Bowl season is always a big deal, but the day after Christmas, college football fans saw something they'd never seen before.
Thursday's GameAbove Sports Bowl between Pittsburgh and Toledo took nearly five hours to finish because of the bowl game first.
The contest went through six overtimes, the most ever for a bowl game, before Toledo won 48-46.
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Toledo Rockets quarterback Tucker Gleason, 4, runs for a first down during the first half of the GameAbove Sports Bowl Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, at Ford Field in Detroit. (Kimberly P. Mitchell/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Overtime in college football was instituted in 1996, and it was only a month ago that Georgia State and Georgia Tech went to eight overtime innings. The most in any game was nine in the 2021 game between Illinois and Penn State.
Toledo trailed 12-6 in the first half, but scored two touchdowns in a 14-second span (a 67-yard pass and a 40-yard pick-six) to take a 20-12 lead.
Pitt rallied and took a 30-20 lead at one point, but Pitt tied the game with less than five minutes left in regulation time.
Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback David Lynch is sacked by Toledo Rockets defensive end D'Andre Ragin during the first half of the Game Above Sports Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. Ru. (Kimberly P. Mitchell/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Both teams scored a field goal on the first possession of overtime, and each team made a field goal in the second overtime. The new overtime rules state that after the third overtime, teams must convert two-point conversion plays.
Both teams converted each of their first three tries, but in the sixth overtime, after Toledo had four consecutive hits, Pitt's pass fell incomplete.
However, in the fourth overtime, Toledo actually celebrated twice. However, the initial stop was called back due to a penalty, and after it appeared to have stopped Pitt again, a replay review reversed the call and the match continued. The Rockets won anyway.
Toledo's Tucker Gleason was 26 of 50 hits for 336 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while rushing for points. Junior Vanderos III had 12 catches for 194 yards and one touchdown.
Desmond Reed replaced Pitt in the loss and ran for 165 yards on 32 carries.
Toledo is currently 12-10 in bowl game history. It was their fourth straight year in a bowl game.
Toledo Rockets tight end Anthony Torres hits the ball against Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Brandon George during the first half of the GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. Run yards after catching. (Kimberly P. Mitchell/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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Pitt missed out on a bowl opportunity last year after winning the 2022 Sun Bowl.
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