Nearly 300 days have passed since the University of Toledo won the Mid-American Conference championship at Ford Field.
On Saturday, the title defense began with an unconventional victory, as the Rockets overcame four turnovers, 11 penalties, and the loss of their starting quarterback and All-American cornerback in a 49-31 come-from-behind win over Western Michigan.
“The backups got their moment today,” Toledo coach Jason Candle said. “Some of them were bright stars.”
With the Glass Bowl bathed in sunshine and blue skies, a dark cloud hung over the stadium as the Broncos — picked to finish last in the MAC West — had a 24-14 third-quarter lead and UT quarterback Dequan Finn was being carted off the field.