Toledo will face a familiar opponent Saturday: the Massachusetts Minutemen.
This will be the teams’ fourth matchup since 2014, with the Rockets winning 45-7 last season in Amherst, Mass. But what they see on the other side of the field Saturday will be different because a new head coach is in charge.
Former Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown has replaced Walt Bell, bringing with him some Power Five transfers and a new attitude.
"There are a lot of things that are different," Toledo coach Jason Candle said. "No. 1, the thing that jumps off is they're playing a lot harder. The effort and attitude of how they play and how they approach it is different. I know it's a one-game sample, but that's not the team that I watched prepping for last year's game."
When Toledo has the ball
The season-opening win over Long Island wasn't a blueprint for how UT hopes the year plays out. Quarterback Dequan Finn was effective but lacked dynamism, and the offensive line was shaky. Week 2 always yields improvement, which is what the Rockets expect against UMass.
Last season, Finn, as Carter Bradley's backup, completed 8 of 10 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown against the Minutemen. He also ran for 43 yards and a touchdown on five rushes. As a team, UT had 455 total yards and averaged more than five yards per carry.
The Rockets will be looking for similar production Saturday. Working in some vertical passes and finding consistency in the run game will be part of the game plan. Tight end Jamal Turner could be a weapon, and wide receiver DeMeer Blankumsee had seven receptions against LIU.
When UMass has the ball
Tulane had a highly ranked defense in 2021, similar to Toledo, and the Green Wave shut down the Minutemen last week, which is probably an ominous sign for UMass as it prepares for the Rockets. Two different quarterbacks failed to move the offense, although UMass does have a solid tandem of Ellis Merriweather and Tim Baldwin, Jr., at running back.
The biggest roadblock is Toledo's defense. The defensive line and front seven could be the best UMass faces all season, and the Minutemen play at Texas A&M in November. Long Island didn't reach 100 total yards until late in the fourth quarter, as traveling by land or air was treacherous.
Special teams
UMass only averaged 12.6 yards in five kick returns last week to rank 100th nationally. Punting was even worse, as the Minutemen punted five times for an average of 33.6 yards, No. 117. But, wait, there's more. UMass ranked dead last in kickoffs after zero touchbacks and returns of 23, 26, and 28 yards by Tulane. The problem wasn't the returns but short kickoffs.
Toledo's special teams were excellent in Week 1, led by punter Jonathon Batzke, who had three punts downed inside the 5-yard line. Place-kicker Thomas Cluckey made all three field goal attempts.
Toledo will win if…
The Rockets need to move the UMass defensive line, set the tone, and show that they’re the more physical team. Producing early success and instilling confidence are important. A large crowd is expected Saturday night, so it's best to keep the crowd cheering. The longer UMass sticks around, the more pressure there is on UT. But if Finn doesn't turn the ball over and he improves on last week's game, the Rockets should move to 2-0.
UMass will win if…
The first thing the Minutemen need is steady quarterback play. They aren't going to come into Toledo and pull off an upset if they complete four passes, throw for less than 50 yards, and get sacked multiple times. But if they can complete passes and find success running the ball, sneaking out with a victory becomes possible. Another element is putting pressure on Finn. Last week, UMass didn't have much success harassing the Tulane QB.
View from the other side
Kyle Grabowski, UMass beat reporter for the (Northampton, Mass.) Daily Hampshire Gazette:
“UMass might be who you think they are. The Minutemen have been the worst team in college football for the past three years, winning two games since 2019. They brought back former glory days head coach Don Brown after his stints coordinating Power Five defenses to provide stability and direction. He's done that in practice and brought in 19 transfers, including several from big-time programs like Florida State (defensive end Marcus Cushnie), Michigan (receiver George Johnson III), and Penn State (safety Tyler Rudolph). That didn't translate to the season opener, a 42-10 drubbing at Tulane. UMass wants to run the ball often and did, gaining 200 yards. It took 58 carries to reach that total. The Minutemen only completed 4 of 11 passes and were intercepted three times. The starting quarterback remains a mystery carousel between last year's starter Brady Olson and junior college transfer Gino Campiotti. It was just one game, but UMass may be in for another long season. Toledo 38, UMass 14.”
First Published September 8, 2022, 2:49 p.m.
