The segment of the University of Toledo fan base wanting more got it on Saturday night at the Glass Bowl.
The Rockets — especially quarterback Dequan Finn — were all gas and no brakes in a 55-10 obliteration of Massachusetts.
A slow start last week and less than desirable offensive line play had UT supporters squawking. What took place Saturday might not have been a direct response to the criticism, but it served as one.
And it was well received.
“Exactly what I wanted to have happen today happened after what I thought was a really good week of practice,” Toledo coach Jason Candle said.
Finn had 251 yards of offense, Toledo averaged 6.5 yards per carry, and the defense was as tenacious as advertised. UMass had 253 yards — 128 of them came on the final drive of the first half and the final drive of the game.
For the second consecutive week, Ohio State transfer Dallas Gant (nine tackles) led the Rockets in tackles. Desjuan Johnson had 1.5 tackles for loss, and RJ Delancy and Nate Givhan each forced a fumble.
“We’ve played really well defensively, but we’re still leaving a lot out there that we can capitalize on,” Johnson said. “When we watch film, we say, ‘Oh, we could have had a [tackle for loss] here or we could have had a sack here if this person would have done that.’ We’re still working to get better every day.”
Perfection is nearly impossible to attain over an entire football game.
For one half, Toledo came close to achieving the unachievable, scoring on four of five possessions while limiting UMass to 70 yards until the Minutemen had an 11-play touchdown drive to end the first half. (UT had zero penalties in the half.)
UMass had bigger problems than UT’s defense, though, as Finn carved up the Minutemen with his arms and legs, doing his best Lamar Jackson impersonation on NFL opening weekend.
“It was just another day for Dequan Finn,” wide receiver Jerjuan Newton said. “That’s what he does. He works hard. I’m proud of him.”
Finn completed 12 of 26 pass attempts for 177 yards and a touchdown, and added a game-high 74 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
“It was solid,” Finn said. “I left some throws out there that I thought I could make. That’s part of football. But, overall, I thought I did well.”
The dual-threat quarterback set the tone on Toledo’s first possession, turning a sack on 4th-and-6 into an 18-yard gain. Four plays later, he handed off to Peny Boone, his old Martin Luther King High School teammate, who rumbled into the end zone from two yards out.
“I felt as though we got back to our high school days,” Finn said. “It was fun seeing him score.”
The next time Toledo had the football, Finn got loose for a 21-yard touchdown run to put the Rockets up 14-0.
He added a 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
The Rockets had 14 total plays of at least 15 yards — seven rushing and seven passing. Those 14 plays resulted in 289 of UT’s 411 total yards.
“The more explosive we can be,” Finn said, “the defense isn’t going to have a plan.”
Willie Shaw III led Toledo’s stable of running backs with 47 rushing yards and a touchdown. Jacquez Stuart had 45 yards, with 26 coming on a remarkable touchdown where he made it through a half dozen UMass defenders en route to the end zone.
Boone had 21 yards and two touchdowns.
“We’ll continue to evaluate the tape, keep moving forward here, and let those guys go,” Candle said, adding that he approves of the by-committee approach at running back so far and prefers having fresh bodies.
Devin Maddox only had one reception, making the most of his opportunity with an acrobatic 11-yard catch at the pylon for a touchdown.
DeMeer Blankumsee had a game-high six receptions, and Newton had a game-high 106 receiving yards.
On a crazy day that featured wild upsets and unexpected results, Toledo accomplished its goal: Take care of business.
“If you don’t bring it every Saturday in college football, you get beat,” Candle said. “That’s just the way it goes.”
First Published September 11, 2022, 2:38 a.m.
