2022 MAC Championship Game

Last updated

2022 Rocket Mortgage MAC Championship Game
Conference championship
Toledo Rockets Ohio Bobcats
(7–5)(9–3)
177
Head coach: 
Jason Candle 		Head coach: 
Tim Albin
1234Total
Toledo730717
Ohio07007
DateDecember 3, 2022
Season 2022
Stadium Ford Field
Location Detroit, Michigan
MVPOffense: Dequan Finn (QB, Toledo)
Defense: Dyontae Johnson (LB, Toledo)
Special Teams: Jonathon Batzke (P, Toledo)
Favorite Toledo by 3.5
Referee Tom Stapleton
Attendance15,550
United States TV coverage
Network ESPN
Announcers Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (Analyst), and Stormy Buonantony (sideline reporter)
MAC Championship Game
 < 2021   2023 > 
2022 Mid-American Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
Ohio xy  7 –1   10 –4  
Buffalo  5 –3   7 –6  
Bowling Green  5 –3   6 –7  
Miami (OH)  4 –4   6 –7  
Kent State  4 –4   5 –7  
Akron  1 –7   2 –10  
West Division
Toledo xy$  5 –3   9 –5  
Eastern Michigan x  5 –3   9 –4  
Western Michigan  4 –4   5 –7  
Ball State  3 –5   5 –7  
Central Michigan  3 –5   4 –8  
Northern Illinois  2 –6   3 –9  
Championship: Toledo 17, Ohio 7
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2022 MAC Championship Game was a college football conference championship game played December 3, 2022, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. It was the 26th edition of the MAC Football Championship Game and determined the champion of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) for the 2022 season. The game began at 12:00 p.m. EST and aired on ESPN. [1] The game featured the Western Division champion Toledo Rockets against the Eastern Division champion Ohio Bobcats. For sponsorship reasons, the game is officially known as the Rocket Mortgage MAC Championship. [2]

Contents

Toledo won their fourth championship game with a 17–7 win over the Bobcats. [3]

Venue

The 2022 MAC title game was held at Ford Field for the 19th consecutive season. [4] The venue, located in downtown Detroit at 2000 Brush St., is the home of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) and has a seating capacity for football of 65,000. [5]

Teams

The game featured the Ohio Bobcats, champions of the East Division, and the Toledo Rockets, champions of the West Division, of the Mid-American Conference.

Toledo

Toledo clinched a berth in the championship game with two weeks remaining in the schedule following their win over Ball State and a loss by Western Michigan the following night. [6] [7] This is Toledo's seventh appearance in the championship game. They are 3–3 in prior attempts having won in their last appearance in 2017 [8]

The Rockets were 2–2 out of conference with wins over FCS LIU and UMass and losses at Ohio State and San Diego State. [9] [10] [11] [12] They opened conference play with 3 consecutive wins over Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, Kent State. [13] [14] [15] Quarterback Dequan Finn was injured in a loss at Buffalo. [16] Tucker Gleason led the Rockets to a win over Eastern Michigan and Finn returned for a win Ball State which wrapped up the division but sat out a loss to Bowling Green. [17] [18] [19] Toledo ended their regular season with a loss to Western Michigan in which Finn played sparingly [20]

Ohio

Ohio clinched a berth in the championship game during the final week of the season with a 38–14 win over Bowling Green. They entered the game 9–3 with a 7–1 record in the MAC and on a seven-game winning streak. [21] This is Ohio's fifth appearance in the game and first since 2016. They are 0–4 in their previous attempts and have not won a conference championship since 1968. [22]

The Bobcats were 2–2 out of conference with wins over Florida Atlantic and FCS Fordham and losses at power conference foes Penn State and Iowa State. [23] [24] [25] [26] They opened conference play with an overtime loss to Kent State and a win over last place Akron. [27] [28] Through six games Ohio was surrendering 40.6 points, 561 yards, and 387 passing yards per game but were 3–3 on the season with a prolific offense led by the passing of MAC Player of the Year Kurtis Rourke. [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35]

Ohio finished the regular season with consecutive wins over Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, Buffalo, Miami (OH), Ball State, and Bowling Green during which Ohio surrendered an average of only 18 points per game. [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] Rourke suffered a season ending torn ACL against Ball State and Ohio turned to third string quarterback CJ Harris. [42]

Game summary

2022 MAC Championship Game
Toledo Rockets (7–5, 5–3) vs. Ohio Bobcats (9–3, 7–1)
Period1234Total
Toledo730717
Ohio07007

at Ford Field • Detroit, MI

  • Date: Saturday, December 3, 2022
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: N/A (game played indoors)
  • Game attendance: 15,550
  • Referee: Tom Stapleton
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst) and Stormy Buonantony (sideline reporter)
  • Pregame line: Toledo −3.5 • box score,Toledo notes, Ohio notes
Game information
First Quarter
  • (11:38) TOL – Jacquez Stuart 29 yard rush, Thomas Cluckey kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:22; Toledo 7–0)
Second Quarter
  • (6:47) OHIO – Sieh Bangura 2 yard rush, Nathanial Vakos kick (Drive: 14 plays, 84 yards, 7:14; Tied 7–7)
  • (0:16) TOL – Thomas Cluckey 44 yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 55 yards, 4:38; Toledo 10–7)
Third Quarter
  • No scoring plays
Fourth Quarter
  • 10:36 TOL – DeMeer Blankumsee 16 yard pass from Dequan Finn, Thomas Cluckey kick (Drive: 16 plays, 90 yards, 7:15; Toledo 17–7)
StatisticsToledoOhio
First downs2014
Plays–Yards71–39060–262
Rushes/yards46–23629–99
Passing yards154163
Passing: Comp–Att–Int16–25–017–31–1
Time of possession33:0027:00
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
ToledoPassing Dequan Finn 16/25, 154 yards, 1 TD
RushingJacquez Stuart9 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingJerjuan Newton6 receptions, 77 yards
OhioPassing CJ Harris 17/31, 163 yards, 1 INT
RushingSieh Bangura20 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingWill Kacmarek2 receptions, 39 yards

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References

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  2. ↑ "Rocket Mortgage sponsors MAC championship game to help keep it in Detroit". Detroit News. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Toledo 17, Ohio 7". ESPN. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
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