TOLEDO, Ohio – For the second game in a row, Toledo will be defending its first-place position in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference when it Ball State on Tuesday, Nov. 8 (8:00 p.m./ESPN).

Toledo (6-3, 4-1 MAC) is in first place in the West Division, while the Cardinals (5-4, 3-2 MAC) are one game behind. The Rockets are coming off a 27-24 victory at Eastern Michigan on Oct. 29 that helped them keep hold of the top spot in the West and earn bowl eligibility for the 13th consecutive season. 

Redshirt freshman quarterback Tucker Gleason threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns over the Eagles, including the game-winner late in the fourth quarter.

Toledo trailed by a touchdown, 24-17, entering the fourth quarter, and grabbed the lead for the first time with 2:09 left in the game. Following an EMU punt with 6:48 remaining, Gleason led the Rockets down the field on a 12-play, 74-yard drive, the biggest being a 36-yard completion to Devin Maddox on fourth-and-10. On the next play Gleason hit redshirt freshman tight end Lennard Kühl for a one-yard touchdown pass to put Toledo on top, 27-24.    

Ball State is coming off a 27-20 victory at Kent State on Nov. 1. The Cardinals rallied from a 13-0 deficit to hand the Golden Flashes their first home loss since 2019, a string of 12 straight wins. Carson Steele rushed for a career-high 192 yards and John Paddock hit Tanner Koziol for the game-winning score with 3:21 left.

Toledo vs. Ball State

• TEAM RECORDS: 
    Toledo (6-3, 4-1 MAC)
    Ball State (5-4, 3-2 MAC)

• SERIES RECORD: Toledo leads, 25-21-1. The Rockets won in Muncie last season, 22-12. 

• THE COACHES: 
    Jason Candle, 51-30 (7th year) at Toledo, same overall. 4-2 vs. Ball State.
    Mike Neu, 33-45 (7th year) at BSU, 87-90 overall (13th year). 2-4 vs. Toledo.

• TV/STREAMING: ESPN
    Play by Play: TBA
    Analyst: TBA

• ROCKET RADIO NETWORK: Pregame begins at 6:30 p.m.
   Play by Play: Brent Balbinot
    Analyst: Bryce Harris
    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: 
    Tickets for the game can be purchased online at UTRockets.com/tix, by phone at 419-530-GOLD (4653) or at the Rocket Ticket Office in Savage Arena. Click below for tickets to Toledo's remaining home games.
Nov. 8 vs. Ball State
Nov. 15 vs. Bowling Green

Rocket Blasts
    • With the win over Eastern Michigan makes Toledo bowl eligible for the 13th consecutive season. 
    • The EMU win also marked Jason Candle's 51st victory as Toledo's head coach, moving him into sole possession of third place on Toledo's all-time list. Gary Pinkel is Toledo's all-time leader with 73 wins from 1991-2000.
    • Toledo's offense ranks first in the MAC in scoring (35.9), second in passing efficiency (142.92), and third in total offense (403.2) and rushing (187.4).
    • Toledo's defense ranks first in the MAC in total defense (347.3) and second in points allowed (26.9). The Rockets lead the MAC in passing yards allowed (189.4) and defensive passing efficiency (114.9).
    • Toledo leads the series with Ball State, 25-21-1. The Rockets won in Muncie last season, 22-12. The upcoming game will mark the 48th consecutive season in which the two teams have played, every year since Ball State began playing MAC football in 1975.
    • Sophomore quarterback Dequan Finn sat out the Eastern Michigan game due to injury. His status for the Ball State game is not known.
    • Junior linebacker Dallas Gant leads the team with 8.8 tackles per game, which is ninth among MAC players and 39th in the country.