# 2018 Toledo Rockets football team

The 2018 Toledo Rockets football team represented the University of Toledo in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by third-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 7–6, 5–3 in MAC play to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the West Division. They were invited to the Bahamas Bowl where they lost to FIU.

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Fred Biletnikoff Award | Diontae Johnson | WR | JR |
| Fred Biletnikoff Award | Cody Thompson | WR | SR |
| Lou Groza Award | Jameson Vest | K | SR |
| Paul Hornung Award | Diontae Johnson | WR/KR | JR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Cody Thompson | WR | SR |
| Walter Camp Award | Diontae Johnson | WR | JR |

### Preseason media poll

The MAC released their preseason media poll on July 24, 2018, with the Rockets predicted to finish in second place in the West Division.
West Division :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Northern Illinois | 133 (15) |
| 2 | Toledo | 125 (7) |
| 3 | Western Michigan | 87 (1) |
| 4 | Eastern Michigan | 67 |
| 5 | Central Michigan | 58 (1) |
| 6 | Ball State | 34 |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 7:00 p.m. | VMI* | Glass BowlToledo, OH | ESPN3 | W 66–3 | 24,136 |
| September 15 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 21 Miami (FL)* | Glass BowlToledo, OH | ESPN2 | L 24–49 | 28,117 |
| September 22 | 12:00 p.m. | Nevada* | Glass BowlToledo, OH | CBSSN | W 63–44 | 23,675 |
| September 29 | 10:30 p.m. | at Fresno State* | Bulldog StadiumFresno, CA | ESPNU | L 27–49 | 33,401 |
| October 6 | 3:30 p.m. | Bowling Green | Glass BowlToledo, OH (Battle of I-75 Trophy) | ESPN+ | W 52–36 | 24,685 |
| October 13 | 12:00 p.m. | at Eastern Michigan | Rynearson StadiumYpsilanti, MI | ESPN+ | L 26–28 | 17,998 |
| October 20 | 12:00 p.m. | Buffalo | Glass BowlToledo, OH | ESPN+/WTOL | L 17–31 | 18,114 |
| October 25 | 7:00 p.m. | at Western Michigan | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | ESPN2 | W 51–24 | 11,389 |
| October 31 | 7:30 p.m. | Ball State | Glass BowlToledo, OH | ESPN2 | W 45–13 | 15,214 |
| November 7 | 8:00 p.m. | at Northern Illinois | Huskie StadiumDeKalb, IL | ESPN2 | L 15–38 | 5,887 |
| November 15 | 6:00 p.m. | at Kent State | Dix StadiumKent, OH | CBSSN | W 56–34 | 5,387 |
| November 23 | 12:00 p.m. | Central Michigan | Glass BowlToledo, OH | ESPN3 | W 51–13 | 15,521 |
| December 21 | 12:30 p.m. | vs. FIU* | Thomas Robinson StadiumNassau, Bahamas (Bahamas Bowl) | ESPN | L 32–35 | 13,510 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||
Source:

## Game summaries
### VMI

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Keydets | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Rockets | 21 | 21 | 21 | 3 | 66 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| First meeting |||

### Miami (FL)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 21 Hurricanes | 7 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 49 |
| Rockets | 0 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 24 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 0–2 | 2017 | MIFL, 52–30 |

### Nevada

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wolf Pack | 7 | 17 | 14 | 6 | 44 |
| Rockets | 14 | 21 | 14 | 14 | 63 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 4–0 | 2017 | TOL, 37–24 |

### At Fresno State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 7 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 49 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 1–2 | 2016 | TOL, 52–17 |

### Bowling Green

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 7 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 36 |
| Rockets | 17 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 52 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 39–39–4 | 2017 | TOL, 66–37 |

### At Eastern Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 3 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 26 |
| Eagles | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 34–11 | 2017 | TOL, 20–15 |

### Buffalo

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 0 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 31 |
| Rockets | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 7–3 | 2013 | TOL, 51–41 |

### At Western Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 14 | 9 | 21 | 7 | 51 |
| Broncos | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 42–30 | 2017 | TOL, 37–10 |

### Ball State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| Rockets | 21 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 45 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 23–18–1 | 2017 | TOL, 58–17 |

### At Northern Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 3 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 15 |
| Huskies | 7 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 38 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 31–14 | 2017 | TOL, 27–17 |

### At Kent State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 14 | 14 | 21 | 7 | 56 |
| Golden Flashes | 7 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 25–21 | 2015 | TOL, 38–7 |

### Central Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chippewas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
| Rockets | 14 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 51 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 25–18–3 | 2017 | TOL, 30–10 |

### Vs. FIU (Bahamas Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Rockets | 10 | 0 | 7 | 15 | 32 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 1–2 | 2010 | FIU, 34–32 |

## After the season
### NFL Draft

The following Rockets were selected in the 2019 NFL draft following the season.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
| 3 | 66 | Diontae Johnson | Wide receiver | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 6 | 185 | Ka'dar Hollman | Cornerback | Green Bay Packers |