NASSAU, Bahamas – The Toledo football team held its final practice on Thursday morning in preparation for Friday's Bahamas Bowl matchup with Middle Tennessee State (noon/ESPN).

The Rockets will be playing in their 19th bowl game in program history and their sixth in the last eight seasons. Toledo is in the Bahamas Bowl for the second time in the last four seasons after accepting an invitation to play in 2018.

Boosted by a strong end to the regular season, the Rockets enter the Bahamas Bowl leading the MAC in both scoring offense (34.2) and scoring defense (21.0). Toledo will be led by a strong core of players that earned 11 All-MAC honors, including five first-team selections: senior offensive lineman Bryce Harris, senior defensive backs Tycen Anderson and Samuel Womack, junior running back Bryant Koback, and junior outside linebacker Jamal Hines.

Middle Tennessee won two of its last three games, including a 27-17 road victory at Florida Atlantic on Saturday, Nov. 27 that pushed the Blue Raiders into bowl eligibility. MTSU had eight players named to the All-CUSA squad, including three first-teamers: Safety Reed Blankenship, defensive back Quincy Riley and punt returner Jaylin Lane.

Friday's game will be a battle of two elite units when the Rockets have the ball. Toledo leads the country in fewest turnovers (six) and Middle Tennessee's defense leads the nation in most forced turnovers (31). Toledo has lost just four fumbles and thrown two interceptions this year, while MTSU has forced 15 fumbles and picked off 16 passes.

Toledo vs. Middle Tennessee State
Friday, Dec. 17 – Noon (ESPN)
Thomas A. Robinson Stadium

TEAM RECORDS:
Toledo (7-5, 5-3 MAC)
Middle Tennessee State (6-6, 4-4 CUSA)

SERIES RECORD: First Meeting.

THE COACHES:
Jason Candle, 45-26 (6th year) at Toledo, same overall 0-0 vs. MTSU.
Rick Stockstill, 100-98 (16th year) at MTSU, same overall. 0-0 vs. Toledo.
 
TV/STREAMING: ESPN
Play by Play: Matt Barrie
Analyst: Booger McFarland
Sidelines: Katie George
 
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.

TWITTER: @ToledoFB: Regular updates on UT Football, live updates on Game Day.

Rocket Roundup

• The Rockets will be playing in their 19th bowl game in program history. They own a record of 11-7 in bowl games.
• Toledo has now been bowl eligible for 11 straight seasons – every year since 2010, excluding 2020 in which bowl eligibility requirements were waived due to COVID (Toledo was 4-2 in 2020).
• 11 players earned All-MAC honors this season, the most for a UT team since 2016 (12).
• Toledo has scored 182 points in its last four games, an average of 45.5 per contest.
• No team in the country takes care of the ball as well as the Rockets: they lead the country in fewest turnovers (six in 12 games) and fewest interceptions thrown (two in 12 games).
• Bryant Koback rushed for 135 yards against Akron, his fifth straight 100-yard rushing game. He now has 1,274 yards for the season, the second time he has rushed for over 1,000 yards in a season (1,187 yards in 2019).
• Koback now has 3,900 career rushing yards, good for fourth in Toledo history. The all-time leader is Kareem Hunt (2013-16) with 4,945 yards.
• Senior cornerback Samuel Womack has 15 pass breakups, third in the country. He has 40 PBUs for his career, the most in Toledo history.
• Toledo ranks first in the MAC in both scoring offense (34.2) and scoring defense (21.0).