University of Toledo Athletics

Head Coach Jason Candle
“I’m really happy with our senior class. There are some fifth-year guys who could have left after last year, but they stuck around because they love this football team. Days like today are when we reward those guys. I’m really proud of them.”

“I told the team in the locker room that it’s very difficult to win college football games. This was a rivalry game, a game everyone on the outside thought would be one-sided. That puts more pressure on the kids in our locker room and I thought we handled that really well. It was another great crowd in the Glass Bowl as well and I’m glad they got to see us win the I-75 Rivalry trophy again. I’m really happy that trophy will stay where it belongs for another year, at least.”

On quarterback Eli Peters
“I was pretty confident in Eli heading into today. I think our staff did a great job constructing a game plan around him that would give him a chance to be successful. In his first start he had three touchdowns and no turnovers, so I thought he was pretty darn good tonight.”
 
On preparing for Bowling Green
“We knew this was going to be a battle. Their quarterback has a great ability to get the ball right to his receivers’ hands, and their running back is a great player, plus they have some good receivers. I knew it would be a challenge, but my message to our guys was to keep playing and keep getting better.”

On what it means to the local players to win this rivalry game
“It means everything to them. That’s why they come here. That atmosphere tonight, that’s why you come to Toledo. It’s our job to keep recruiting really well and we start right here in our own backyard, trying to get the best players to stay home.”

On running back Bryant Koback
“I said this when we found out he was going to be eligible this year: I think that guy floats a little under the radar around here. He’s a very selfless person, he’s the kind of guy who works really hard and does right for himself, but also for the football team. Guys that fly under the radar like that are good to have around and, to be honest, all the guys in that running back room are like that.”
 
Senior WR Cody Thompson
On how it feels to win this game
“It’s amazing to go nine straight. I was excited to see this team come out in the second half and just put it all together.”
 
On the first-half difficulties
“We had some communication errors and some self-inflicted wounds and a lot of penalties. We just talked and nobody was worried at halftime or anything. We just knew what we had to do.We had to play good, sound, disciplined football. That’s what we did in the second half.”
 
On his and the team’s confidence in Eli after hearing he’d be starting
“If Mitch was starting, it would’ve been the same confidence. Back in the camp this was a QB battle. Both of those guys are great quarterbacks with great attention to detail and have the opportunity when they’re out there to really command the offense. We have the utmost confidence in them. Going forward, whoever’s out there going forward is going to do the same thing.”
 
On how it feels not being the senior class that gave up the BG win streak
“Great. There’s no way I could look someone in the face and say that we were that class that broke that streak. It’s just an amazing feeling. It’s just a testament to this team and its ability to face adversity and come back after a rough first half and do what we need to do to come back on top. I think that’s what we need to do going forward for the rest of MAC play.”
 
Sophomore QB Eli Peters
On getting the word that he’d be starting today
“It definitely feels good to send these seniors out the right way and my preparation each week does not change, even if I’m not declared the starter. My preparation didn't really change and I think the coaches did a great job at putting together the game plan for us to win nine straight.”
 
On when he found he would be starting
“The whole week Mitch hasn’t been practicing but nothing was said to me verbatim. I took it upon myself to just prepare like I was starting and I ended up starting. Just getting my routine all week and getting prepared like I'm the starter did not change.”
 
On the good first-half setups
“We got playmakers all over the field in all three aspects of our football team. It's really a relief off the offense’s shoulders when they can make plays like that. It really feels good and I'm proud of them.”
 
Senior FS Josh Teachey
On how much the team talked going into today about not being the class that ended the streak against BG
“We talk about it every year as a team. Regardless of whether its BG or anyone else, we just try to go out there and win every game that we can.”
 
On whether there's an extra special feeling when you beat BG
“There’s an extra special feeling when you beat any team. It’s a little extra too, but like I said every win feels good.”
 
On key 4th quarter stops
 “We just trusted the coaches’ plan. In the first half we had to make some adjustments because a couple of guys were in the wrong spots but we just believe in the plan and kept executing.
 
Bowling Green Head Coach Mike Jinks
“Our kids showed a lot of resiliency especially early after getting down 17-0 and battling back. We gave ourselves an opportunity in the fourth quarter to win the ballgame.”

on special teams play
“It was pretty plain that special  teams played a big part today. Short fields killed us and our defense was put in bad situations. They played their tails off and continued to fight and compete.”

on if there is any silver lining in the defeat
“A loss is a loss. We are getting better. I see it every day in practice. We need to continue to improve and work. The rest of the season is going to be just like this. I think we’ve shown we can play with the competition we will face in the MAC.”