DETROIT — The University of Toledo is on top of the Mid-American Conference, capturing the conference championship with a 17-7 win over Ohio University.
The Rockets opened the scoring with a 29 yard touchdown run by Jacquez Stuart to take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. He finished with a team-high 93 yards on the ground, and Toledo ran for 236 yards in the game.
Ohio would respond with a rushing touchdown in the second quarter to even the game.
Toledo added a field goal in the second quarter and then a passing touchdown from Dequan Finn to DeMeer Blankumsee in the fourth quarter.
The Rockets defense would shutout the Bobcats in the second half and hold on to capture the MAC title, their first since 2017 and the second conference crown under head coach Jason Candle.
"We've talked an awful lot about this," said Candle. "To be here and get it done, it felt like getting here was part of the battle and getting the win is obviously another part. Really proud of those guys and super excited for our program."
"We worked so hard just to come together like this, shut that offense out, it just means a lot," said linebacker Dyontae Johnson. "We just stuck together through all the ups and downs and we pulled through."
"It's awesome," said linebacker and St. John's Jesuit grad Dallas Gant. "A lot of these guys have been here a lot longer than me and I know what it means to this team, this program and this city. It's just an amazing feeling. It's what I came here for."
"We had a great week of practice, everybody believed in each other and here we are. We're champs," said offensive lineman and St. John's Jesuit grad Mitch Berg. "It makes all the pain and suffering and all that trial to get here and makes it all that better."
On Sunday afternoon it was announced that Toledo will play Liberty in the Boca Raton Bowl on December 20th.
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