Analysis: Toledo football put in 9 must-win situations after stumble

Now comes the hard part for the University of Toledo.

The pain. The corrections. The waiting.

Saturday’s 26-21 loss to Western Kentucky did not make UT’s 2024 season a failure. The Rockets can still go 11-1, win the Mid-American Conference championship, and have a sturdy College Football Playoff resume. But they’ve been put in nine consecutive must-win situations.

“We’ve got to do a lot of things,” Toledo coach Jason Candle said while discussing how to rectify the mistakes made in Bowling Green, Ky.

At least time is on UT’s side, as the Rockets now have two weeks to prepare for defending MAC champion Miami. Not only can they develop a well-built game plan, the Rockets have an extra week to get healthy. Injuries have started to pile up just four weeks into the season.

Toledo was without two starting offensive linemen at Western Kentucky, a third has missed the entire season, cornerback Jaddarius Perkins was absent, and several other players are banged up. The off week is a welcome respite for a team that needs all hands on deck in the ultra-competitive MAC, especially an October schedule that features Miami, road trips to Buffalo and Northern Illinois, and the Battle I-75 against BGSU in the Glass Bowl.

“We’ve got guys that are out. We’ve got guys that are playing hurt,” Candle said. “But that’s college football. I mean, that’s every team in America right now. So we’re going to do a good job of getting mended the best we can and put a good week of preparation together and kind of catch our breath [and] self-evaluate where we're at.”

Nothing is worse than losing in a sport where one loss can alter the season. Adding to the misery is stewing for two weeks before the next game. Captains and team leadership were paramount in the leadup to the Western Kentucky game, and their influence will be equally important after a loss.

“I’m just trying to get my guys to keep playing hard. There were plenty of plays that we left out there on the field, and we’ve got plenty of things that we have to correct,” senior safety Maxen Hook said. “So we’ve got to get back into the film room and get that done. It works just like it did last week when you get a big win, you dwell on it [Saturday night]. And then when you wake up [Sunday], you’re focused on the next team you play and start preparing.”

The Rockets could have — and should have — beaten Western Kentucky. But something that’s been mostly absent is the fact that Western Kentucky is a good team and a consistent winning program. UT didn’t lose to Akron or Kent State.

Pro Football Focus ranks Toledo at No. 59 in the country, second in the MAC behind Northern Illinois (37th), and well ahead of the next MAC team, Buffalo at No. 83. (Bowling Green is 95th.)

The offensive line was a glaring weakness on Saturday, but the overall offense is still overflowing with playmakers. And the defense and special teams are dependable units. Not that the Rockets are brimming with joy after coming home empty-handed.

“A lot of momentum here that could have been seized [Saturday] that we failed to seize,” Candle said. “We’ve got to address the tape, see what it is, fix the mistakes, and get the best plan moving forward.”

The MAC championship game isn’t until December, but the participants will be decided on four Saturdays in October. The Rockets stumbled. Now comes a path to redemption.

“We know the history of our league,” Candle said. “This isn’t one team just runs through and dominates everybody. You’ve got to buckle your chin strap each and every week as it moves forward.”