Talkin’ season is underway.
The Mountain West, Pac-2, Big 12, and SEC have all conducted their annual circus also known as media day(s).
Friday is the Mid-American Conference’s turn.
Coaches and players from the MAC’s 12 teams will gather at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton to tell reporters how great they feel about their team and why 2024 is the year they’ll win the MAC.
In December, one coach and two players will be proven right. Perhaps it will be Jason Candle, Jerjuan Newton, and Maxen Hook. The University of Toledo triumvirate will represent the Rockets. When they kick off the season in late August, Newton and Hook will be critical elements in UT’s success.
However, it’s more than talented players lining up and executing plays. The foundation of a championship team begins taking form months prior. Does Toledo have what it takes to win at Ford Field? Yes. And these three storylines will be part of the conversation.
Building on the positive vibes
The state of the program is at its highest since 2017. The Rockets are 20-8 overall and 13-3 in the MAC over the past two seasons, which includes a MAC title, a bowl victory, and two MAC championship game appearances. They enter 2024 with an eight-game regular-season MAC winning streak.
There’s an air of positivity coursing through each player and permeating around each corner of the Larimer Athletic Complex. Departing players the past two seasons help put the program on a path toward prosperity through leadership and hard work, putting a rock-solid culture in place.
Nearly everyone on the current roster has witnessed what it takes to win and how to achieve results the right way. Keeping the locker room focused and together is how Toledo can continue its winning journey in 2024.
Minimal mistakes by Tucker Gleason
Rarely does a team lose a three-year starting quarterback who won numerous individual honors and not miss a beat. But that could be exactly what the Rockets do in 2024, as Tucker Gleason replaces Dequan Finn.
Gleason came to Toledo in 2021 after one season at Georgia Tech. The Florida native’s high school coach was current UT quarterbacks coach Robert Weiner, helping to establish instant comfortability. On the field, it wasn’t hard for Gleason to make his mark. The nation’s No. 26 pro-style recruit rescued the Rockets in 2022 and 2023.
He had three touchdown passes and zero interceptions at Eastern Michigan while filling in for an injured Finn. Gleason delivered third- and fourth-down completions on the game-winning drive, which became the MAC West tiebreaking victory. The following week Gleason had nearly 450 yards of total offense, three touchdown passes, and two TD runs in a last-second loss to Bowling Green.
Last season, he completed 6 of 10 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns against Western Michigan, rushing three times for 18 yards in a thrilling come-from-behind win. There’s ample evidence that Gleason can do the job at a high level. But that doesn’t mean it’s always perfect.
Gleason has been sacked 10 times and thrown four interceptions in his last 11 games (176 pass attempts). And he’s completed less than 50 percent of his passes at UT. So where does all the confidence come from? Gleason has an “it” factor, swagger, and skillful elusiveness that teammates and coaches believe in.
Block the opposing defense
Replacing Quinyon Mitchell and the rest of the cornerbacks is a tall (and important) task this season. But everyone who watches football knows where wins and losses are most often decided: on the lines of scrimmage.
It’s no coincidence that Toledo’s recent success has coincided with tremendous offensive line play. Well, guess what? All five linemen from last year’s team are gone.
Finn and running back Peny Boone stressed opposing defenses, but credit also goes to an offensive line that contributed to the nation’s 16th-best rushing attack and gave up the fourth-fewest sacks. Toledo needs more than five starters — it has to discover depth.
The most likely starters are: left tackle Allen Jones, left guard Carter Fouty, center Jakob James, right guard Ethan Spoth, and right tackle Garrett Schwiebert. And offensive line coach is confident Drew Beckenhaupt, Cole Rhett, Stephen Gales, Grant Zimmerly, Maddox Marcotte, and Rod Orr can provide adequate blocking as needed.
Among returning players, Schwiebert (116), Fouty (53), and Spoth (41) played the most snaps. According to Pro Football Focus, Fouty and Spoth graded out among the team’s top 10 pass blockers.
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