2017 Toledo Rockets football team

2017 Toledo Rockets football
MAC champion MAC West Division champion
MAC Championship, W 45–28 vs. Akron
Dollar General Bowl, L 0–34 vs. Appalachian State
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Division	West Division
Record	11–3 (7–1 MAC)
Head coach	Jason Candle (2nd as HC/9th overall season)
Offensive coordinator	Brian Wright (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Brian George (2nd season)
Home stadium	Glass Bowl

2017 Mid-American Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Akron xy		6	–	2					7	–	7
Ohio		5	–	3					9	–	4
Miami (OH)		4	–	4					5	–	7
Buffalo		4	–	4					6	–	6
Bowling Green		2	–	6					2	–	10
Kent State		1	–	7					2	–	10
West Division
Toledo xy$		7	–	1					11	–	3
Central Michigan		6	–	2					8	–	5
Northern Illinois		6	–	2					8	–	5
Western Michigan		4	–	4					6	–	6
Eastern Michigan		3	–	5					5	–	7
Ball State		0	–	8					2	–	10
Championship: Toledo 45, Akron 28
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant

The 2017 Toledo Rockets football team represented the University of Toledo in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Jason Candle and played their home games at the Glass Bowl as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 11–3, 7–1 in MAC play to win the West Division. They defeated Akron in the MAC Championship game to become champions of the MAC. They received an invitation to the Dollar General Bowl where they lost to Appalachian State for the second consecutive year in a bowl game.^[1][2]

Coaching staff

Name	Title	Years at Toledo	Alma mater
Jason Candle	Head coach	9	Mount Union
Brian George	Def. Coord./DL Coach	2	Ohio
Brian Wright	Off. Coord./QB Coach	2	Wooster
Mike Bellamy	WR Coach	1	Illinois
Marquel Blackwell	RB Coach	2	South Florida
Robby Discher	TE/ST Coach	2	William Jewell (MO)
Mike Hallett	Run Game Coord./OL Coach	2	Mount Union
Hank Poteat	CB Coach	1	Pittsburgh
Mike Ward	LB Coach	5	Georgetown
Ross Watson	Safeties Coach	2	Mount Union

Source:^[3]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	7:00 p.m.	Elon*	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	ESPN3	W 47–13	22,104
September 9	7:00 p.m.	at Nevada*	Mackay Stadium Reno, NV	ESPN3	W 37–24	18,617
September 16	7:00 p.m.	Tulsa*	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	ESPN3	W 54–51	24,239
September 23	3:30 p.m.	at No. 14 Miami (FL)*	Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, FL	ACCRSN	L 30–52	49,361
October 7	12:00 p.m.	Eastern Michigan	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	CBSSN	W 20–15	22,681
October 14	3:30 p.m.	at Central Michigan	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI	ESPN3	W 30–10	15,572
October 21	12:00 p.m.	Akron	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	WTOL/ESPN3	W 48–21	20,414
October 26	7:00 p.m.	at Ball State	Scheumann Stadium Muncie, IN	ESPN3	W 58–17	7,103
November 2	6:00 p.m.	Northern Illinois	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	ESPNU	W 27–17	17,084
November 8	7:00 p.m.	at Ohio	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	ESPN2	L 10–38	15,562
November 15	8:00 p.m.	at Bowling Green	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH (Battle of I-75 Trophy)	ESPNU	W 66–37	16,649
November 24	11:30 a.m.	Western Michigan	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	ESPNU	W 37–10	17,948
December 2	12:00 p.m.	vs. Akron	Ford Field Detroit, MI (MAC Championship Game)	ESPN	W 45–28	16,225
December 23	7:00 p.m.	vs. Appalachian State*	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL (Dollar General Bowl)	ESPN	L 0–34	28,706
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Source:^[4]

Game summaries

Elon

	1	2	3	4	Total
Phoenix	0	7	0	6	13
Rockets	13	6	21	7	47

See also: 2017 Elon Phoenix football team

At Nevada

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rockets	10	10	14	3	37
Wolf Pack	3	7	14	0	24

See also: 2017 Nevada Wolf Pack football team

Tulsa

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Hurricane	21	7	9	14	51
Rockets	7	7	22	18	54

See also: 2017 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team

At Miami (FL)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rockets	0	16	0	14	30
No. 14 Hurricanes	10	0	14	28	52

See also: 2017 Miami Hurricanes football team

Eastern Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	6	0	3	6	15
Rockets	3	7	7	3	20

See also: 2017 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team

At Central Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rockets	7	10	0	13	30
Chippewas	0	0	3	7	10

See also: 2017 Central Michigan Chippewas football team

Akron

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	0	7	0	14	21
Rockets	21	3	14	10	48

See also: 2017 Akron Zips football team

At Ball State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rockets	3	21	27	7	58
Cardinals	7	3	7	0	17

See also: 2017 Ball State Cardinals football team

Northern Illinois

	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	7	0	7	3	17
Rockets	7	3	14	3	27

See also: 2017 Northern Illinois Huskies football team

At Ohio

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rockets	0	7	3	0	10
Bobcats	7	3	14	14	38

See also: 2017 Ohio Bobcats football team

At Bowling Green

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rockets	14	10	28	14	66
Falcons	7	14	7	9	37

See also: 2017 Bowling Green Falcons football team and Bowling Green–Toledo football rivalry

Western Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	3	7	0	10
Rockets	3	14	14	6	37

See also: 2017 Western Michigan Broncos football team

vs Akron–MAC Championship game

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	0	0	7	21	28
Rockets	7	21	10	7	45

See also: 2017 Akron Zips football team and 2017 MAC Championship Game

vs Appalachian State–Dollar General Bowl

	1	2	3	4	Total
Mountaineers	7	13	7	7	34
Rockets	0	0	0	0	0

See also: 2017 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team and 2017 Dollar General Bowl

After the season

NFL Draft

The following Rocket was selected in the 2018 NFL draft following the season.^[5]

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL club
7	249	Logan Woodside	Quarterback	Cincinnati Bengals

References

1. "Appalachian St. and Toledo invited to Dollar General Bowl". Retrieved December 19, 2017.
2. "Appalachian St. and Toledo invited to Dollar General Bowl". Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
3. 2017 Football Coaching Staff. University of Toledo Athletics. Accessed April 16, 2017.
4. 2017 Toledo Rockets football schedule. FBSchedules.com. Accessed April 16, 2017.
5. "2018 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2023.