BOCA RATON, Fla. – Sophomore quarterback Dequan Finn threw for one touchdown and ran for another in the second half to rally Toledo to a 21-19 victory over Liberty at the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 20.
The win marked the first bowl victory for Toledo since a 32-17 win vs. No. 24 Temple at the 2015 Marmot Boca Raton Bowl. Tuesday’s win also is only the second time in Toledo history and the first time since 2001 that the Rockets won both the MAC Championship Game and a bowl game in the same season.
“We’re really super proud of our seniors and our entire team,” said Head Coach Jason Candle, who now has two MAC Championships and two bowl victories to his credit in seven years as head coach. “Their perseverance tonight kind of mimicked our season in the sense that we had some ups and downs, but at the end of the day we found a way. In life, finding a way is the key to getting it done, getting over the hump and reaching the ultimate goal. I’m super proud of this group. They took the words off the wall and turned them into reality.”
Toledo defeated Liberty, 21-19, in the 2022 Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 20. It is the second time the Rockets won both the MAC Championship Game and a bowl game in the same season.
Finn, who was briefly knocked out of the game after being sacked in the first quarter, hit tight end Lenny Kühl for a four-yard touchdown in the third quarter, then ran it in himself in the fourth quarter to put the Rockets up 21-7 with 10:35 to play. For his efforts, Finn was named Offensive MVP.
UToledo withstood two fourth-quarter touchdowns from the Flames and stopped a two-point conversion attempt with 3:40 to play to hang on and win. Sophomore running back Jacquez Stuart ran the ball six straight times on Toledo’s final possession for 53 yards to run out the clock. Stuart rushed for 111 yards on 23 carries for the game.
Toledo’s stout defense once again turned in a solid performance, holding Liberty to a season-low 253 yards of total offense, including just 91 yards in the first half. Senior Nate Givhan was named Defensive MVP after contributing perhaps the biggest defensive play of the game, a third-quarter strip sack that set up the Rockets inside the Liberty 10-yard line on the ensuing drive. Junior kicker Thomas Cluckey was named Special Teams MVP after going 2-for-2 on field goal attempts.
The Rockets controlled the pace in their victory, possessing the ball twice as long as Liberty (40:03 to 19:57).
