Kentucky stands in way of Toledo's coach reaching milestone

Toledo Football under Jason Candle has been the picture of stability. The Rockets have the longest-tenured staff in FBS, led by Candle, who is in his tenth season at Toledo. They haven’t had a losing season since 2009, an impressive 15-season streak, which is the third-longest in FBS behind Boise State and Alabama. Saturday could mark another milestone for Candle and the Rockets, but the Kentucky Wildcats stand in the way.

Candle is currently tied with Gary Pinkel as Toledo’s winningest head coach, with 73 wins. Obviously, a victory in Lexington on Saturday would put him in first place. He’ll have to get it vs. Mark Stoops, Kentucky’s winningest head coach and the longest-tenured football coach in the SEC. Stoops tied Bear Bryant on the all-time list three years ago in the season-opener vs. Miami (OH).

Candle’s first win with the Rockets came at the end of the 2014 season. He was Toledo’s associate head coach, working under Matt Campbell, and took over as head coach on December 2, 2015, when Campbell left for Iowa State. Candle led the Rockets to a 32-17 win over Temple in the Boca Raton Bowl in his debut. Toledo hasn’t had a losing season under his watch. Last year, the Rockets defeated Pitt 48-46 in six overtimes in the GameAbove Sports Bowl, their second win over a power conference opponent that season.

Toledo’s stability extends past Candle. The Rockets are the only FBS school to have its head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and strength coach entering their sixth year together on the staff. Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach Ross Watson and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Mike Hallett are actually coming into their tenth year with the Rockets. They were all there when Toledo came to Kroger Field for the 2019 season opener, a 38-24 Kentucky victory.

With that longevity, it’s no wonder that Toledo is a perennial Group of Five power. The Rockets were picked to win the MAC this season, received 13 points in the AP Preseason Poll, and are a trendy pick to be the Group of Five College Football Playoff representative. They return several stars from last year’s team that went 8-5, including senior quarterback Tucker Gleason, who is on several award watch lists, and All-MAC wide receiver Junior Vandeross. The point spread for Saturday’s game is fluctuating wildly, moving from Kentucky -12.5 points earlier this summer to -7.5 early this week and now -9.5 at some books.

I’m sure Candle would love nothing more than to move into first place in Toledo’s all-time wins column with a victory over Kentucky; even more reason for the Cats to come out with something to prove on Saturday.