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Fans Loved Toledo 310-Pound Lineman's Thunderous Pick-Six in GameAbove Sports Bowl

This is what bowl season is all about.

Tom Dierberger

ESPN
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The GameAbove Sports Bowl between Pittsburgh and Toledo was a wild ride Thursday at Ford Field.

The game featured five turnovers, four interceptions, two pick-sixes and two premature game-winning celebrations. It went to six overtime periods, much in thanks to Pittsburgh oddly settling for a 19-yard field goal from the 1-yard line in double OT. And in the first quarter, the Panthers blocked Toledo's extra point and returned it back 85 yards for two points to make the score an odd-looking 6–2.

Among the many highlights from the Motor City was a 58-yard interception return from Toledo defensive lineman Darius Alexander, a senior who stands 6'4" and weighs 310 pounds.

With about eight minutes remaining in regulation, Alexander dropped back into coverage and picked off a pass from Pittsburgh quarterback Julian Dugger. Alexander turned on the jets from there, rumbling 58 yards down the field to turn his first career interception into six points.

College football fans were impressed by Alexander's effort:

Alexander and his Rockets teammates were finally able to celebrate a bowl victory after claiming a 48–46 victory in six overtimes to finish off the season with an 8–5 record.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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