TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo Rockets enter the 2022 season focused on the present, without completely forgetting the lessons learned in 2021.

The Rockets open the season by hosting Long Island University at the Glass Bowl on Thursday, Sept. 1 (7:00 p.m./ESPN3).

Toledo, which went 7-6 in 2021, with four of its six losses coming by three points or fewer. Head Coach Jason Candle has said he thinks last season's near-misses could be a motivating factor in 2022. "Last year taught us that the margin of error is so thin, and you have to be at your best in every game," said Candle, entering his seventh season as Toledo's head coach. 

Expectations are high for the Rockets this season, as always. Toledo was picked by the media to finish in second place in the MAC West behind defending league champion Northern Illinois. Nine voters picked the Rockets to finish in first place.

Candle is counting on seven players who have made All-MAC at some point in their career, plus returning sophomore QB Dequan Finn. Finn took over as the starter midway through 2021, tossing 18 touchdown passes against just two interceptions. Leading the way on defense is senior outside linebacker Jamal Hines, who made five preseason awards watch lists, including the  Bednarik Award for national defensive player of the year.

LIU, an NCAA FCS program, is coming off a 2-8 record in 2021. First-year Head Coach Ron Cooper will be a familiar face to longtime Rocket fans as he led MAC rival Eastern Michigan for two seasons from 1993-94. Cooper's Eagles split the two games vs. Toledo.

Toledo vs. LIU

• TEAM RECORDS: 
    Toledo (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
    LIU (0-0, 0-0 NEC)

• SERIES RECORD: LIU leads, 2-0. The Sharks swept a home-and-home series in 1939-40. 

• THE COACHES: 
    Jason Candle, 45-27 (7th year) at Toledo, same overall. 0-0 vs. LIU.
    Ron Cooper, 0-0 (1st year) at LIU, 49-59 (11th year) overall. 1-1 vs. Toledo in two games at EMU in 1993-94.

• TV/STREAMING: ESPN3
 Play by Play: Doug Sherman  
 Analyst: Ryan Cavanaugh

• ROCKET RADIO NETWORK: Pregame begins at 5:30 p.m.
   Play by Play: Brent Balbinot
    Analyst: Austin Dantin
    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.

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 received six votes to win the 2022 MAC Championship Game. 
    • Toledo returns 41 letterwinners overall from last year's team. A total of 15 starters return from 2021, and 18 players overall have been starters at some point in their career. 
    • Among the starters returning from last season's squad are a total of seven players who have made All-MAC at some point in their career. Five returners made All-MAC in 2021, and two others were honored in previous seasons.
    • With a 7-6 record in 2021, Toledo kept its streak alive for seasons without a losing record. The Rockets have not had a losing season since 2009, a streak of 12 years. The Rockets are 92-47 in that span and were bowl eligible in every season.
    • Last season, Toledo ranked first in the MAC in both scoring offense (33.4) and scoring defense (21.8). Those figures ranked 26th and 27th in the country, respectively.
    • Defensively, Toledo also ranked first in the MAC in defensive pass efficiency (118.8) and second in total defense (349.7).
    • Toledo and LIU last met on the gridiron 82 years ago, a 19-7 Blackbird (as the Sharks were called then) victory in Brooklyn in 1940. 


Head Coach Jason Candle previews 2022 season opener against LIU.