Two programs in very different positions will clash in South Florida on Tuesday night as Toledo and Liberty will go head to head in the ninth edition of the Boca Raton Bowl.
Toledo enters the game coming off a much-coveted MAC championship, the program’s 12th all-time but just the second conference title since 2005. Both of those conference crowns have come with Jason Candle at the helm. This year, the Rockets were the most well-rounded team in the MAC, ranking first in scoring offense (32.1 points per game), first in total defense (331.9 yards per game allowed), third in total offense (405.8 yards per game) and checking ninth nationally among FBS teams in defensive passing efficiency (110.05). Toledo defeated Ohio 17-7 in the MAC Championship Game in Detroit, riding the strength of the defense that produced four first-team All-MAC players.
Liberty had a successful season under coach Hugh Freeze, going 8-1 through the first week of November with the only defeat coming to Wake Forest (then ranked No. 18 in the country) by one point. That impressive start peaked with wins against BYU and at Arkansas, but the Flames lost their footing coming down the stretch with three losses in a row, two of them by a combined four points to UConn and Virginia Tech. After the season, Freeze was hired away to be the head coach at Auburn, and Liberty tapped Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell to be his successor in Lynchburg.
While there is plenty of excitement for the Jamey Chadwell era following his tenure at Coastal Carolina, which includes back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2020 and 2021, the man in charge for the Boca Raton Bowl will be co-defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge, who was named the interim coach for the bowl season.
How to watch Boca Raton Bowl live
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 20 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: FAU Stadium — Boca Raton, Florida
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Liberty vs. Toledo: Need to know
Jason Candle looking to recapture bowl magic: Toledo named Candle the program’s coach on Dec. 2, 2015 after the departure of Matt Campbell to Iowa State. Candle, who had previously served seven seasons as an assistant for the Rockets, proceeded to lead to Toledo to a 32-17 win against No. 24 Temple in the Boca Raton Bowl. That win, his first as a college coach, still remains his lone bowl victory. Aong with Toledo fans everywhere, Candle hopes that a return to…
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