Former Notre Dame LB Jonathan Jones Finds New Home

he’s found a new home at an Ohio-based Mid-American Conference university.

Former Notre Dame linebacker and special teams player Jonathan Jones was previously in the transfer portal but now he’s found a new home at an Ohio-based Mid-American Conference university.

Jones enrolled in classes at Toledo University last week and will spend 2020 as a member of the Toledo Rockets football program.

Jones finished his Notre Dame career with 16 career tackles, playing for the Irish in the last three seasons.

Jones was recruited to Notre Dame from Oak Ridge High School in Orlando, Florida as a four-star linebacker based off of 247’s rankings.  He graduated from Notre Dame in December and will immediately eligible at Toledo.

Toledo somehow kept its touchdown dunk tank going during a snowy Halloween game

Snowy Halloween Toledo touchdown dunk tank. Snowy Halloween Toledo touchdown dunk tank!

Toledo football wasn’t about to shut down its touchdown dunk tank for a little cold weather.

Indeed, the Rockets’ Halloween game against Buffalo took place in snowy conditions, and the team scoring 21 points by early in the second quarter meant that the dunk tank was already getting a lot of work in.

This is a heck of a way to take one for the team if you’re one of the poor people who is being dunked into the surely freezing cold water.

It’s so cold that the broadcast mentioned Toledo fans only get one dunk per score before passing it off to the next person.

Hopefully for the dunk tank’s sake, Toledo would kick more field goals from here on out. Otherwise, it was going to be a real cold one for the fans out there taking the plunge.

Look, no matter how much you love a college football team, it’s next-level dedication to volunteer for the touchdown dunk tank on a night where it’s snowing.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

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Meet this year’s Mr. Irrelevant: Toledo DE Desjuan Johnson

This year’s Mr. Irrelevant is Toledo defensive end Desjuan Johnson.

The 2023 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and we have a brand-new Mr. Irrelevant.

While the title “Mr. Irrelevant” never really means a player won’t matter in the NFL, it’s a special honor for the player who made it right under the cut to say he was drafted by a team before undrafted free agency begins.

This year’s Mr. Irrelevant is Toledo defensive end Desjuan Johnson, who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams with the 259th pick in the draft’s seventh round.

Will Johnson have the same impact on his team that 2022 Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy have on the San Francisco 49ers? Will he even make the team?

That’ll be up to him, but the Rams liked him enough to make him the final selection of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Kudos to Johnson for hearing his name called for the draft’s last pick, and kudos to everyone who got selected in the seven rounds of this year’s draft cycle.

Even if you didn’t get drafted, don’t worry. Undrafted guys make league impacts all the time.

Cincinnati, Penn State and Toledo each land commitment from a 3-star cornerback

The pieces are beginning to fall in place for the class of 2024.

The pieces are beginning to fall in place for the class of 2024. This past weekend saw a surge of recruiting in this cycle, including five different quarterbacks making their college commitments.

Then on Monday, a few schools all had the same idea: recruit three-star cornerback prospects from this class with similar builds. Here’s who they are and where they committed.

Zachary Rogers: Wylie E. Groves (Mich.) – Toledo

According to On3, Rogers (6-foot-0, 170 pounds) is ranked No. 27 in the state of Michigan and No. 105 among cornerbacks in his class. 12 other programs made offers, including Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Michigan State.

Antoine Belgrave-Shorter: Mandarin (Fla.) – Penn State

Going by the consensus rankings, Belgrave-Shorter (6-foot-0, 180 pounds) is currently No. 87 overall in Florida. He had 18 other offers on the table, including Florida Atlantic, Miami, UCF, USF and Florida State.

Daniel James: McEachern (Ga.) – Cincinnati

And last but not least, James (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) ranks No. 64 overall in the state of Georgia, according to 247Sports. He had 23 offers all together, including Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern and Georgia State.

More football stories

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Michigan dual-threat QB Kalieb Osborne announces commitment to Toledo

Toledo got quite a Valentine’s Day gift yesterday in the form of a commitment from a highly-ranked quarterback from the class of 2024.

Toledo got quite a Valentine’s Day gift yesterday in the form of a commitment from a highly-ranked quarterback from the class of 2024.

Mott (Mich.) three-star QB Kalieb Osborne announced his commitment to Toledo on his Twitter page. The statement he released was full of gratitude and humility:

“First, I want to thank God for blessing me with the abilities I have today. Without him, I wouldn’t be here. I want to thank Coach Fahr for all the time he put into me and pushing me every day from being my head coach and leader I follow. Next, I want to thank Coach Weiner for taking a chance on me and giving me an opportunity to play at the next level. I’d also like to thank Coach Parker as well for building a relationship with me. Lastly, I must thank my mom, my hero, my everything, I wouldn’t be here without you! With that being said, I am committed to the University of Toledo. GO ROCKETS! Kalieb Osborne #1”

Toledo is getting one of the top dual-threat QBs in the entire country. Osborne racked up 20 passing touchdowns this past season and another 19 touchdowns as a rusher. He is their first commit in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Going by the 247Sports composite rankings, Osborne (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) is ranked No. 46 at his position and No. 13 overall in the state. He also had offers from Central Michigan and Michigan.

More football stories

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4-star Athlete with 60 offers trims list to 15

Mahomes’ HS classmate predicted he’d win SB

Live-Stream High School Sports: NFHS Network

Toledo 21, Liberty 19 Boca Raton Bowl What Happened, What It All Means

Toledo 21, Liberty 19: RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl what happened, player of the game, and what it all means

Toledo beat Liberty 21-19 to win the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl. What happened, who was the player of the game, and what does it all mean?


Toledo 21, Liberty 19 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl What Happened, Player of the Game, What It All Means

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RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl What Happened

Toledo overcame a 7-0 deficit by getting the ground game going on a 21-point run, and then hung on late for the Boca Raton Bowl win. Shedro Louis got it all started with a nine-yard scoring run for the Flames, but Thomas Cluckey hit two field goals and QB Dequan Finn ran for a score and threw a short touchdown pass to put the Rockets in the lead for good.

– Liberty made it interesting. Trebon Sibley caught a 29-yard touchdown pass, but the extra point went wide – that mattered. On a trick play, tight end CJ Daniels took a double pass 67 yards for a touchdown in the final minutes, but down 21-19 Liberty had to go for two, didn’t connect, and Toledo was able to grind out the clock.

– The weather mattered. It started raining early on, and that made it come down to getting physical on the offensive line. Liberty owned the tempo early, and then it all flipped as the Toledo offense was able to grind it out the rest of the way. The Flame defense couldn’t get off the field.

100 Best Bowl Players | Ranking How Good the Bowls Were

RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl Player of the Game

Durrell Johnson, DE Liberty 
In a losing cause, the veteran end got banged up, but he still made nine tackles  seven of them solo – with a sack and five tackles for loss.

CFN Experts Picks Dec 20-27 | CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl Fun Stats

– Toledo RB Jacquez Stuart took over with a physical 23 carries for 111 yards averaging close to five yards per carry.

– Liberty LB Mike Smith made a game-high 16 stops with half a sack and two tackles for loss.The Flames came up with a total of 12 tackles for loss.

– Time of Possession: Toledo 40:03 – Liberty 19:57. The Rockets converted 10-of-17 third down chances. Liberty converted 2-of-8 tries.

RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl What It All Means

This was massive for the Jason Candle era. Not only did his Rockets win the MAC Championship, but it came up with nine wins for the best season since his 11-win run in 2017.

It was also the first bowl win – Candle was 0-4 after winning his first game in the 2015 Boca Raton in an interim status – in the last seven years. His team was getting beaten up early, got more physical, and was able to pull it off in the rain.

It was a brutal end to the season for a Liberty team that looked to be in the mix for a New Year’s Six game as late as November 12th. And then it all collapsed with a four-game losing streak to close. The team did what it could under rough coaching circumstances, but it fought well in this and had a chance to tie it up late.

Even so, it was still the fifth season in five in the FBS without a losing campaign, it was still a fourth straight year with eight wins or more, and while it might have been the first bowl loss in the FBS, it wasn’t a horrible performance. Now it’s on to the Jamey Chadwell era.

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2022-2023 Bowl Schedule, Predictions

Liberty vs. Toledo, live stream, preview, TV channel, time, how to watch Boca Raton Bowl

The Liberty Flames and Toledo Rockets will face off in the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday night at FAU Stadium.

The Liberty Flames and Toledo Rockets will face off in the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday night at FAU Stadium, marking the first time the two teams have met on the field since 2007. Liberty enters the game with an 8-4 record, but they have had several key players transfer out of the program in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the Rockets come into the game with an 8-5 record and are fresh off a 17-7 victory over Ohio in the MAC Championship Game.

This will be a great game tonight, here is everything you need to know to watch and stream the action.

Boca Raton Bowl: Liberty vs. Toledo

  • When: Tuesday, December 20
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

NCAA Football Odds and Betting Lines

NCAA odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds were updated at 12:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Liberty vs. Toledo (-4)

O/U: 51

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MAC Championship: Toledo vs. Ohio, live stream, preview, TV channel, time, how to watch

The Toledo Rockets will meet the Ohio Bobcats in the MAC Championship game on Saturday afternoon from Ford Field.

The Toledo Rockets will meet the Ohio Bobcats in the MAC Championship game on Saturday afternoon from Ford Field.

Toledo is coming off a 20-14 loss to Western Michigan in their last game of the season after finishing up at 7-5, while Ohio has been on a seven-game winning streak after finishing the season at 10-3.

This will be a great Championship Weekend, here is everything you need to know to watch and stream the action tonight.

Toledo vs. Ohio

  • When: Saturday, December 3
  • Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

NCAA Football Odds and Betting Lines

NCAA odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds were updated at 6:00 p.m. ET on Friday.

Toledo (-3) vs. Ohio

O/U: 53

Want some action on college football? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO & NJ.

We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.


Additional college football coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:

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Wild game-winning play for Bowling Green led to one of the best college football calls all season: ‘THIS IS MACTION!’

MACtion strikes again.

Especially this late in the college football season, the Mid-American Conference seldom disappoints with wild moments and chaotic finishes, and this week’s Bowling Green-Toledo Glass Bowl game was no exception.

First, the MACtion game was on a snowy Tuesday night in Ohio, so you knew it was going to be good. But the Falcons’ game-winning play was the obvious highlight in Bowling Green’s 42-35 victory, which made the team bowl-eligible for the first time since 2015.

With the fourth-quarter clock winding down, Toledo held a one-point lead, but Bowling Green had the ball with just 21 seconds left. On 3rd-and-10 from the Rockets’ 42-yard line, Falcons quarterback Matt McDonald scrambled to avoid the sack before managing to get off a perfect pass to Ta’ron Keith.

Keith picked up the first down and just kept going. He plowed through, by our count, at least five Toledo defenders before landing in the end zone. It was wild and unexpected and beyond exciting, and that moment led to one of the season’s best calls, praising #MACtion and all its glory.

“And there goes Keith, into field-goal range! With the first down! Off a tackle! End zone! THIS IS MACTION!”

McDonald and Keith connected again for a successful two-point conversion to lock up the victory as 15-point underdogs.

Screenshot: ESPN

How Keith wasn’t tackled in this moment is remarkable. But the sophomore running back couldn’t be stopped, and it was a great ending for a Tuesday night MACtion game.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

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Ball State vs. Toledo, live stream, preview, TV channel, time, how to watch college football

The Ball State Cardinals will meet the Toledo Rockets in college football action on Tuesday night from the Glass Bowl.

The Ball State Cardinals will meet the Toledo Rockets in college football action on Tuesday night from the Glass Bowl.

Ball State is coming off a 27-20 win over Kent State in their last game to improve their record to 5-4 on the season. Meanwhile, Toledo has won four of their last five games after knocking off Eastern Michigan to pick up their sixth win of the season last week.

This will be a great night of MACtion, here is everything you need to know to watch and stream the action.

Ball State vs. Toledo

  • When: Tuesday, November 8
  • Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

How to watch College Football this season

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NCAA Football Odds and Betting Lines

NCAA odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds were updated at 3:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Ball State vs. Toledo (-11)

O/U:50

Want some action on college football? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO & NJ.

We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.


Additional college football coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:

Alabama football / Auburn football / Arkansas footballFlorida football / Georgia football / LSU football / Iowa footballMichigan football / Michigan State football / Notre Dame football / Ohio State football / Oklahoma football / Oregon football / North Carolina football / Nebraska footballPenn State footballColorado football / Clemson football / Rutgers footballTennessee football / Texas football / Texas A&M footballUSC football / Wisconsin football