Toledo, Ohio – Toledo opens its season against Norfolk State this Saturday at the Glass Bowl (7:00 p.m./ESPN3) with a veteran team that has big goals for 2021.

The Rockets were picked by the media to finish in second place in the MAC West behind defending league champion Ball State. Five voters also picked the Rockets to win the MAC Championship Game.

Head Coach Jason Candle is counting on a highly improved Rocket defense combined with an always dangerous offense to move Toledo into contention for a title. Toledo had the No. 2-ranked defense in the MAC in 2020 after finishing dead last in 2019. The offense is packed with veterans at every position, including junior running back Bryant Koback, who has run for 2,626 yards and 30 TDs over the past three seasons.

Norfolk State comes to the Glass City with a new head coach and a team that hasn't played a game in almost two years. Dawson Odoms is the Spartans' head coach following a highly successful run at Southern, where his teams had winning records in each of the past eight seasons. Norfolk State, which opted out of playing football last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was 5-7 in 2019. 

This is the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between Toledo and Norfolk State.

Rocket Round-Up
    • Toledo was picked to finish in second place in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference by the members of the league's media contingent. UT also received five votes to win the 2021 MAC Championship Game.
    • Toledo returns every starter and 57 letterwinners from last year's team.  In addition, three other returnees were starters in 2019: senior defensive lineman Nate Givhan, junior offensive lineman Mitchell Berg and sophomore cornerback Chris McDonald.
    • Among the starters returning from last season's  squad are a total of nine players who have made All-MAC at some point in their career. Six returners made All-MAC in 2020, and three others were honored in 2019.
    • With a 4-2 record in 2020, Toledo kept its streak alive for seasons without a losing record. The Rockets have not had a losing season since 2009, a streak of 11 years. The Rockets are 85-41 in that span.
    • Junior Bryant Koback has rushed for 2,606 yards in his career, which ranks ninth on Toledo's career list.
    • Last season, Toledo ranked second in the MAC in total defense (362.2) and rushing defense (129.2), and first in opponent third-down conversions (27.4%). In 2019, Toledo ranked last in the league in total defense (475.7).

Toledo vs. Norfolk State
Saturday, Sept. 4 – 7:00 p.m.
The Glass Bowl

• TEAM RECORDS: 
    Toledo (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
    Norfolk State (0-0, 0-0 MEAC)

• SERIES RECORD: First meeting.

• THE COACHES: 
    Jason Candle, 38-21 (6th year) at Toledo, same overall. 0-0 vs. Norfolk State.
    Dawson Odoms, 0-0 (1st year) at NSU, 64-41 (11th year) overall. 0-0 vs. Toledo.

• TV/STREAMING: ESPN3
   Play by Play: Jim Barbar
   Analyst: Jerod Cherry

• ROCKET RADIO NETWORK: Pregame begins at 5:30 p.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.

• TICKETS
    Online at UTRockets.com/tix, by phone at 419-530-GOLD (4653) or at the Rocket Ticket Office in Savage Arena.


Head Coach Jason Candle previews Toledo's season opener against Norfolk State.