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When: Tuesday, December 20th @ 7:30 PM ET
Where: Boca Raton, Florida
Who: Liberty vs. Toledo
Spread & Total: Toledo -4.5; O/U 54
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Tale of the Tape: Liberty Flames
Liberty saw Malik Willis go pro after last season, leaving a massive hole in the offense. But the combination of Kaidon Salter and Johnathan Bennett proved to be the answer for the Flames. Liberty began the season against three bowl eligible teams in Southern Miss, UAB, and #19 Wake Forest. A one-point loss at Wake Forest was the only blemish on the card. Five straight wins, including back-to-back over BYU and at Arkansas, set Liberty up for a strong close to the season. However, Liberty went cold, losing their last three straight to UConn on the road and at home to Virginia Tech and New Mexico State.
It was announced shortly after the regular season that head coach Hugh Freeze accepted the job at Auburn. Interim head coach Josh Aldridge will coach the Boca Raton Bowl, while former Coastal Carolina head coach Jamey Chadwell was hired as the head coach for next season.
Transfer Portal Departures:
DL Deandre Butler
LB Ahmed Walker (63 tackles, four sacks)
Players to Know: DL Durrell Johnson
Named to First Team All-Independent Conference. 49 total tackles, eight sacks to lead the team. Three fumble recoveries for the Flames this season.
WR Demario Douglas
Leads the team in receptions (73; 33.6% of team total), yards (977; 36.7%) and touchdowns (six; 31.6%).
Tale of the Tape: Toledo Rockets
Toledo celebrated a special season, winning the MAC for the first time since 2017. The Rockets defeated Ohio 17-7 in the MAC Championship. Toledo went 5-3 in conference, with each of the losses coming by one possession. The Rockets rotated two quarterbacks for their season: sophomore Dequan Finn and freshman Tucker Gleason. Finn offered more mobility, leading the team in rush attempts and eight rushing touchdowns. Finn is currently dealing with an ankle injury and his status is uncertain for the bowl game, but he did play in the MAC Championship against Ohio.
Transfer Portal Departures: N/A
Player to Know: CB Quinyon Mitchell
Received multiple All-American distinctions by different platforms. Led the nation with 19 pass breakups. Five interceptions was 8th nationally, returning two for touchdowns.
LB Dallas Grant
Hometown product leads team with 112 tackles (tied for 18th nationally). Broke up five pass attempts this season and forced two fumbles
Bowl Game Trends:
- Liberty has made four bowls in their five years of FBS status (3-0)
- This will be Jason Candle’s fifth bowl appearance with Toledo (0-4)
- The favorite is 6-2 SU and ATS in Boca Raton Bowl history
Game Synopsis:
These teams are comparable on paper: above average defenses that specialize in pass defense. I am expecting Finn to play for Toledo after he had two-plus weeks to recover after the MAC Championship. The key will be to keep him upright; Finn was sacked just 15 times on the season, and Liberty sacked opposing quarterbacks 41 times for the third best mark nationally. I think this is a coin flip game, so I’ll take the program that has more success in these postseason bowls in Liberty
Bowl Mania Pick To Win: Liberty
Bowl Mania Confidence: 4/43
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