Miami's fleeting hold on the top spot in the Mid-American Conference East Division was short-lived. During their Homecoming game against the leading Toledo Rockets from the West Division at Yager Stadium on Saturday, the Miami RedHawks found themselves trailing 21-3 in the first half, ultimately succumbing to a 21-17 defeat. Miami linebacker Matt Salopek acknowledged the strength of their opponents, stating, "That's a good team. They've got some really good players. Three touchdowns are too many."
Head coach Chuck Martin, now in his tenth year at Miami, admitted,
"We didn't play well in the first half. We didn't play bad, but we were kind of on our heels. We weren't as aggressive. We weren't in a good place when we came off the field."
The loss had more significant implications than just relinquishing their top position in the standings. Miami's fifth-year junior quarterback, Brett Gabbert, left the field in an ambulance after sustaining a right leg injury in the third quarter. Gabbert's departure was met with a solemn atmosphere, with players from both teams kneeling as he received medical attention and then gathering around him as he was carted off the field. He was transported to Mercy Fairfield, demonstrating his sportsmanship by encouraging Coach Martin to
"Go win the game. Go win the MAC."
Gabbert's final statistics for the game included 14 completions out of 29 attempts for 179 yards. Running back Rashad Amos scored a 2-yard run shortly after Gabbert's injury, narrowing Toledo's lead to 21-17.
Coach Martin praised his team's resolve, saying, "We didn't feel like we couldn't beat this team. However, Aveon Smith, who replaced Gabbert, went 3-of-7 for 23 yards before fumbling with 1:20 left in the game, providing Toledo the opportunity to secure the victory.
Toledo's junior quarterback, Dequan Finn, led the Rockets with 16 completions out of 28 attempts for 160 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran 14 times for 34 yards and scored a touchdown, propelling Toledo to their seventh consecutive win. Running back Peny Boone, the MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week and the conference's leading rusher going into the game, carried the ball 17 times for 73 yards, 40 yards below his average, due to Miami's defensive efforts to contain Finn and limit his long runs.
Miami's defense improved after halftime, forcing Toledo to punt seven times, whereas the Rockets had punted only once in the first half. Nevertheless, Miami couldn't capitalize enough, resulting in their overall record slipping to 6-2, with a 3-1 MAC record.
With Ohio securing a 20-17 home victory against Western Michigan, Miami (6-2, 3-1) found themselves in a tie with Ohio for first place in the East Division. The two teams were scheduled to face off in a highly anticipated "Battle of the Bricks" rivalry game in Athens, Ohio, the following Saturday, with a 3:30 p.m. kickoff time.
This game marked the first meeting between Toledo and Miami since 2011. Toledo's victory in Oxford was their first since 1992, breaking the RedHawks' six-game winning streak, which was their longest since concluding the 2016 season with six straight wins.
Toledo outperformed Miami in total offense, running 39 plays to Miami's 29 and out gaining them 256-139. Dequan Finn played a pivotal role in Toledo's commanding first-half performance, completing 13 out of 16 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns while also contributing a rushing touchdown. Toledo orchestrated touchdown drives of nine plays for 59 yards, 16 plays for 75 yards, and eight plays for 84 yards, with Finn connecting with tight end Anthony Torres for a 20-yard touchdown pass just before halftime.
Miami managed to score their first touchdown of the game in the second half, needing only 1 minute and 55 seconds to cover 38 yards and cut Toledo's lead to 21-10, thanks to junior running back Kenny Tracy's 2-yard run with 10:13 left in the third quarter. However, a promising Miami drive was halted when Brett Gabbert was intercepted by Toledo's senior linebacker Dallas Gant at Toledo's 26-yard line.
