Rockets Complete Final Practice Leading Up to Bowl Battle With Louisville

BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Toledo Rockets held their final practice on Monday at Boca Raton High School leading up to tomorrow's showdown with Louisville in the Bush's Boca Raton Bowl of Beans. Toledo (8-4, 6-2 MAC) will face the Cardinals (8-4, 4-4 ACC) at FAU's Flagler Credit Union Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla. on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN.

The Rockets, who are playing in their fifth consecutive bowl game, are 13-9 all-time in bowl games, including a record 48-46, six-overtime victory over Pittsburgh at the 2024 GameAbove Sports Bowl in Detroit.

Toledo won its last four games of the season to finish in a tie for second place in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo features the No. 3 ranked defense in the country (247.8 yards per game) and held its final four opponents to single digits in scoring. Toledo's offense leads the MAC in scoring (31.6) and total offense (421.8), and is paced by wide receiver Junior Vandeross III (75 receptions, 11 TDs) and running back Chip Trayanum (950 yards, 11 TDs).

Interim Head Coach Robert Weiner said the Rockets are highly motivated to play in the bowl game, especially the seniors.

"This game means everything for our seniors," said Weiner. "Like I told the players after practice, this game matters. This game has its own challenges, and that's the beauty of the game of football. What you do matters, what you contribute matters, and we're gonna take that into this game."

Added senior offensive lineman Ethan Spoth, "I'm excited to go out there one last time with these guys and have a ball. I'm a senior so this it for me. We have a lot of guys who are in the same boat. Everyone kind of just understands that this is the last time we're going to be together. So it's special."

Toledo vs. Louisville
2025 Bush's Boca Raton Bowl of Beans
Tuesday, Dec. 23 - 2:00 p.m.

• 2025 TEAM RECORDS:
Toledo (8-4, 6-2 MAC)
Louisville (8-4, 4-4 ACC)

• SERIES RECORD: Louisville leads, 5-3. The two schools first met in 1925 but haven't played since a Louisville victory in 1981.

• THE COACHES:
Robert Weiner, (interim head coach) 0-0 (6th year at Toledo), same overall.
Jeff Brohm, 27-12 (third year) at Louisville, 93-56 overall (12th year). 0-0 vs. Toledo.

• TV: ESPN
Play by Play: Jay Alter
Analyst: Rocky Boiman
Sidelines: Ashley Stroehlein

• ROCKET RADIO NETWORK: Pregame begins at 1:00 p.m.
Play by Play: Mark Beier
Analyst: Jack Mewhort
Sidelines: Pete Seymour

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

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

• TICKETS:
Tickets are on sale now for the 2025 Bush's Boca Raton Bowl of Beans. Tickets can be purchased through the bowl website at Bocaratonbowl.com/tickets. Tickets will be delivered via Ticketmaster, with full instructions sent by email when delivered.

The Launch Pad
• Toledo is playing in its fifth-straight bowl game. The Rockets are 13-9 all-time in bowl games.
• Toledo has been bowl-eligible for 16 straight years, the sixth-longest streak in the country.
• Toledo has clinched its 16th consecutive season without a losing record, the third-longest streak in the FBS.
• Robert Weiner has been named interim head coach and will lead the Rockets in the Bush's Boca Raton Bowl of Beans. Weiner, who has served as the Rockets' co-offensive coordinator/QB coach for the past six years, fills in for Jason Candle, who left to accept the head coaching position at UConn. Candle departs as Toledo's all-time victory leader (81-44).
• Toledo announced on Dec. 10 that former Mercer Head Coach Mike Jacobs will be the Rockets' next head coach.
• Senior safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren was named to three major All-America teams: Sporting News (2nd team), FWAA (2nd team) and AP (3rd team).
•Toledo has held its opponent to 14 points or fewer seven times this season, and in single digits in each of the final four games.
• Toledo put a school-record 17 players on the All-MAC team, including seven on the first team. Both figures were tops in the MAC.
• Toledo's defense ranks third in the FBS in total defense (247.8). In other FBS rankings, Toledo ranks No. 2 in defensive passing efficiency (98.60), third in first downs allowed (168), fourth in scoring defense (12.2), eighth in passing yards allowed (158.4), eighth in rushing defense (89.3), and ninth in third-down defense conversion (29.9%).

Players Mentioned

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren

Ethan Spoth

Chip Trayanum

Junior Vandeross III