with 8:07 left.

John Alan Richter replaced Gleason at quarterback and moved the ball to near midfield, but Toledo continued to implode. A personal foul led to a third-and-23, and on fourth-and-18, Richter had to fall on his own fumble for a loss of 11 yards, turning the ball back over to Ohio at the Rockets 25-yard line.

Gianni Spetic added a 24-yard field goal with 3:31 remaining to make it a three-score game and put it out of reach.

Neither team got much going in the first quarter, but Toledo finally put together a scoring drive early in the second quarter. Gleason threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Torres for the only points of the first half.

Ohio gambled on the next possession with a fake punt run from its own 31-yard line, getting a first down on a 7-yard gain by Mason Williams, but it was all for naught, with another punt to follow a short time later.

Navarro went 11-of-19 passing for 129 yards with one interception. Gossman more than doubled his receiving yards for the season by making six catches for 86 yards. Top receiver Coleman Owen had one catch for 8 yards before leaving with an injury.

Gleason was 9-of-17 passing for 136 yards and one touchdown, but the Rockets established no running game, netting just 39 yards on 25 attempts on the ground. Jerjuan Newton made four catches for 45 yards.

Toledo still had a shot at reaching the MAC title game with a victory but was eliminated with the loss.

With the top two teams advancing to the championship, Ohio can clinch a spot with a win in its final Black Friday game against Ball State (3-7, 2-4 MAC). Miami (7-4, 6-1 MAC) and Bowling Green (6-4, 5-1 MAC) each also have one league loss, but the teams meet in the season finale. Buffalo (7-4, 5-2 MAC) still has an outside shot at reaching the title game.

The Bobcats host the Cardinals at noon Nov. 29 at Peden Stadium on CBS Sports Network.