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2021 Bahamas Bowl

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The 2021 Bahamas Bowl is a college football bowl game that is scheduled to be played on December 17, 2021, at Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas. The seventh edition of the Bahamas Bowl (after the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the game will feature the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders of Conference USA and the Toledo Rockets of the Mid-American Conference. The game is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. EST and will air on ESPN. It will be the first of the 2021–22 bowl games concluding the 2021 FBS football season.

Both teams will enter the game with similar records, as the Blue Raiders concluded their regular season with a 6–6 mark and the Rockets finished theirs with a record of 7–5. Each team is making their second Bahamas Bowl appearance; Toledo is making their 18th appearance in a bowl game, five more than Middle Tennessee's 13 total appearances. In previews of the contest, each team has been identified as having very different strengths. Middle Tennessee's defense has earned praise, though their offense has struggled throughout the season, and they will be without quarterback Chase Cunningham after his injury in late October 2021. Toledo's rushing offense is widely regarded as their team's best quality, with the Rockets averaging nearly 200 rushing yards per game throughout the year.

Teams

Consistent with conference tie-ins, the game will feature the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders from Conference USA and the Toledo Rockets from the Mid-American Conference. This will be the first meeting all-time between Middle Tennessee and Toledo. This will be the first edition of the Bahamas Bowl to feature any team that previously played in the bowl; both teams are making their second appearance, with Middle Tennessee losing the 2015 edition[3] and Toledo losing the 2018 edition.[4] Overall, Middle Tennessee will make their 13th bowl game appearance, while Toledo will make their 18th.[5]

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

Main article: 2021 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team

After starting their season with a win over Monmouth,[6] Middle Tennessee suffered three straight road losses against Virginia Tech,[7] UTSA,[8] and Charlotte,[9] dropping their record to 1–3. They earned their first conference victory to begin October against Marshall,[10] though they faltered again the following week at Liberty.[11] After a bye week, MTSU earned their first road victory of the season against UConn[12] and then returned home to defeat Southern Miss on homecoming,[13] which bumped their winning percentage back up to .500. The Blue Raiders would alternate wins and losses throughout the month of November; they fell to Western Kentucky on the road,[14] defeated FIU at home,[15] and lost to Old Dominion at home leading up to the regular season's final week.[16] Facing Florida Atlantic, with a win required for bowl eligibility, Middle Tennessee pulled out a ten-point victory to earn their sixth win of the year.[17] They accepted their invitation to the Bahamas Bowl on November 28, 2021, the day following their final regular season game.[3] The Blue Raiders will enter the game with a record of 6–6, and a 4–4 mark in conference play.

Toledo Rockets

Main article: 2021 Toledo Rockets football team

Toledo began their season strong, with a dominant win over Norfolk State[18] and a close loss against No. 8 Notre Dame that saw the Rockets nearly pull the upset.[19] A loss to Colorado State followed,[20] but Toledo bounced back with back-to-back road wins against Ball State and UMass.[21][22] Toledo's homecoming game saw the Rockets fall by two points to Northern Illinois,[23] and they dropped another close game the following week, on the road against Central Michigan by a field goal in overtime.[24] A defeat of Western Michigan concluded the month of October,[25] but November started the following week with a loss to Eastern Michigan.[26] Now 4–5, Toledo needed two wins in their final three games to attain bowl eligibility; they would go on to win all three, against Bowling Green,[27] Ohio,[28] and Akron,[29] each by at least twelve points. Toledo accepted their invitation to the bowl on November 28, 2021, the day after their final regular season game.[4] The Rockets will enter the game with a record of 7–5, and a 5–3 mark in conference play.

Game summary

Pre-game

According to previews and predictions of the game, Toledo is expected to win, with their rushing offense usually cited as a key quality of the team's effectiveness. Toledo will enter the game averaging nearly 200 rushing yards per game over the course of the season, having eclipsed the 200-yard mark in seven of their twelve games, including all of the final four.[30] The Rockets were praised for being one of the few teams ranked in the top 25 in both offensive and defensive yards per play,[31] and the lack of turnovers committed by the Toledo offense is expected to somewhat neutralize the high turnover-forcing numbers of the MTSU defense.[30] Middle Tennessee received more mixed reviews; with quarterback Chase Cunningham out with an injury since October,[31] the Blue Raiders' offense was expected to face a challenge. Middle Tennessee was described as "more of a defensive team" by some; the MTSU offense was not included in the nation's top 100 teams by yards per play over the course of the season.[31] Overall, Toledo will enter the game favored by ten points.[32]

Game summary

2021 Bahamas Bowl
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Middle Tennessee 7 7 0-14
Toledo 0 17 0-17

at Thomas Robinson Stadium • Nassau, Bahamas

  • Date: December 17, 2021
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 80 °F (27 °C) • Wind: E 14 mph
  • Referee: Nate Black
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Booger McFarland (analyst), and Katie George (sideline)
  • Pregame line: Toledo −10.5
Game information
First quarter
  • (1:30) MTSU – Yusuf Ali 6-yard pass from Nick Vattiato, Zeke Ranklin kick (Drive: 14 plays, 70 yards, 4:20; Middle Tennessee 7–0)
Second quarter
  • (13:52) TOL – Dequan Finn 40-yard run, Thomas Cluckey kick (Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:38; Tied 7–7)
  • (11:11) TOL – Matt Landers 90-yard pass from Dequan Finn, Thomas Cluckey kick (Drive: 1 plays, 90 yards, 0:13; Toledo 14–7)
  • (8:58) MTSU – Frank Peasant 1-yard run, Zeke Ranklin kick (Drive: 7 plays, 85 yards 2:13; Tied 14–14)
  • (1:05) TOL – Thomas Cluckey 32-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards 1:24; Toledo 17–14)
Third quarter
  • No scoring plays.

Statistics

Statistics MTSU TOL
First downs
Plays–yards – –
Rushes–yards – –
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int –– ––
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Middle Tennessee Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Toledo Passing
Rushing
Receiving

References

  1. ^ Fawkes, Ben. "Odds for College Football Playoff, every bowl game". vsin.com. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  2. ^ "2021–22 bowl officiating assignments". footballzebras.com. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Joyce, Cecil (November 28, 2021). "MTSU football headed to the Bahamas Bowl to play Toledo on Dec. 17". Yahoo! News. Murfreesboro Daily News Journal. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Rowland, Kyle (November 28, 2021). "Toledo to play Middle Tennessee State in Bahamas Bowl". Yahoo! News. The Blade. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  5. ^ "Middle Tennessee and Toledo accept 2021 Bahamas Bowl invitations". Bahamas Bowl. November 28, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  6. ^ Edelson, Stephen (September 4, 2021). "Monmouth falls at Middle Tennessee, 50-15, in mistake-filled season-opener". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  7. ^ Manning, Bryan D. (September 11, 2021). "Virginia Tech defeats Middle Tennessee, 35-14, to move to 2-0 on the season". SB Nation. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  8. ^ Macdaniel, Sumner (September 19, 2021). "Roadrunners' Defense Shines In UTSA's 27-13 Win Over Middle Tennessee". SB Nation. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  9. ^ Hall, Erik (September 24, 2021). "Middle Tennessee State vs. Charlotte 49ers college football video highlights, final score". The Daily News Journal. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  10. ^ "Middle Tennessee builds big lead, holds off Marshall 34-28". CBS Sports. October 2, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  11. ^ "Blue Raiders can't find their groove at Liberty". Middle Tennessee State University Athletics. October 9, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  12. ^ "Middle Tennessee breaks away from UConn in 2nd half, 44-13". ABC News. October 22, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  13. ^ "Middle Tennessee with 5 takeaways, tops Southern Miss 35-10". CBS Sports. October 30, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  14. ^ "Zappe leads Western Kentucky past Middle Tennessee, 48-21". ESPN. November 6, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  15. ^ "Vattiato, Pettaway lead Middle Tennessee over FIU 50-10". ESPN. November 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  16. ^ "Old Dominion rallies to 24-17 win on pair of 4th-quarter TDs". CBS Sports. November 20, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  17. ^ "Middle Tennessee comeback overcomes Florida Atlantic, 27-17". CBS Sports. November 27, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  18. ^ Vannieuwenhze, Zackery (September 5, 2021). "2021 MAC Football Week 1 Game Recap: Toledo vs. Norfolk State". SB Nation. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  19. ^ Vowles, Joshua (September 11, 2021). "Quick Recap: Notre Dame survives Toledo, 32-29". SB Nation. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  20. ^ "Pannunzio punt return keys Colorado State's win over Toledo". CBS Sports. September 18, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  21. ^ "Rockets ride big plays for early TDs, top Ball St. 22-12". ESPN. September 25, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  22. ^ Traini, Mike (October 4, 2021). "UMass loses fifth straight to open 2021 season against Toledo". 247 Sports. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  23. ^ "Richardson's 5 FGs lifts Northern Illinois over Toledo 22-20". ESPN. October 9, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  24. ^ "Football Wins Overtime Thriller". Central Michigan University Athletics. October 16, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  25. ^ "Finn ignites rally as Toledo tops Western Michigan 34-15". ABC News. October 23, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  26. ^ "Party Like it's 1999: EMU is Bowl Eligible With Road Win at Toledo". Eastern Michigan University Athletics. November 3, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  27. ^ Helwick, Steve (November 11, 2021). "Toledo travels down I-75 to annihilate Bowling Green, 49-17". SB Nation. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  28. ^ "Koback runs for 203 yards, 4 TDs as Toledo beats Ohio 35-23". CBS Sports. November 16, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  29. ^ Jimenez, James H. (November 27, 2021). "Rockets clinch vital seventh win in 49-14 performance over Zips". SB Nation. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  30. ^ a b Fiutak, Pete (December 8, 2021). "Toledo vs Middle Tennessee: Bahamas Bowl Prediction, Game Preview". College Football News. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  31. ^ a b c Fucillo, David (December 4, 2021). "Middle Tennessee faces Toledo in 2021 Bahamas Bowl". DraftKings Nation. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  32. ^ "Middle Tennessee vs. Toledo - Game Summary". ESPN. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
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