Mario Bautista
If there’s one game the Toledo Rockets had circled on their calendar in the regular season, it was the Week 6 Oct. 5 matchup vs. Miami (OH).
Last October, Toledo and Miami squared off for the first time in 12 years. The Rockets stormed into Oxford, OH and knocked off the RedHawks in 21-17 fashion. But they didn’t win the more important meeting of the 2023 season, as Miami’s defense overwhelmed Toledo in a 23-14 MAC Championship Game result.
The last two MAC champions collided for the first time since last December, with Toledo eyeing the conference championship Miami snatched away 10 months ago. The Rockets stayed true to the task at hand and fended off the RedHawks, 30-20, in a wire-to-wire victory.
Tucker Gleason fired for a season-high 318 passing yards and two touchdowns in the victory. However, his most impressive play of the day was the one that initiated the scoring effort. On fourth down near the goal line, Gleason fumbled on the exchange to running back Connor Walendzak. However, he kept his head on a swivel, scooped up the loose pigskin, and powered through the goal line for a 7-0 lead.
Gleason continued to thrive offensively, hitting two-time All-MAC selection Jerjuan Newton for a 6-yard touchdown to claim a 14-0 advantage. But even with two all-conference nominations, Newton had never seen a performance like the one he put together Saturday. He caught eight passes for a career-high 127 yards and a touchdown. His partner-in-crime Junior Vandeross III added 57 yards on six receptions in Toledo’s fourth 30+ point showing of 2024.
However, the Rockets weren’t immaculate on that side of the ball. Gleason tossed a pair of first half interceptions to Miami outside linebacker Corban Hondru in the first half. Hondru also produced a game-high 11 tackles, leading the charge in limiting Toledo’s run game to 2.1 yards per carry on the afternoon. However, the RedHawks couldn’t generate a rushing attack on their own, finishing with 54 yards on 23 attempts.
Toledo kicker Dylan Cunanan drained three field goals while Miami kicker Dom Dzioban countered with two, resulting in a 23-6 Toledo lead in the late third quarter. That’s when the RedHawks’ offense finally came to life. In its third road game of 2024, Miami notched its first road touchdown of the year when quarterback Brett Gabbert hit running back Kevin Davis on a screen for a 9-yard touchdown.
The recent MAC champions traded touchdowns in fourth quarter as Gleason connected with veteran tight end Anthony Torres while Gabbert found Javon Tracy (who had a Miami-best 119 receiving yards) in the end zone to rewrite the score to 30-20. While the RedHawks earned another shot down 10 with over five minutes remaining, their attempt at a comeback stalled. With 2:30 to go, 10 yards away from the end zone, Gabbert threw his only interception of the day as Toledo strong safety Braden Awls provided the closing duties. Gabbert finished with 296 yards in the finish, but Toledo’s aerial defense forced him to 23 completions on 46 attempts.
Miami (1-4, 0-1 MAC) dropped its MAC opener and exceeded its loss total from the 2023 season. The RedHawks’ only conference defeats in the past two years are at the hands of Toledo. Chuck Martin’s team, after finding some offense in the final 16 minutes of action, hopes he can build upon that finish when his RedHawks head to Eastern Michigan next Saturday.
Toledo (4-1, 1-0 MAC) is tied for the best overall record in the conference. The Rockets won their ninth consecutive regular season MAC game, asserting themselves as contenders for a third-straight conference championship game appearance. Toledo continues its trek through 2024 with a trip to Buffalo in Week 7.
