JONESBORO, Ark. — The first regular season game for University of Toledo coach Jason Candle will feature a familiar opponent.
After playing twice in the last two seasons and twice in a calendar year, Toledo will open the season at Arkansas State tonight. Despite the familiarity between the two programs, both coaches don’t expect the game to resemble the last two contests.
“It’s certainly a team we are very familiar with, although this is a very different team than the last two years we’ve played them,” Candle said. “They’ve upgraded their roster significantly through good recruiting and adding a few transfers. The culture down there that coach [Blake] Anderson has been able to build and sustain is tremendous. We have a little bit of familiarity with them but I don’t think the two games in the last two years we played them will have any bearing on [tonight’s] football game.”
GAME CAPSULE: Toledo at Arkansas State
The Rockets defeated Arkansas State 63-44 in the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl two seasons ago and handled the Red Wolves in a 37-7 home win last season.
Candle, who was an assistant at Toledo for six years, made his head coaching debut in last season’s Boca Raton Bowl, a 32-17 win over Temple. As he prepares for his first regular season game as head coach, the lack of track record and the addition of a new offensive and defensive coordinator has Arkansas State uncertain of what to expect.
“I think the biggest thing is the unknown going in with Candle being the new head coach and bringing in coordinators from different locations,” Arkansas State coach Blake Anderson said. “We’re just not sure what we are going to see. Are we going to see the same Toledo from an X’s and O’s standpoint or are the coordinators they brought in going to blend it or change it completely? It takes a Toledo team we are pretty familiar with and changes that dynamic because you just don’t know what to expect in terms of scheme.”
UT junior quarterback Logan Woodside played in the bowl game against Arkansas State two years ago and completed 21-of-27 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown. After the 2014 season, Woodside redshirted last year and this will be his first game action since the bowl game.
“They are fast and physical,” Woodside said. “Last time I actually played in a game was against them two years ago in the GoDaddy Bowl and I just remember a really fast, physical team. There are definitely a lot of good athletes on that team. It will definitely be a challenge for us offensively but I think we are up for it.”
The Arkansas State roster is full of transfers, including the two quarterbacks that Anderson said will rotate in the game. Graduate transfer Chad Voytik from Pitt is expected to start, but Oklahoma transfer Justice Hansen should also see time at the QB spot.
The wide receiver postion for Arkansas State has also benefitted from transfers in TCU transfer Cameron Echols-Luper and Texas transfer Kendall Sanders.
“Arkansas State runs a fast offense and they like to throw the ball a lot,” UT senior safety DeJuan Rogers said. “They definitely have a good offense with a bunch of transfers. It will be a challenge for us but we will definitely be ready for it.”
Candle said UT will need to play a clean game and neutralize Arkansas State’s team speed.
“They’re a fast team and they like to play fast,” Candle said. “They’re on the football snapping that ball in a hurry. Our defense has to do a great job of getting lined up and communicating well and handle that. Our communication will be tested.”
With new coaches and coordinators, Candle admitted the play-calling and schemes could be different, but he says UT is focused on maintaining its tough, hard-nosed mentality.
“We are who we are from a culture standpoint,” Candle said. “Certainly schemes change. With change that always happens. We want to be a tough, physical football team. We want to play through the whistle and make sure that we are prepared. It’s a physical game and you have to be ready to play a physical brand of football and that’s what Toledo is and that’s what Toledo has stood for for many years and we have to continue that.”
Contact Brian Buckey at: bbuckey@theblade.com or 419-724-6110.
First Published September 2, 2016, 4:09 a.m.
