TOLEDO, Ohio – With a MAC West Division title in hand with two games left in the regular season, Toledo now faces the challenge of playing its arch-rival on the road. The Rockets will travel to Bowling Green on Tuesday, Nov. 14 in the annual Battle of I-75 (7:00 p.m./ESPN2).

Even though Toledo (9-1, 6-0 MAC) has clinched a spot in the MAC Championship Game, there is a mountain of motivation for Head Coach Jason Candle's team this Tuesday. The importance of the rivalry with the Falcons cannot be overstated. BGSU took home the Battle of I-75 trophy last season. The Rockets very much want it back in the Larimer Athletic Complex where it has resided in all but two years since it debuted in 2011.

Perhaps just as important is what could potentially be at stake for the Rockets in the post-season. At 9-1, Toledo has been in the conversation as a possible "Group of Five"  invitee for a New Year's Six bowl (either the Fiesta Bowl or Peach Bowl). A loss in any of Toledo's last three games could fatally damage its chances.

Toledo is coming off a 49-23 victory over Eastern Michigan on Nov. 8.  The Rockets overwhelmed the Eagles from the outset to cruise to its ninth consecutive victory, its longest winning streak in 40 years. The Rockets closed out the home portion of their season with a perfect 6-0 record, their first undefeated home season since 2017 and just the second since 2004. 

The Rockets delivered an early knock-out punch, scoring touchdowns on all five of its first-half possessions to take a 35-3 into halftime. Junior quarterback Dequan Finn was brilliant, connecting on 23-of-27 passes for a season-high 407 yards and three TDs.

Toledo vs. Bowling Green
Tuesday, Nov. 14 - 7:00 p.m.
Doyt Perry Stadium, Bowling Green, Ohio

• TEAM RECORDS: 
    Toledo (9-1, 6-0 MAC)
    Bowling Green (6-4, 4-2 MAC)

• SERIES RECORD: Toledo leads, 42-41-4. BGSU won at Toledo last year, 42-35, but Toledo has won 11 of the last 13 meetings 

• THE COACHES: 
    Jason Candle, 63-33 (8th year) at Toledo, same overall. 5-2 vs. Eastern Michigan.
    Scott Loeffler, 18-33 (5th year) at BGSU, same overall. 2-2 vs. Toledo.

• TV/STREAMING: ESPN2
 Play by Play: Jay Alter
 Analyst:  Rene Ingoglia

• ROCKET RADIO NETWORK: Pregame begins at 5:30 p.m.
 Play by Play: Mark Beier
 Analyst: Jack Mewhort
 Sidelines: Mike Robinson

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

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

Notes From the Launch Pad
• Toledo is outright MAC West Division title with two games left in the regular season. The Rockets will play the East Division champion in the MAC Championship Game at Detroit's Ford Field on Saturday, Dec. 2.
• This is Toledo's second straight MAC West Division crown and 13th overall, moving the Rockets past Northern Illinois for the most division crowns of any MAC school.
• This will be Head Coach Jason Candle's third trip to the MAC Championship Game since assuming the head coaching position at Toledo in 2016. His Rockets won the MAC Championship Game in 2017 and 2022.
• The defending MAC champion Rockets will be attempting to win back-to-back league titles for the first time since winning three straight MAC crowns from 1969 through 1971. The last MAC school to win consecutive MAC championships was Northern Illinois in 2011 and 2012.
• Toledo last played in consecutive MAC title games in 2001 and 2002. Both games were against Marshall, with Toledo winning in 2001 and the Thundering Herd coming away with the victory in 2002.
• Toledo is 9-1 for the first time since 2015. The Rockets have won nine straight games for the first time since 1983. That team started out 9-0 before dropping its last two games of the season.
• The last time Toledo won more than nine consecutive games was in 1971, when it went 12-0 to finish off the famous 35-game winning streak.
• Toledo is 6-0 in MAC play for the first time since 1997.
• The Rockets closed out the home portion of their season with a perfect 6-0 record, their first undefeated home season since 2017 and just the second since 2004.     z
• Toledo is looking to repeat as MAC Champions for the first time since it won three straight titles from 1969-71. The last MAC School to repeat as league champs was Northern Illinois in 2011-12.
• Toledo is one of only 17 FBS schools with one loss or fewer, and one of only 10 one-loss or undefeated schools that are also undefeated in conference play. 
• Toledo received 25 points in the latest AP poll and is now just five spots out of the Top 25. The Rockets also received eight points in the AFCA coaches poll.
• Toledo is bowl eligible for the 14th consecutive season, which is the eighth-longest streak in the FBS and the second-longest among "Group of Five" schools.