BOCA RATON, Fla. — The Rockets have landed in South Florida.
The Toledo football team arrived in West Palm Beach shortly before 4 p.m. on Friday as they get ready to take on Liberty in the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 20.
After landing at Palm Beach International Airport, Jason Candle went directly to a joint press conference with Liberty interim coach Josh Aldridge.
“Anytime that you have an opportunity to play a competitive football game in late November or early December, I think it’s an opportunity your kids should look forward to,” said Candle. “We have a bunch of great seniors that we’d like to send out on a high note. I think this should be a great game, a very competitive one and one that we’re going to do our best effort to try and get a W.”
The Mid-American Conference champion Rockets will have practice the next three days before Tuesday’s game. Liberty is a FBS Independent and they went 8-4 this season with key wins over Arkansas, BYU and Southern Miss this season.
“Every team, you have goals at the beginning of the season and we don’t have the opportunity to play for a conference championship,” said Aldridge. “This essentially is that. We’re always talking about how we want to go to bowl games and win them. We’ve won three in a row. It doesn’t change that we have an interim head coach as opposed to a normal head coach. We look to go 4-0 in bowl games since this staff has been a part of this school.”
Both teams will be able to enjoy some time in the sun and warm weather, but both are also focused on taking care of business on the field.
“I think it’s a fine line. You want to experience something new, you want to be in a different part of the country, you want a bunch of guys to go and experience everything that the county can provide. But you also want to do the best job you can to put a plan and keep the main thing the main thing and try to put your best foot forward to go win the football game,” said Candle. “It’s something that you kind of have to juggle with, but I think that’s what I’m looking forward to the most.”
The game next week can be watched on ESPN at 7:30 p.m.