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While Kentucky fans are wondering what type of team coach Mark Stoops will have this season, Toledo coach Jason Candle called UK an “incredible opponent” Monday.
“Week 1s are hard enough. Going on the road in the SEC is another set of challenges,” Candle said about Saturday’s game in Lexington. “But I’m really happy where we’re at right now and what we’re looking to head to. I think it’ll be a great game for us, a great measuring stick to see where we’re at, and a real quality opponent in Kentucky.
“Coach Stoops and his staff have been together for a long time and done it at a high level for a long time. Wins after wins after wins and a lot of success there, so a stiff challenge for our team, and one we’re looking forward to.”
Candle praised UK’s defensive staff for its longevity.
“The defensive staff has been there for, I mean, it seems like forever together, right? There’s a lot of defense to go back through the years and go watch,” the Toledo coach said.
Stoops said Monday he felt his team was ready to get back to playing physical football. Candle praised UK’s physicality and toughness.
“That has always been at the forefront of any team that coach Stoops has ever been involved in or coached, and I think that resonates and comes off the tape,” Candle said.“They’re going to be big up front, and they’re going to be long in the secondary. They’re what an SEC team looks like—great length, great size, and they’re going to make you earn everything that you get.”
The Rockets (8-5 in 2024) are picked to win the Mid-American Conference. Senior quarterback Tucker Gleason has thrown for over 4,000 yards and 36 touchdowns in his career. He has a veteran offensive line with three returning starters along with standout wide receivers Junior Vandeross III and Trayvon Rudolph (All-MAC transfer from Northern Illinois).
“He’s obviously (had) a year or two in the system being a starter, quite impressive last year with the way he threw the ball and getting very valuable yards through running as well,” Stoops said about Gleason. “They have designed quarterback runs that he gets the tough, aggravating yards and critical first downs, and then he also does a very nice job of buying time. Quite a bit of experience for him, a very good player.”
If that’s not enough, Toledo has new running backs Chip Trayanum (Ohio State/Arizona State/Kentucky) and Kenji Christian (Virginia Tech/North Carolina A&T).
“Chip is a tough, physical back. Unfortunately wasn’t very healthy here, but we know what he’s capable of when fully healthy,” Stoops said. “I would expect in game one that he’ll be ready to go. Very physical, very good back.”
Toledo boasts one of the MAC’s top secondaries led by cornerbacks Avery Smith, Nasir Bowers and Andre Fuller along with safeties Braden Awls, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Jaden Dottin. The linebackers and defensive line have numerous veterans and some highly regarded transfers.
Overall, Toledo returns 11 starters from last year’s 8-5 team has has eight players named to preseason watch lists: quarterback Gleason, receiver Vandeross, receiver/kick returner Rudolph, running back Trayanum, cornerback Smith, safety McNeil-Warren, defensive end Anthony Dunn and offensive lineman Matt Hofer.
6 Responses
With all of the attention that has been focused on this game, Stoops cannot claim that they were overlooked with the Ole Miss game coming up the following Saturday. Toledo is a MUST WIN game if we are to have any hope of being bowl eligible this season. Ole Miss and Florida will be looking for some payback this year and Vandy does not want to go back to being the bottom of the league team. We finish on the road at Louisville. With that being said, I see the floor for this team being 2 wins and the ceiling being 5. It looks like another 4 win season or worse, but Stoops will still be paid his $9.5 million salary. Stoops should have a performance based compensation where he gets $250K for each non conference win and $500K for each conference win, a $250K bonus for getting a bowl bid, $750K for a bowl win. I don't need to go any further like an SEC championship or the playoffs…just keeping it real. Now for some good news…only 54 days left before the exhibition game vs. Purdue!
Stoops made $2.375 million per win in 2024 !!
That must be an NCAA record!
The 2 win “floor” would double that pay rate!
There should be dozens of HC’s from all types of programs lined up to apply to be the UK HC knowing their contract could not be close to any that another program would offer!
Games are won or lost at the line of scrimmage. We'll see.
If the Cats can run the football, and play solid defense, they win.
I believe you could be right LarryPup
That's exactly what happened.