Deciphering the particulars of the first college football game of the season is akin to learning how to golf with one lesson.
Impossible, unfeasible, and fool’s errand come to mind.
“Lot of unknowns,” Toledo coach Jason Candle said.
On Thursday night at the Glass Bowl, the University of Toledo ushered in the 2024 season with a 49-10 win over Duquesne. The three-hour-and-27-minute slog featured a high-powered and irregular UT offense and a sturdy and defective defense.
In November, the product won’t resemble what was first seen in August, for better or worse.
“We had a lot of positives to take,” Candle said. “We want to see some growth in some areas and take some jumps, see how this thing progresses from Week 1 to Week 2.”
It was an auspicious start for Toledo. Before the game even started, the Rockets announced via the injury report that four starters would be out — defensive lineman Darius Alexander, cornerback Andre Fuller, offensive lineman Garrett Schwiebert, and place-kicker Luke Pawlak. Backup linebacker Travion Ford missed the game with his left arm in a sling.
Then Ethan Spoth, a member of UT’s retooled offensive line, was whistled for a false start on the first play of the game. But the bad news went on hiatus for the rest of the quarter, as the Rockets built a 21-7 lead and gained 8.9 yards per play.
“Once I get in the first drive, once I feel that first hit, those nerves go away,” Toledo quarterback Tucker Gleason said. “Then it’s just playing football. And I think that’s exactly what it was.”
Defensive coordinator Vince Kehres was left frustrated, though, with Duquesne finding little resistance in the middle of the field, while quarterback Darius Perrantes made several clutch throws to wide receiver John Erby.
The Dukes had 204 total yards in the first half and averaged 5.6 yards per rush.
The effect from an animated halftime speech was obvious. In the second half, Duquesne had five first downs, 78 yards, and zero points.
“[Duquesne] played really sound football and played tough,” Candle said. “That program is a winning program and [an FCS] playoff team for a reason. There’s a lot of pride in that locker room.”
Aside from a few overthrows, Gleason looked like a quarterback who spent the offseason preparing for his first season as the starter, completing 15 of 23 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns.
An offensive line that replaced every starter and doesn’t have a single player who started a college game before Thursday was adequate. Through three quarters, UT had 136 yards on 29 carries.
Jacquez Stuart (seven carries, 34 yards) only touched the football seven times, but he found the end zone twice. Willie Shaw III had 50 yards on seven carries and Connor Walendzak rushed for 27 yards, averaging 4.5 yards per touch. The trio demonstrated an ability to run efficiently by committee.
“I thought those guys did a pretty good job up front,” Candle said. “Did a good job communicating and there weren’t a lot of glaring mistakes where guys were just turned loose.”
Gleason’s favorite target was Jerjuan Newton, who caught five passes for 87 yards and a touchdown. Junior Vandeross III and Anthony Torres, two more All-Mid-American Conference-caliber players, also caught touchdown passes.
“When in doubt, I know one of those guys is going to be open,” Gleason said. “I know that if I can just get the ball into their hands, they’re going to do something special with it. I mean, Junior Vandeross might be the most dynamic player in our conference. Get the ball in his hand, and he’s going to run for days. Everybody saw what Jerjuan did. He took it for 55 yards and threw somebody off of him. So, it’s all about just getting the ball into their hands and letting them do the work.”
Excitement in the community was pronounced, with overflowing tailgating lots, a beer garden at capacity, and a full student section. The atmosphere was noticeably stoked. And the attendance was evidence of UT’s recent success and proof that fans believe in the expectations: 23,515, the largest since Brigham Young in 2019.
“I think our students were awesome,” Candle said. “From the minute we walked off from kicking the last field goal in pregame warmups and we’re sprinting on the field there, you can feel their energy the entire time. To have the Glass Bowl full, to have the electric crowd, to have people energized about the product that we’ve been able to put on the field and all the external things that our administration has been doing a good job with, I think that is hopefully a recipe that leads to a lot of success and a great momentum in 2024.”
We’ll find out in November.
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