MOTOR CITY BOWL Hand injury doesn't faze QB

Toledo's Bruce Gradkowskiplays through the pain of broken bones.
DETROIT (AP) -- Lance Moore still can't believe it.
Three weeks after the Mid-American Conference championship game, the Toledo wide receiver continues to be amazed at the courage shown by quarterback Bruce Gradkowski.
Despite breaking two bones in his passing hand in the first half, Gradkowski threw three second-half touchdown passes to lead the Rockets to the Motor City Bowl with a 35-27 victory over Miami (Ohio).
"He's out there throwing passes with a broken hand, and with his other shoulder separated," Moore said. "How could the rest of us not play hard, knowing what he was doing for us?"
In some ways, Moore felt that Gradkowski's effort shouldn't have been a surprise.
"He's just so tough," the receiver said. "He's always playing through pain, even in practice. Even when everyone else would take a day off, he's out there working harder than anyone."
Pain remains
The day after the game, Gradkowski had two screws placed in his right hand, but is expected to play Monday against Connecticut at Ford Field.
"It's still a little sore, and I probably can't throw quite as hard as I did before I hurt it, but I'll keep working at it," said Gradkowski. "My shoulder is pretty good, too. It's just stiff some of the time."
Gradkowski's one concession to the injury is that, during all the pre-bowl festivities, he has been shaking hands with his left hand.
"Some people have pretty firm grips, and I don't want to risk that," he said. "I can't even feel the screws."
Toledo coach Tom Amstutz is used to having an accurate quarterback -- Gradkowski finished second in the country with a 70.8 completion percentage -- but he was still startled by the Miami (Ohio) performance.
"That was incredible -- I've never seen anything like it," Amstutz said. "We couldn't keep him off the field with a broken hand, and then he completes almost every pass and throws for three touchdowns."
Big-time receiver
Moore caught three touchdown passes in the game, including two in the second half, to continue a season-long partnership with Gradkowski. The senior finished the season with 85 catches for 1141 yards and a school-record 14 touchdowns.
"Lance is a very special player," Amstutz said. "He had over 100 catches to lead the nation as a junior, and he had another great season this year."
Moore and Gradkowski came to Toledo in the same freshman class, but Moore will be done a year earlier.
"I redshirted as a freshman, so I won't have him with me next year," Gradkowski said. "We just have great chemistry after playing together for so long. I know what he's going to do and he knows what I'm going to do."
Moore is thinking about the NFL, but realizes that Gradkowski has helped him on that path.
"He's a great player," he said. "I know that a lot of people doubt Bruce, but there's also a lot that think he's the best. I'm one of them."
And to make next season easier on his buddy, Moore has been carefully training a replacement -- his younger brother Nick. Nick Moore redshirted this season.
"He reminds me a lot of his brother, except that he's 5 inches taller than Lance," Amstutz said.
That's good enough for Gradkowski.
"If Nick has his brother's work ethic, he's going to be great," he said.