Junior quarterback Dequan Finn is one of seven returning All-MAC players for the defending MAC Champions.
Photo by: Daniel Miller/University of Toledo
Rockets Open 2023 Season With Tough Test at Illinois
9/1/2023 8:05:00 PM | Football
Toledo returns seven All-MAC players in bid to repeat as MAC Champions
TOLEDO, Ohio – Toledo's 2023 football season will begin with the Rockets facing what could be their toughest challenge of the season.
The Rockets travel to Illinois in the season opener for both schools on Saturday, Sept. 2 (7:30 p.m. ET/Big Ten Network).
Toledo returns 16 starters this fall, including seven All-MAC selections. Leading the offense is junior quarterback Dequan Finn, who threw for 23 touchdowns and ran for 631 yards on his way to second-team All-MAC honors. The defense is keyed by a strong secondary that includes junior cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, a first-team All-MAC selection who also was a second-team All-America pick by Walter Camp in 2022. Eight Rockets are on preseason award watch lists.
Toledo, which went 9-5 in 2022, won the MAC Championship and the Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl. The Rockets were the choice of MAC coaches to repeat as champion in their annual preseason poll. No MAC school has won back-to-back titles since Northern Illinois in 2011-12, and the Rockets haven't repeated as champions since winning three straight in the 35-0 run from 1969-71.
Illinois is coming off an 8-5 season in 2022, earning a trip to a bowl game and nearly knocking off No. 3 Michigan before falling 19-17 on a last-second field goal. The Illini have 11 players on the Senior Bowl watch list, including Jer'Zhan Newton, a second-team All-America defensive lineman who is also the brother of Toledo All-MAC wide receiver Jerjuan Newton.
Toledo vs. Illinois
Saturday, Sept. 2 - 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 CT)
Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Ill.
• TEAM RECORDS:
Toledo (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
Illinois (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
• SERIES RECORD: First meeting.
• THE COACHES:
Jason Candle, 54-32 (8th year) at Toledo, same overall. 0-0 vs. Illinois.
Brent Bielema, 13-12 (3rd year) at Illinois, 110-70 (15th year) overall. 0-1 vs. Toledo with loss as Arkansas head coach in 2015.
• TV/STREAMING: Big Ten Network
Play by Play: Mark Followill
Analyst: Matt Millen
Sideline: Meghan McKeown
• ROCKET RADIO NETWORK: Pregame begins at 6:00 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.
Rocket Launch Pad
• Toledo was picked to repeat as MAC Champions in the coaches preseason poll. The Rockets were chosen by 11 of the 12 coaches to win the West Division crown, while seven coaches also picked Toledo to win the MAC Championship title game at Ford Field in Detroit on Dec. 2.
• Toledo returns 15 starters from last year's team (16 if you include 2021 starter Tyler Long) and seven All-MAC honorees.
• Eight Rockets are on a total of 14 different preseason award watch lists.
• Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell was named second-team All-America by Walter Camp, and third-team All-America by the Associated Press in 2022. He was the nation's leader with 1.8 passes defended per game (20 breakups, 5 interceptions).
• Toledo has not had a losing season since 2009, the fifth-longest streak in the FBS behind Boise State, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State and Alabama.
• Since the start of the 2016 season when Jason Candle took over as Toledo's head coach, the Rockets have won 53 games, the most in the MAC.
• Toledo is 6-15 all-time vs. the Big Ten, with its most recent win coming at Purdue in 2010.
• Toledo's defense ranked first in the MAC in total defense (326.1), passing yards allowed (183.0) and defensive passing efficiency (112.19) in 2022. The Rockets were 10th in the nation in defensive passing efficiency, 12th in passing yards allowed and 18th in total defense.
The Rockets travel to Illinois in the season opener for both schools on Saturday, Sept. 2 (7:30 p.m. ET/Big Ten Network).
Toledo returns 16 starters this fall, including seven All-MAC selections. Leading the offense is junior quarterback Dequan Finn, who threw for 23 touchdowns and ran for 631 yards on his way to second-team All-MAC honors. The defense is keyed by a strong secondary that includes junior cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, a first-team All-MAC selection who also was a second-team All-America pick by Walter Camp in 2022. Eight Rockets are on preseason award watch lists.
Toledo, which went 9-5 in 2022, won the MAC Championship and the Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl. The Rockets were the choice of MAC coaches to repeat as champion in their annual preseason poll. No MAC school has won back-to-back titles since Northern Illinois in 2011-12, and the Rockets haven't repeated as champions since winning three straight in the 35-0 run from 1969-71.
Illinois is coming off an 8-5 season in 2022, earning a trip to a bowl game and nearly knocking off No. 3 Michigan before falling 19-17 on a last-second field goal. The Illini have 11 players on the Senior Bowl watch list, including Jer'Zhan Newton, a second-team All-America defensive lineman who is also the brother of Toledo All-MAC wide receiver Jerjuan Newton.
Toledo vs. Illinois
Saturday, Sept. 2 - 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 CT)
Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Ill.
• TEAM RECORDS:
Toledo (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
Illinois (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
• SERIES RECORD: First meeting.
• THE COACHES:
Jason Candle, 54-32 (8th year) at Toledo, same overall. 0-0 vs. Illinois.
Brent Bielema, 13-12 (3rd year) at Illinois, 110-70 (15th year) overall. 0-1 vs. Toledo with loss as Arkansas head coach in 2015.
• TV/STREAMING: Big Ten Network
Play by Play: Mark Followill
Analyst: Matt Millen
Sideline: Meghan McKeown
• ROCKET RADIO NETWORK: Pregame begins at 6:00 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.
Rocket Launch Pad
• Toledo was picked to repeat as MAC Champions in the coaches preseason poll. The Rockets were chosen by 11 of the 12 coaches to win the West Division crown, while seven coaches also picked Toledo to win the MAC Championship title game at Ford Field in Detroit on Dec. 2.
• Toledo returns 15 starters from last year's team (16 if you include 2021 starter Tyler Long) and seven All-MAC honorees.
• Eight Rockets are on a total of 14 different preseason award watch lists.
• Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell was named second-team All-America by Walter Camp, and third-team All-America by the Associated Press in 2022. He was the nation's leader with 1.8 passes defended per game (20 breakups, 5 interceptions).
• Toledo has not had a losing season since 2009, the fifth-longest streak in the FBS behind Boise State, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State and Alabama.
• Since the start of the 2016 season when Jason Candle took over as Toledo's head coach, the Rockets have won 53 games, the most in the MAC.
• Toledo is 6-15 all-time vs. the Big Ten, with its most recent win coming at Purdue in 2010.
• Toledo's defense ranked first in the MAC in total defense (326.1), passing yards allowed (183.0) and defensive passing efficiency (112.19) in 2022. The Rockets were 10th in the nation in defensive passing efficiency, 12th in passing yards allowed and 18th in total defense.
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