James Chadwick Pennington is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He is currently the head football coach of the Sayre School. He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd, winning the Sammy Baugh Trophy as a senior, and was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft. Pennington spent his first eight seasons with the Jets and was a member of the Miami Dolphins in his last three.
The 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-A level, began in late summer 1997 and culminated with the major bowl games in early January 1998. The national championship was split for the third time in the 1990s. The Michigan Wolverines finished the season atop the AP Poll after completing a 12–0 campaign with a Big Ten Conference championship and a victory in the Rose Bowl over Washington State, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers garnered the top ranking in the Coaches' Poll with a 13–0 record, a Big 12 Conference championship, and a win over Tennessee in the Orange Bowl.
The Western Michigan Broncos football program represents Western Michigan University in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I and the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Western Michigan has competed in football since 1906, when they played three games in their inaugural season. In 1927, WMU joined four other schools to form the Michigan Collegiate Conference. Western Michigan then moved to its present conference in 1948. Prior to 1939, Western Michigan's athletic teams were known as the Hilltoppers.
The Northern Illinois Huskies football team are a college football program representing Northern Illinois University (NIU) in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of college football. NIU football plays its home games at Huskie Stadium on the campus of the Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.
The Toledo Rockets football team is a college football program in Division I FBS, representing the University of Toledo. The Rockets compete in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo began playing football in 1917, although it did not field teams in 1931, 1943, 1944, and 1945. Since the inception of the AP Poll in 1936, Toledo has finished in the Top 25 four times. Its highest finish came in 1970 when it ranked No. 12 after finishing 12–0. Toledo has an 11–9 record in bowl games. The Rockets were the 2017 MAC champions. The team's head coach is Jason Candle.
Doug Chapman is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the third round of the 2000 NFL draft, 88th overall, by the Minnesota Vikings where he played from 2000 to 2003 and with the San Diego Chargers in 2004. He is currently serving as the director of player development and senior analyst at Marshall.
The 1997 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by second-year head coach Bob Pruett, the Thundering Herd compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, winning the MAC's East Division title. Marshall beat Toledo in MAC Championship Game to win the conference championship and then lost to Ole Miss in the Motor City Bowl.
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.
The 1999 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University in the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Thundering Herd played their home games at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia, and competed in the East Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The team was coached by fourth-year head coach Bob Pruett. Marshall became the second non-automatic qualifying team in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) era to finish the year ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll.
The Marshall Thundering Herd football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports program of Marshall University. The team represents the university as a member of the Sun Belt Conference East Division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, playing at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level.
The 2002 Motor City Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Boston College Eagles and the Toledo Rockets on December 26, 2002, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Boston College scored touchdowns on its first six possessions and routed Toledo 51–25. It was the sixth time the Motor City Bowl had been played and the final game of the 2002 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams.
Anthony Robert Petersen is an American college football coach and former quarterback. He is the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for Illinois State University. Petersen played college football at Marshall, where he broke school records and won Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year award as a senior in 1987.
The 1999 Motor City Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association bowl game in which the #11 Marshall Thundering Herd of the MAC defeated the BYU Cougars of the Mountain West Conference 21–3. It was played on December 27, 1999, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan.
The 1998 MAC Championship Game was the second conference championship game of the Mid-American Conference, and was played on December 4, 1998, at Marshall Stadium, now known as Joan C. Edwards Stadium, in Huntington, West Virginia. The game featured a rematch of the 1997 game, between the East Division's Marshall Thundering Herd, and the West Division's Toledo Rockets. Marshall was heavily favored to win the game. Marshall defeated Toledo to claim their second consecutive conference title by a score of 23–17. During the game, Marshall starting quarterback Chad Pennington was hurt, and was replaced by Byron Leftwich.
The 1997 Motor City Bowl was the inaugural edition of the new college football bowl game, and was played at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan on December 26, 1997. The game featured the Marshall Thundering Herd of the MAC and the Ole Miss Rebels of the Southeastern Conference.
The 1998 Motor City Bowl matched the Marshall Thundering Herd and the Louisville Cardinals.
The 1995 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1995 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Jim Donnan, the Thundering Herd compiled an overall record of 12–3 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, placing second in the SoCon. Marshall advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Championship playoffs for the fifth straight season, where they defeated Jackson State in the first round, Northern Iowa in the quarterfinals, and McNeese State in the semifinals, before losing to Montana in the NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game. Marshall played home games at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia.
The 1970 Toledo Rockets football team was an American football team that represented the University of Toledo in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. In their eighth and final season under head coach Frank Lauterbur, the Rockets compiled a 12–0 record, outscored all opponents by a combined total of 384 to 88, and won the MAC championship. The season ended with a 40–12 victory over Southern Conference champion William & Mary in the 1970 Tangerine Bowl. The Rockets were ranked No. 12 in the final AP Poll and No. 17 in the final UPI Poll. After the Tangerine Bowl, William & Mary head coach Lou Holtz said, "Toledo can play football with anyone – that includes teams like Ohio State and Texas."
The 2017 Toledo Rockets football team represented the University of Toledo in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Jason Candle and played their home games at the Glass Bowl as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 11–3, 7–1 in MAC play to win the West Division. They defeated Akron in the MAC Championship game to become champions of the MAC. They received an invitation to the Dollar General Bowl where they lost to Appalachian State for the second consecutive year in a bowl game.
