UMass faces another future MAC peer in Week 2, traveling to the Glass Bowl for their first road game of 2024,
Toledo’s win over UMass was an often overlooked footnote in the Rockets’ 11-2 2023 season. The Minutemen nearly ended the Rockets’ New Year’s Six hopes when they carried a 21-17 lead into halftime. That was as far as the upset bid got, as Toledo used a second-half surge to propel themselves over UMass.
Once again, the Minutemen are heavy underdogs, but this year’s meeting is on the road at the Glass Bowl. Despite DeQuan Finn, Peny Boone, and Quinyon Mitchell all departing Toledo, UMass still has a tall task ahead of them if they want to upset the Rockets.
Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: The historic Glass Bowl in Toledo, Ohio
- Viewing options: The game will be available exclusively via ESPN+. A valid subscription is required for viewing. Michael Reghi (play-by-play) and Jerod Cherry (color) will provide the commentary.
- Radio options: Brett Balbinot (play-by-play) and Bruce Gradkowski (color) will provide the Toledo call for the Rockets Radio Network. Adam Frenier (play-by-play) and Matt Goldstein (color) will provide the UMass call for WHMP-FM 101.5.
- Gambling considerations: Toledo is a 19-point favorite, with an over/under of 51, per DraftKings.
- All-time series: Toledo leads the series by a margin of 7-1, with games dating back to 1976. Toledo has won the last seven contests.
- Last meeting: UMass kept the Rockets close in the first half, taking a lead into halftime, but Toledo adjusted and took home a convincing 41-24 victory on Oct. 7, 2023.
Arguably, the most crucial matchup is UMass’ front seven vs. Toledo’s run game. The Rockets ran wild in last year’s meeting, running for 375 yards on 39 carries, an average of over nine yards per carry. The quarterback run game was particularly lethal. DeQuan Finn ran for 172 yards on just 13 carries. Toledo’s run game was consistent against Duquesne. The Rockets lacked explosiveness but ran for 167 yards on 39 carries.
The Minutemen will also have their hands full in the secondary. UMass allowed 241 passing yards against Eastern Michigan last week, 89 of which went to slippery slot receiver Oran Singleton. Jerjuan Newton is a slot receiver on the level of Singleton, if not better. Newton picked up where he left off from his 696-yard 2023 season and caught five passes for 98 yards against Duquesne. UMass had trouble defending Newton last year, allowing Newton to catch two touchdown passes. If Toledo runs a balanced attack, the Minutemen will have a tough path to victory on Saturday.
UMass performed well against the run in their season opener against Eastern Michigan but still had trouble with the quarterback running game. Despite holding the Eagles to less than four yards per carry, the Minutemen allowed Cole Snyder, a quarterback hardly known for his mobility, to run for 28 yards on nearly five yards per carry. Although Tucker Gleason is not the running threat that DeQuan Finn was, he can still hold his own in the running game. Gleason ran for 106 yards against Bowling Green in 2022.
UMass’ offensive line struggled last week against Eastern Michigan, allowing six sacks in 39 dropbacks. Luckily for the Minutemen, Toledo struggled to get to the quarterback against Duquesne. The Rockets could only notch one sack in 27 dropbacks against the Dukes. UMass must keep Taisunn Phommachanh upright to stay ahead of the chains and run the ball as offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery wants.
The UMass offense must also get Anthony Simpson involved. After a 792-yard season last year, Eastern Michigan took Simpson out of the game in the season opener. Simpson only caught two passes for 11 yards. Simpson was a game breaker in last year’s meeting, with 140 receiving yards on just seven catches. Toledo’s pass defense seemed adjusted to life without Quinyon Mitchell, allowing only 161 passing yards to Duquesne. However, Duquesne is an NEC school, and a UMass squad filled with FBS transfers will be this secondary’s first test.
Finally, Taisun Phommachanh’s mobility will make this a different game than last year. The Toledo game was Phommachanh’s second game back from injury last year. He looked much less mobile than he did before sustaining the injury. Phommachanh looks like his pre-injury form, running for 90 non-sack rushing yards on just ten carries against Eastern Michigan. The argument that last year’s game would have been much closer if Phommachanh had more mobility is legitimate. There is no doubt that Toledo is facing a different Taisun Phommachanh this time around.
Last year, hardly anyone thought UMass would perform well against Toledo and nearly pull the upset. This year, it is the same story. UMass faces a similar uphill battle versus the Rockets, but if last year is any indication, one should never count out the Minutemen against any MAC opponent.