# 2017 Toledo Rockets football team

The 2017 Toledo Rockets football team represented the University of Toledo in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Jason Candle and played their home games at the Glass Bowl as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 11–3, 7–1 in MAC play to win the West Division. They defeated Akron in the MAC Championship game to become champions of the MAC. They received an invitation to the Dollar General Bowl where they lost to Appalachian State for the second consecutive year in a bowl game.

## Coaching staff

| Name | Title | Years at Toledo | Alma mater |
| Jason Candle | Head coach | 9 | Mount Union |
| Brian George | Def. Coord./DL Coach | 2 | Ohio |
| Brian Wright | Off. Coord./QB Coach | 2 | Wooster |
| Mike Bellamy | WR Coach | 1 | Illinois |
| Marquel Blackwell | RB Coach | 2 | South Florida |
| Robby Discher | TE/ST Coach | 2 | William Jewell (MO) |
| Mike Hallett | Run Game Coord./OL Coach | 2 | Mount Union |
| Hank Poteat | CB Coach | 1 | Pittsburgh |
| Mike Ward | LB Coach | 5 | Georgetown |
| Ross Watson | Safeties Coach | 2 | Mount Union |
Source:

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 7:00 p.m. | Elon* | Glass BowlToledo, OH | ESPN3 | W 47–13 | 22,104 |
| September 9 | 7:00 p.m. | at Nevada* | Mackay StadiumReno, NV | ESPN3 | W 37–24 | 18,617 |
| September 16 | 7:00 p.m. | Tulsa* | Glass BowlToledo, OH | ESPN3 | W 54–51 | 24,239 |
| September 23 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 14 Miami (FL)* | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ACCRSN | L 30–52 | 49,361 |
| October 7 | 12:00 p.m. | Eastern Michigan | Glass BowlToledo, OH | CBSSN | W 20–15 | 22,681 |
| October 14 | 3:30 p.m. | at Central Michigan | Kelly/Shorts StadiumMount Pleasant, MI | ESPN3 | W 30–10 | 15,572 |
| October 21 | 12:00 p.m. | Akron | Glass BowlToledo, OH | WTOL/ESPN3 | W 48–21 | 20,414 |
| October 26 | 7:00 p.m. | at Ball State | Scheumann StadiumMuncie, IN | ESPN3 | W 58–17 | 7,103 |
| November 2 | 6:00 p.m. | Northern Illinois | Glass BowlToledo, OH | ESPNU | W 27–17 | 17,084 |
| November 8 | 7:00 p.m. | at Ohio | Peden StadiumAthens, OH | ESPN2 | L 10–38 | 15,562 |
| November 15 | 8:00 p.m. | at Bowling Green | Doyt Perry StadiumBowling Green, OH (Battle of I-75 Trophy) | ESPNU | W 66–37 | 16,649 |
| November 24 | 11:30 a.m. | Western Michigan | Glass BowlToledo, OH | ESPNU | W 37–10 | 17,948 |
| December 2 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. Akron | Ford FieldDetroit, MI (MAC Championship Game) | ESPN | W 45–28 | 16,225 |
| December 23 | 7:00 p.m. | vs. Appalachian State* | Ladd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AL (Dollar General Bowl) | ESPN | L 0–34 | 28,706 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||
Source:

## Game summaries
### Elon

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Phoenix | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| Rockets | 13 | 6 | 21 | 7 | 47 |

### At Nevada

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 10 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 37 |
| Wolf Pack | 3 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 24 |

### Tulsa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Hurricane | 21 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 51 |
| Rockets | 7 | 7 | 22 | 18 | 54 |

### At Miami (FL)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 0 | 16 | 0 | 14 | 30 |
| No. 14 Hurricanes | 10 | 0 | 14 | 28 | 52 |

### Eastern Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 6 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 15 |
| Rockets | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |

### At Central Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 7 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 30 |
| Chippewas | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |

### Akron

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Zips | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Rockets | 21 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 48 |

### At Ball State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 3 | 21 | 27 | 7 | 58 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |

### Northern Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Huskies | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
| Rockets | 7 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 27 |

### At Ohio

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Bobcats | 7 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 38 |

### At Bowling Green

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 14 | 10 | 28 | 14 | 66 |
| Falcons | 7 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 37 |

### Western Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Rockets | 3 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 37 |

### vs Akron–MAC Championship game

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Zips | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 28 |
| Rockets | 7 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 45 |

### vs Appalachian State–Dollar General Bowl

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mountaineers | 7 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 34 |
| Rockets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## After the season
### NFL Draft

The following Rocket was selected in the 2018 NFL draft following the season.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
| 7 | 249 | Logan Woodside | Quarterback | Cincinnati Bengals |