Two teams who faded down the stretch of their respective conference seasons meet in Detroit for a chance at redemption.
Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, is a vaunted tradition in Ontario, with Dec. 26 considered a provincial holiday, akin to its more famous neighbor holidays like Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Across the Detroit River, just past the beautiful foliage of Belle Isle, will be different sort of celebration. The GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit will be a chance for the Toledo Rockets (8-4, 4-4 MAC) and the Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5, 3-5 ACC) to redeem unlucky seasons with a postseason trophy in front of their die-hard fans.
Let’s get right into this Thursday afternoon affair:
Game notes
- Time and date: Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024 at 2 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan
- Viewing options: The game will be streamed exclusively on ESPN. A valid cable subscription is required. Matt Schumaker (play-by-play) and Dustin Fox (color) will commentate.
- Streaming options: The game will be available for streaming on the ESPN App or on applicable cable/satellite services. A valid subscription is required for viewing on either platform. Other streaming carriers include Sling, DirecTV Stream, fuboTV, Hulu Live TV, or YouTube TV.
- Radio options: Mark Baier (play-by-play) and Jack Mewhort (color) will provide the Toledo call for the Rockets Radio Network.
- Gambling considerations: Toledo are seven-point road favorites, with an over/under of 50, per DraftKings.
- All-time series: Pittsburgh leads the all-time series with a 2-1 record. The teams last played in 2006, with the Panthers taking a 45-3 victory.
Getting to know the Panthers
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The Panthers had some unbelievable luck down the stretch, and enter this week’s contest on a five-game losing streak. After peaking at 18th in the initial College Football Playoff polls, Pitt fell from an unblemished 7-0 to unranked and 3-5 in conference play.
Part of the issue was availability; starting quarterback Eli Holstein (2,225 yards, 22 touchdowns, seven interceptions) was injured during the Louisville loss in late November, pressing Nate Yarnell into action. Yarnell lost the remaining games before departing for the transfer portal, leaving little-used David Lynch (no relation) as the potential starter should Holstein be unable to go.
The offensive line also suffered several setbacks, while secondary running back Daniel Carter (208 yards, four touchdowns) was lost for the season during the Clemson contest. Desmond Reid (797 yards, four touchdowns) also missed the Boston College game due to an undisclosed illness— though he should be available this week.
On paper, Pitt is a decent mid-tier Autonomous program, sitting seventh in the ACC in scoring offense (31.8) and eighth in total offensive yards (406.3), while sitting 10th in scoring defense (26.2) and total defense (373.8) out of 17 conference members.
Their strength points are passing the ball and stopping the run.
Pitt sits fourth in the ACC with 277.8 passing yards per game on average, with former Akron receiver Konata Mumpfield (52 rec., 813 yards, five touchdowns) leading the way. Mumpfield has declared his intent to enter the NFL Draft and will not play in the game, but they won’t lack for playmakers. Kenny Johnson (44 rec., 520 yards, three touchdowns) and Raphael Williams Jr. (34 rec., 390 yards, five touchdowns) and tight end Gavin Bartholomew (37 rec., 303 yards, four touchdowns) should be primary targets inside and outside. Desmond Reid is the team’s second-leading receiver out of the backfield, with 47 catches for 564 yards and four touchdowns.
The defense has logged an incredible 99 tackles-for-loss this season, with an additional 40 sacks on the season. The defensive front is an extremely aggressive side which gives up just 115.5 yards per game on the ground (fourth in the ACC.)
Linebackers Rasheem Biles (15.5 TFLs), Kyle Louis (14.5 TFLs) and Braylan Lovelace (10.5 TFLs) have led the charge from their rushing spots, while Jimmy Scott’s 11.5 TFLs pace the defensive line. They’ll give a new-look Toledo offensive line plenty of issues, as the Rockets were one of the MAC’s worst running teams in 2024, finishing eighth in the league.
Louis is the tour de force player for the Panthers, registering an additional seven sacks, nine QB pressures and four interceptions— all team leads— while also forcing a fumble and collecting 97 tackles. Safety Donovan McMillon leads the team with 108 total tackles.
If there’s a weakness to take advantage of, it’ll be Pitt’s passing defense, as the Panthers gave up 258.3 yards per game through the air in the 2024 season (14th in the ACC.) They’ll be in for a long day if the Rockets are allowed to maintain the tempo.
Getting to know the Rockets
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Toledo also comes into Detroit on a slide, with a pair of losses to end the season and sabotage their ability to play for a MAC title game in Detroit.
The current stretch of futility was a bit of a shock, as Toledo was expected to be the favorite to win the conference in the preseason. A laid egg against WKU after beating Mississippi State the week prior was seen as a bit of an anomaly at the time, but retrospectively serves as a red flag. Their inability to adjust to game conditions became a running theme in the 2024 campaign, ultimately sinking them with two double-digit losses to conference contenders in BGSU and Ohio.
There’s still a lot of talent on this roster, however, so count out Toledo at your own peril. Toledo has been one of a few programs which hasn’t experienced any major transfer losses, meaning they should be at full strength come game time in Detroit.
Dual-threat quarterback Tucker Gleason will once again lead the MAC’s best passing attack, which finished the regular season with 246.2 yards per game and 26 touchdowns. Three receivers accounts for 70 percent of the passing offense.
Jerjuan Newton, brother of NFL defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, holds nearly half of Toledo’s scoring opportunities, with 11 touchdowns on 64 receptions, totaling 949 yards. Should he get 51 yards in Detroit, he can add to an already-career season with a 1,000+ yard season. Complimenting him are leading passcatcher Junior Vandeross III (73 receptions, 763 yards, four touchdowns) and tight end Anthony Torres who has eight touchdowns and 362 yards on 27 receptions— scoring at least once every 3.3 receptions.
Their run game is a work-in-progress, however, a major change from their 2023 title run. Gleason has taken it upon himself to lead the running game, with six touchdowns and 467 yards gained (330 net) on 88 carries. Connor Walendzak has been the primary back, with 457 yards and one touchdown. Toledo will likely run four halfbacks, with Willie Shaw, Jacquez Stuart and Saeveon Clark also getting run.
This team is built on their defense, with the Rockets holding a top five defense in the MAC in scoring (21.3), total (352.5) and rushing (138.7; fourth.)
Maxen Hook is the Sunday prospect to know in this game; the Senior Bowl-bound prospect has 107 tackles, two interceptions, four pass brak-ups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a tackle-for-loss from the safety spot. He’s the tempo-setter for the secondary, which was one of the MAC’s more opportunistic. Braden Awls leads the Rockets with three interceptions, while Avery Smith has a team-leading 13 pass break-ups. Four Rockets have multiple interceptions on the season as well.
Jackson Barrow, Deshawn Holt and Daniel Bolden have picked up 24 tackles-for-loss as a linebacking unit, while Anthony Dunn Jr. (25 tackles, seven TFLs, four sacks), Darius Alexander and D’Andre Ragin (6.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks each) pace the defensive line.