2018 MAKERS WANTED BAHAMAS BOWL
Toledo (7-5, 5-3 MAC) vs. Florida International (8-4, 6-2 C-USA)
Friday, December 21, 2018 • 12:30 pm ET • Nassau, Bahamas • Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (15,000)
ESPN Announcers: Steve Levy (play-by-play), Desmond Howard (analyst), Laura Rutledge (sideline)
Watch Live
Toledo Notes: MAC Notes:
Toledo will make their eighth bowl appearance in the past nine years when they travel to the Caribbean to face Florida International in the 2018 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl on Friday, Dec. 21 at 12:30 pm ET on ESPN. Toledo (7-5, 5-3 MAC) won four of its last five games, finishing out the season with a 56-34 road victory at Kent State on Nov. 15 and a 51-13 drubbing of Central Michigan in the season finale on Nov. 23.
Toledo has relied on its high-powered offense all season, cracking the 50-point barrier a school-record six times. The Rockets are second in the MAC in scoring offense (41.2) and total offense (448.5). Head Coach Jason Candle’s crew features a balanced attack, with three running backs with over 500 yards rushing and three receivers with over 500 yards receiving. Junior Diontae Johnson earned first-team All-MAC at wide receiver and punt return, and second-team at kickoff return. He caught 43 passes for 663 yards and seven touchdowns. Senior Cody Thompson, another first-team pick at wide receiver, matched Johnson with 43 receptions to go with 592 yards and 10 scores.
The Rocket defense grew stronger as the season progressed, pitching a shutout vs. Central Michigan until a fumble recovery was returned for a touchdown in the final four minutes. Toledo was second in the league with 34 sacks, paced by 8.5 by senior Tuzar Skipper. Senior cornerback Ka’dar Hollman led the MAC with 12 pass breakups, while senior safety Josh Teachey was right behind with 11 breakups.
Rocket Roundup:
• Toledo’s seven wins made it bowl eligible for the ninth consecutive season. The Rockets have gone bowling in eight of the last nine seasons. This will be Toledo’s 18th bowl. The Rockets have an all-time bowl record of 11-6.
• Toledo is one of only nine FBS programs to have a winning record in each of the past nine seasons.
• Toledo and FIU has met three times before. The two teams split a home-and-home series in 2008 and 2009, with each team taking a road victory. FIU also knocked off the Rockets in a dramatic 34-32 contest at the 2010 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.
• Toledo is second in the MAC in scoring (41.1), just a single point behind Ohio’s 41.2. The Rockets are also second in the league in total offense (448.5) and rushing offense (223.6).
• Toledo had eight players make All-MAC at 10 positions, including two first-team selections, Diontae Johnson (WR/PR) and Cody Thompson (WR). Johnson also was named MAC Special Teams Player of the Year.
• Redshirt freshman Bryant Koback’s 875 yards rushing was the third-most by a Rocket freshman and the most since Morgan Williams set the school mark of 1,010 in 2008.
• Toledo head coach Jason Candle has participated in four bowls as a head coach and four as an assistant coach. Candle coached in six NCAA Division III national championship games as an assistant at Mount Union from 2002-08, winning the title in 2002, 2005, 2006 & 2008.
Consistent Winners: Toledo is one of only nine schools who have had a winning record in each of the past nine seasons. Toledo also has had at least nine wins in six of the last eight years. Over the past five years, Toledo ranks eighth in the FBS in overall wins (46).
Thompson Sets Career Receiving Mark: Toledo senior wide receiver Cody Thompson set the school record for career receiving touchdowns this season with 30 career receiving touchdowns. Thompson also ranks second in school history with 3,257 career receiving yards, which also marks third most among active NCAA career receiving yards leaders.
