Quick Facts and Takeaways: Get to Know the Toledo Rockets

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program is heading to the Sunshine State this bowl season.

The Cardinals finally learned their postseason draw on Sunday, and they will squaring off with Toledo in the 2025 Bush's Boca Raton Bowl of Beans. Kickoff from Flagler Credit Union Stadium Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla. is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 2:00 p.m. EST.

In year three under head coach Jeff Brohm, Louisville is heading to their fifth straight bowl, as well as their 13th bowl appearance over the last 15 seasons. The Cardinals sport an 13-13-1 all-time bowl record, most recently winning the 2024 Sun Bowl, 35-34, over Washington.

Quick Facts on Toledo

- Record: 8-4 overall, 6-2 MAC
- Points Per Game: 31.6
- Points Allowed Per Game: 12.2
- Total Offense: 421.8
- Total Defense: 247.8
- Passing Yards Per Game: 244.0
- Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 158.4
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 177.8
- Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 89.3
- Third-Down Rate: 41.0%
- Opponents' Third-Down Rate: 29.9%
- Turnovers Gained: 20 (13 interceptions, seven fumble recoveries)
- Turnovers Lost: 14 (10 interceptions, four fumbles lost)
- Average Time of Possession: 30:08
- Sacks Per Game: 2.92
- Tackles for Loss Per Game: 7.4
- Sacks Per Game Allowed: 1.08
- Tackles for Loss Per Game Allowed: 4.75

Quick Takeaways on Toledo

Heading into the 2025 season, expectations were moderately high for Toledo. Not only were the Rockets the preseason pick to win the MAC, but if things broke their way both internally and around the college football landscape, they could have been a team that competed for the Group of Five's spot in the College Football Playoff.

Unfortunately, Toledo suffered a few close losses both in and out of conference, eliminating any chance of competing either for the MAC title or in the CFP. They went 0-2 in their games against power conference competition, losing 24-16 at Kentucky and 28-7 at Washington State. In conference, they lost 14-13 to eventual MAC champion Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, but also suffered a 28-23 upset loss at Bowling Green.

While the Rockets went 0-3 in one-score games, they otherwise had done a great job against teams of their caliber. In their eight wins, their average margin of victory was a whopping 33.5 points - including two wins for 40+ points. There's just one massive curveball with this team...

Head coach Jason Candle, who is the program's all-time winningest coach, may not be on the sideline leading Toledo in this game. This past weekend, Candle accepted the head coaching job at UConn, which opened up after Jim Mora Jr. left for Colorado State.

Whether or not Candle will lead the Rockets one finale time, or is already up in Storrs, remains to be seen. But regardless if he will be coaching, Toledo still has some solid pieces on both sides of the ball.

While Toledo's offense was the reason that they came up short in all four of their losses, this is still a good unit - MAC school or not. Not only is both their scoring and total offense best in the conference, it's 39th and 32nd, respectively, in all of the FBS.

The Rockets have a fairly balanced offense, though it is one that has a slight slant towards airing it out, and for good reason. Sixth-year quarterback Tucker Gleason, in his second year as the starter at Toledo, posted his best season in college and helped lead the best passing attack in the MAC.

He completed a career-best 64.7 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,515 yards and a MAC-best 21 touchdowns, although that also came with nine interceptions. Gleason is also a dual threat, rushing for 144 yards and four scores - plus 752 and 14, respectively, for his career.

It also helps that Gleason is also throwing to arguably the best receiver in the MAC in Junior Vandeross III. Earning First-Team All-MAC honors, his 75 receptions and 11 receiving touchdowns both led the conference, while his 947 receiving yards was fourth - although it was just 34 yards behind the conference leader. Second-Team All-MAC wideout Trayvon Rudolph also adds a great one-two punch at receiver for Gleason.

Toledo might not be as efficient running the ball, but they still averaged the fourth-most rushing yards in the MAC and were 44th nationally in rushing yardage. In fact, starting running back and former Kentucky transfer Deamonte "Chip" Trayanum earned First-Team All-MAC honors, rushing for 950 yards and 11 scores, while tying the conference lead in rush average at 5.7 yards per carry.

Trayanum also is a forced in the passing game, logging 19 reception for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, his backup in Kenji Christian isn't half-bad, either, as he ran for 501 yards and four scores. Then you add in the fact that Toledo's offensive line ranked 13th and 37th, respectively in sacks and tackles for loss allowed per game, and the Rockets have a complete offensive attack.

That being said, Toledo is by far a team that was defined by their defense. Their scoring defense ranked fourth in all of the FBS, behind only Ohio State, Indiana and Texas Tech. As for their total defense, that comes in at third in the FBS, trailing just Ohio State and James Madison. Nine of Toledo's starters on defense earned All-MAC honors, including four First-Team nods.

Toledo is phenomenal in their front seven, excelling at setting the tone in the trenches and finding success both with stopping the run and getting to the quarterback. Not only have they allowed the eight-fewest rushing yards per game, they have generated the fifth-most tackles for loss and 11th-most sacks per game in the FBS.

This collective effort up front is actually spearheaded by First-Team All-MAC linebacker K'Von Sherman. His 85 tackles and 14.5 for loss both led the team, while also collecting 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Fellow linebacker Chris D’Appolonia is a good compliment to him in the middle of the field, also earning Third-Team All-MAC honors.

These 'backers bolstered by a great one-two punch on the defensive line in edge rusher Malachi Davis and defensive tackle Martez Poynter. These two not only led the team in sacks, they were second and third on the team in TFLs behind Sherman. Davis finished with 9.5 tackles for loss, Poynter had 8.0, and both had 5.5 sacks plus a forced fumble.

As good as the Rockets are in their front seven, they are by far and away better in the secondary. They led the MAC in passing yards allowed and were eighth in the FBS, and their team passing efficiency defensive mark of 98.60 was second in the nation only to Arizona.

Safety duo Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Braden Awls both earned First-Team All-MAC sections, and for good reason. McNeil-Warren has 73 tackles (5.5 for loss), two interceptions (one for a touchdown), four pass breakups and three forced fumbles; while Awls had a MAC-best five interceptions, on top of 52 tackles (6.5 for loss), four pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Their starting cornerback duo, First-Team All-MAC selection Andre Fuller and Second-Team All-MAC pick Avery Smith, are just as good as their back end counterparts. Fuller had 44 tackles, 10 pass breakups and a pick; while Smith added 37 tackles, 11 pass breakups and a pick.

However, as good as Toledo is on offense and defense, there is one major area of concern on this team: penalties. The Rockets are one of the most penalized teams in all of the FBS, ranking 133rd in penalties per games at 8.08, and 132nd in penalty yards per game at 72.58. For context, there are just 136 teams at the FBS level.

Quick Facts on Toledo

Quick Takeaways on Toledo

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