COLUMBUS — Bruised, battered, and at least a little encouraged by the offense, Toledo boarded its team buses late Saturday night outside the southwest corner of Ohio Stadium.
About an hour earlier, Ohio State put the finishing touches on a 77-21 victory, a confounding game because there actually were a set of positives to take away despite the 56-point margin. But the resistance on defense left plenty to be desired and will keep Vince Kehres up at night this week.
The challenge shifts to moving on and locking in on San Diego State. UT has a game plan to put together for a second consecutive road game. This time it’ll be an intriguing intersectional Group of Five matchup.
The Aztecs, led by former Michigan coach Brady Hoke, have developed a reputation for their stingy defenses. Toledo doesn’t want to enter Mid-American Conference coming off two losses, which could send the team’s confidence plummeting.
Here are three thoughts from Saturday’s 77-21 loss at Ohio State.
Dequan Finn has superstar potential in the MAC
UT’s dual-threat quarterback stood out brightest for Toledo against the Buckeyes, as Finn completed 10 of 19 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, adding 70 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
Alone, those stats might not resonate. But actually seeing the plays Finn made with your own eyes showed you what he can be against MAC defenses — a major problem.
“I mean, I honestly think that guy was a freak of nature,” Ohio State safety Ronnie Hickman said. “Kudos to that guy. He played a great game and did a great job extending plays.”
On multiple occasions, Finn escaped Ohio State’s pass rush to either complete a pass downfield or scramble for a big gain. There have been conversations about former Toledo quarterback Carter Bradley and his early-season success at South Alabama, fans wondering if the Rockets allowed a great player to transfer too early.
In reality, Finn showed Saturday night why he’s the guy for the job. His escapability is another element, as people have been quick to forget what UT’s offense looked like with the less mobile Bradley last season.
“He saved our tail a couple times,” Candle said. “To have a guy that can get out of there and make some plays with his feet is certainly an advantage and one that we’re glad we have.”
Toledo’s defense was overrated
That doesn’t mean the Rockets defense isn’t going to be impressive this season. The talent discrepancy favored Ohio State’s offense just a tad, and UT won’t see anything else like the Buckeyes the rest of the way. But this isn’t a top 10 unit, which seemed possible during the summer and after the first two games.
But it’s hard to view the defense’s performance as a panic-inducing exhibit. Don’t forget, Ohio State makes good Big Ten defense look bad. In two seasons, Kehres has built up enough equity to be given the benefit of the doubt. Toledo’s had top-35 defenses in each of the past two seasons, and there’s no reason to think it’s significantly worse than that in 2022.
Do they need to improve the pass rush and secondary? Yes, but it’s not time to sound the alarm bells. In the MAC, Toledo should have one of the top two defenses.
“We just have to have a reset mindset,” linebacker Dyontae Johnson said. “We have to put this behind us. We can’t keep dwelling on this because then we’re going to be holding ourselves back.”
What is the team’s psyche?
The competitor inside football players doesn’t allow them to give an inch. Toledo genuinely thought it could beat Ohio State. But as a 31-point underdog against the third-ranked team in the country, the film study has a sense of reality built in.
The Rockets weren’t as competitive as they would have liked, and it was an outing that could shoot the defense’s confidence. This week will be a test to stay mentally prepared and not crater because MAC school or not, Toledo is unhappy with how it looked against the Buckeyes.
“I know the national landscape is like, ‘We’re some little MAC team,’” Candle said. “But there are proud guys in that locker room. These dudes fight. It’s important to them. There are some hurting guys in there. Some guys have never been beaten before like this in their life, including me. This is a proud locker room that expects to go out and play well and play efficient, regardless of the opponent.”
First Published September 18, 2022, 4:47 p.m.
