| Year Game Played: | 2001 |
| Game Name: | Motor City Bowl |
| Odds: | Toledo by 4½ |
| Football Season: | 2001 |
| Visitor Name Short: | Cincinnati |
| Visitor Nickname: | Bearcats |
| Visitor School: | University of Cincinnati |
| Home Name Short: | Toledo |
| Home Nickname: | Rockets |
| Home School: | University of Toledo |
| Visitor Record: | 7–4 |
| Visitor Conference: | C-USA |
| Home Record: | 9–2 |
| Home Conference: | MAC |
| Visitor Coach: | Rick Minter |
| Home Coach: | Tom Amstutz |
| Home Rank Ap: | 25 |
| Home Rank Coaches: | NR |
| Home Rank Bcs: | NR |
| Visitor 1Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 13 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 3 |
| Home 1Q: | 3 |
| Home 2Q: | 0 |
| Home 3Q: | 10 |
| Home 4Q: | 10 |
| Date Game Played: | December 29 |
| Stadium: | Pontiac Silverdome |
| City: | Pontiac, Michigan |
| Mvp: | Chester Taylor (RB, Toledo) |
| Attendance: | 44,164 |
| Us Network: | ESPN |
| Us Announcers Link: | List of announcers of major college bowl games |
| Us Announcers: | Pam Ward (Play by Play) Dean Blevins (Analyst) Alex Flanagan (Sideline) |
The 2001 Motor City Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game part of 2001–02 NCAA football bowl games in which the Toledo Rockets of the MAC defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats of the Conference USA 23–16. It was played on December 29, 2001, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. This was the last Bowl game that was played in the Pontiac Silverdome.
See also: 2001 Cincinnati Bearcats football team. The Bearcats were C-USA runners-up. The Bearcats start the season with a loss to Purdue. They won against Louisiana–Monroe, and also won against Conference USA teams Army, Tulane, UAB, Houston, Connecticut, and Memphis. The Bearcats lost to Louisville, and against East Carolina. They also lost to Miami (OH). The Bearcats had lost its previous Motor City Bowl in 2000.
See also: 2001 Toledo Rockets football team. The Rockets upset Minnesota to start the season. They won against Temple, Navy, and also won against Mid–American Conference teams Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Western Michigan, and Eastern Michigan. The Rockets lost to Ball State, and against rival Bowling Green. The Rockets won the MAC West Division co champion and would end up beating Marshall 41–36 in the 2001 MAC Championship Game. This game marked the first time the Rockets appeared in the Motor City Bowl.
Rockets running back Chester Taylor rushed for a bowl record 190 yards on 31 carries and the game-winning touchdown. Cincinnati got the ball back but Toledo safety Andy Boyd knocked a potentially game-tying pass out of the hands of Ray Jackson in the end zone.[1] Taylor was selected as MVP of the game.[2]
Source.[5]
| Statistic | Toledo | Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 24 | 19 |
| Rushes-yards | 51–322 | 20–13 |
| Passing | 135 | 283 |
| Att-Comp-Int | 28–14–1 | 47–29–0 |
| Return yards | 34 | 93 |
| Punts-Avg | 4–39 | 7–49 |
| Fumbles-lost | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| Penalties-yards | 8–75 | 6–48 |
| Time of Possession | 34:16 | 25:44 |