Boca Raton Bowl: Toledo 21, Liberty 19
Jason Candle received his very first recreation as Toledo’s coach within the Boca Raton Bowl again in 2017, taking down Temple in a driving rainstorm. The rain was again once more on Tuesday evening 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 towards 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 within 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 a lot of the evening. Chadwell was in attendance to help and promote Liberty football, however his offensive affect didn’t look like on show within the recreation.
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 within the 2017 Boca Raton Bowl. The Rockets had been favored in all 4, simply as they had been on Tuesday towards Liberty, so when issues began going sideways early it was price questioning whether or not Toledo was going to return up quick within 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 have the ability to transfer the ball towards 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 present Toledo a 10-7 lead.
Liberty had its justifiable share of self-inflicted wounds all through the third quarter, limiting its capacity 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 appeared just like the Flames had been cooked till connecting on a pair of fourth quarter landing passes.
While Toledo is completely satisfied to snap a four-game bowl shedding streak, Liberty missed out on a chance to grow to be simply the second program in FBS historical past to win a bowl recreation in every of the college’s first 4 years of bowl eligibility. The Flames fall to 3-1 in bowl video games general, whereas Toledo is now 11-9 general in bowl video games and 4-6 since 2010.
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