Boca Raton Bowl: Toledo 21, Liberty 19
Jason Candle gained his very first recreation as Toledo’s coach in the Boca Raton Bowl again in 2017, taking down Temple in a driving rainstorm. The rain was again once more on Tuesday night time as Toledo confronted Liberty in the exact same bowl, and as soon as once more it was the Rockets outlasting their opponents to the notch the second bowl win of the Candle period. It was a robust end to a season that noticed Candle win a second MAC championship, and simply in like that title recreation win in opposition to Ohio, the recipe was a stout protection and simply sufficient performs from quarterback
Liberty’s early benefit and late cost in a detailed loss had been spectacular contemplating this system is in the midst of a training change with Hugh Freeze off to Auburn and Jamey Chadwell taking on heading into 2023. Freeze’s absence was significantly notable as he was additionally the play-caller for the offense, although the largest on-field storyline was largely how each defenses held a bonus many of the night time. Chadwell was in attendance to help and promote Liberty football, however his offensive affect didn’t seem like on show in the sport.
Candle, who was promoted after Matt Campbell’s departure to Iowa State, has misplaced 4 straight bowl video games since making his teaching debut again in the 2017 Boca Raton Bowl. The Rockets had been favored in all 4, simply as they had been on Tuesday in opposition to Liberty, so when issues began going sideways early it was value questioning whether or not Toledo was going to return up brief in the postseason once more. The first-half drives for Toledo included three punts, one turnover on downs, one discipline purpose and nil touchdowns, giving the impression that Finn and the offense wouldn’t be capable to transfer the ball in opposition to the Flames protection.
But that narrative flipped on the primary drive of the second half as Finn led the Rockets on a 75-yard drive over 13 performs that ended with a landing toss to Lenny Kuhl to provide Toledo a 10-7 lead.
Liberty had its fair proportion of self-inflicted wounds all through the third quarter, limiting its capability to reply and creating extra scoring alternatives for Toledo. There was a fumble deep in Liberty territory that arrange a Toledo discipline purpose and a number of penalties that turned a landing alternative right into a discipline purpose try that was missed. It regarded just like the Flames had been cooked till connecting on a pair of fourth quarter landing passes.
While Toledo is joyful to snap a four-game bowl dropping streak, Liberty missed out on a possibility to turn out to be simply the second program in FBS historical past to win a bowl recreation in every of the varsity’s first 4 years of bowl eligibility. The Flames fall to 3-1 in bowl video games total, whereas Toledo is now 11-9 total in bowl video games and 4-6 since 2010.
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