Toledo enters the 2019 campaign with high expectations—and a big challenge in week one—when it travels to Lexington for a date with the Kentucky Wildcats on Aug. 31 (Noon/SEC Network).

    The Rockets were picked to win the West Division of the Mid-American Conference. But that means little to head coach Jason Candle and his squad as they prepare for the task of battling an SEC team on its home turf.

    Toledo returns 13 starters from last year's 7-6 squad, and just four from the 2017 team that won a MAC Championship title. However, the Rockets have talent and depth at almost every position. Among the top returning veterans on the offense are All-MAC senior tight end Reggie Gilliam; a pair of quarterbacks with starting experience, senior Mitchell Guadagni and junior Eli Peters; and experienced running backs Bryant Koback and Shakif Seymour. On defense, nine players with at least 30 tackles are back, led by senior safety Kahlil Robinson, senior linebacker  Jordan Fisher, senior safety DeDarallo Blue, and sophomore defensive end Jamal Hines.

    Kentucky is coming off a blue-ribbon season in which it won 10 games, its most victories in over 40 years, and a bowl win over Penn State. It was also the Wildcats' third straight winning season under head coach Mark Stoops, proof that Kentucky is now an established force on the gridiron as well as the hardwood.

Rocket Round-Up
    • Toledo (7-6, 5-3 MAC in 2018) returns 13 starters and 49 letterwinners. Six starters return on offense, five on defense and two on special teams.
    • The Rockets were picked to finish first in the MAC's West Division in voting by members of the league's media contingent. 
    • Toledo and Kentucky have never played in football but they will play each other four times in the next 10 years. The two schools recently signed an agreement to play three more games after this one: at Kentucky in 2025 and 2028, and at Toledo in 2027.
    • Toledo is 1-3 all-time vs. the SEC, with losses to Florida and Missouri (twice), and a win at Arkansas in 2015.
    • Toledo is one of nine FBS teams that have had a winning record over the past nine years (83-37 since 2010).
    • Toledo lost its top three receivers from last year, but return its top two rushers, sophomore Bryant Koback (917 yards, 14 TDs) and junior Shakif Seymour (565 yards), and it top two quarterbacks, junior Eli Peters (1,837 yards) and senior Mitchell Guadagni (1,053 yards).
    • Koback began his career at Kentucky, sitting out the 2017 season as a redshirt before transferring to his hometown team.
    • As of Aug. 21, Toledo had 21 former players on NFL rosters. Six Rockets have been selected in the past three NFL Drafts, including a pair of third-rounders (Kareem Hunt in 2017 and Diontae Johnson in 2019).

Toledo vs. Kentucky
Saturday, Aug. 31 - Noon
Kroger Field, Lexington, Ky.

• TEAM RECORDS (2018): 
    Toledo (7-6, 5-3 MAC)
    Kentucky (10-3, 5-3 SEC)

• SERIES RECORD: First meeting.

• THE COACHES: 
    Jason Candle, 28-13 (4th year) at Toledo, same overall. 0-0 vs. Kentucky.
    Mark Stoops, 36-39 (7th year) at Kentucky, same overall. 0-0 vs. Toledo.

• TV/STREAMING: SEC/ESPN+
    Play by Play: Taylor Zarzour
    Analyst: Matt Stinchcomb
  Sideline: Alyssa Lang

• ROCKET RADIO NETWORK: Pregame begins at 10:30 a.m.
    Play by Play: Brent Balbinot
    Analyst: Jack Miller
    Sidelines: Mike Robinson

• WEB-AUDIO: Free live audio streaming of the UT Rocket Radio Network broadcast on UTRockets.com. 

• COACH'S SHOW: Coach Jason Candle and host Brent Balbinot talk Rocket Football every Monday beginning Aug. 26 from 6-7 p.m. at Stubborn Brother Pizza. Carried live on WSPD-AM1370 and UTRockets.com,  with live streaming video on the BCSN Now app.

• TWITTER: 
    @ToledoFB: Regular updates on UT Football, live updates on Game Day.
    @ToledoRockets: Updates for all Rocket sports.


Head Coach Jason Candle Monday press conference.