Tycen Anderson isn’t going to get shut out from the jet skis again.
In 2018, the Toledo safety didn’t have an opportunity to ride one of the watercraft at the Bahamas Bowl. He won’t make the same mistake twice.
On Sunday, one day after Toledo closed out the regular season with a 49-14 victory over Akron, the Rockets learned from athletic director Mike O’Brien and head coach Jason Candle during a team meeting that they were going to play Middle Tennessee State in the Bahamas Bowl. The news was met with joyous cheers.
“We were all super excited to go somewhere warm,” Anderson said. “The Bahamas Bowl, last time we went, was amazing. There was so much to do and so many experiences, from the beach to the different events they had for us.”
There are bowl games, and then there’s the Bahamas Bowl, perhaps equaled only by the Hawaii Bowl in terms of the destination. The Bahamas Bowl won’t be confused with the prestige of the Rose, Sugar, or Orange Bowls, but it’s hard to deny the allure of a tropical island.
Of course, there’s more to the trip than jet skis, water slides, and snorkeling. At noon on Dec. 17 in Thomas Robinson Stadium, the Rockets and Middle Tennessee will play a football game.
Candle wants his team to have a fun week while staying focused on ending the season differently than the last time UT played in the Bahamas Bowl, a 35-32 loss to Florida International.
“You want to keep the main thing the main thing,” Candle said. “The reason why you are there is that you are a football player. You aren’t a tourist. You want to represent yourself and the university the right way.”
Toledo is playing its best football of the season, with a quick turnaround being advantageous. The Rockets won’t be forced to leave for the holiday and then regroup, a drawback to bowls played after Christmas. They will stay on campus, finish up the semester, and travel together to the Bahamas.
Practice will serve as a time for young players to get more reps and veterans to stay sharp but rested. One quirk about the trip is that UT will be in the Bahamas during national signing day, forcing coaches to spend a day holed up in their resort.
“It’s a little different in today’s age with everything being done digitally and electronically instead of carrying your fax machine to the Bahamas,” Candle said. “It provides its challenges. We’ll have to have a great plan to handle it.”
Oh, and they will need to prepare for Middle Tennessee, which finished 6-6 overall and 4-4 in Conference USA. The Blue Raiders rank 101st nationally in total offense (351.1 yards per game) and 53rd in total defense (366.3 yards).
“We are honored to be representing Conference USA in the Bahamas Bowl,” MTSU coach Rick Stockstill said. “I am thrilled for this team and especially our senior class. This is a tremendous award for a team who has overcome a ton of adversity this season. We can’t wait to get there.”
Preparations for the game are in their infancy. UT coaches just began gathering information on Middle Tennessee late Sunday afternoon after finishing a recap of the Akron game. This week will be packed with bowl preparations and recruiting.
“We’re playing a great Middle Tennessee State team,” Candle said. “Coach Stockstill has done a great job throughout his tenure there. It’s a team that will be ready to play and give us their best shot.
“I know they had a good year. They played some very competitive games in their league. I’ve always watched their program from a distance and think they are a very well-coached team. They’ll have a great plan and they have some good players that will challenge our guys.”
Every once in a while, Anderson said his Snapchat account shares memories from the Bahamas Bowl trip in 2018. This time, he’ll make sure those memories include a spin on the jet skis.
“That’s the one thing I will do in a couple weeks,” Anderson said, emphatically.
First Published November 29, 2021, 11:25 p.m.
