Toledo holds off Liberty to win Boca Raton Bowl
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BOCA RATON, Fla. — As he dealt with various injuries throughout the 2022 season, Toledo quarterback Dequan Finn used a message from his coach to stay the course, and eventually, lead his team to a bowl win.
“Do what you say you’re going to do,” Finn said. “And we did what we say we were going to do. I’m thankful for that message and having coach (Jason) Candle and having the whole team.”
Finn passed for 133 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score to lead Toledo past Liberty, 21-19, in the rainy Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday night.
Toledo came from behind, then fended off Liberty, handing the Flames their first loss in a bowl game after three bowl victories.
Liberty (8-5) was directed by interim coach Josh Aldridge, who stepped in for Hugh Freeze, who became the head coach at Auburn at the end of the regular season.
Toledo (9-5) punctuated a successful season that included winning the Mid-Atlantic Conference title with its first bowl victory since 2015.
“I thought the game tonight kind of mimicked our season in the sense that some ups, some downs,” Candle said, “but at the end of the day finding a way.”
Liberty scored twice in a five-minute span of the fourth quarter, turning a 21-7 deficit into a two-point game. Kaidon Salter hit Treon Sibley with a 29-yard scoring pass at 7:24 of the period to make it 21-13 and CJ Daniels found Bentley Hanshaw with a 67-yard scoring strike to close the game to two points. But, Liberty’s 2-point conversion try failed and Toledo held on for the final 3:40
Finn was just as dangerous offensively as he had been all season, when he led the MAC with 30 total TDs.
Finn guided Toledo’s offense 75 yards on the opening drive of the second half to give the Rockets their first lead of the game, 10-7, and they led the rest of the way. Lenny Khule’s 4-yard TD reception capped the drive and was his third TD of the season.
Finn’s 1-yard rushing score in the fourth gave Toledo a 21-7 lead.
“His maturity and his toughness continues to shine through,” Candle said.
Liberty held a 7-3 lead at the half as its defense kept Toledo out of the end zone, even though the Rockets had more first downs, offensive yards and led in time of possession.
Liberty running back Shedro Louis scored the Flames’ first touchdown with a 9-yard rush in the first quarter.
Salter finished 12 for 20 for 84 yards and a TD.
Salter had the game’s first turnover with a sack-fumble on Liberty’s first offensive play of the third quarter. That set up a 29-yeard field goal by Thomas Cluckey that gave the Rockets a 13-7 lead.
“We just made too many mistakes to win,” Aldridge said.
A couple drives later, Toledo’s Adam Beale muffed a punt at rain drenched FAU Stadium, setting up Liberty at the 10 yard line.
Consecutive offensive penalties sent the Flames backward, and kicker Nick Brown, who’d made six straight field goals from inside 50, missed a 32 yarder.