A History of Toledo Rockets Football

The University of Toledo Rockets football program has a rich and storied history, dating back to its inception in 1917. As a Division I FBS program representing the University of Toledo, the Rockets compete in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Although the team did not field teams in 1931, 1943, 1944, and 1945, the Rockets have established themselves as a formidable force in collegiate football.

Early Years and the "Rockets" Nickname

Toledo first fielded a football team in 1917 under the leadership of John Brandeberry. According to Toledo Rockets lore, the team began when a group of students purchased uniforms from a sporting goods store, then arranged a game against the University of Detroit in order to settle the debt. For the first few years, Toledo played without a nickname but was dubbed the "Rockets" after two long touchdown runs in a 1923 loss to Carnegie Tech. That season also saw Toledo win its first conference title.

In April 1930, Toledo hired Jim Nicholson to become the Rockets' first full-time football coach. With his upgraded schedule and organized recruiting, Nicholson helped build UT's team into a powerful and respected program. In his final season, the Rockets finished 6-2-1, including a 63-0 win over Bowling Green Falcons. The huge win sparked the BGSU fans to riot leading to a 13-year break between the two universities. Nicholson helped design the Glass Bowl stadium and continued to be involved in the school's athletics following his retirement by reorganizing the Varsity 'T' Club.

The Clarence Spears Era (1936-1942)

Clarence Spears served as the Rocket's head coach and athletics director for seven seasons, from 1936 to 1942. Under his tutelage, the Rockets compiled a record of 38-26-2. Clarence Spears continued to help the UT football program grow following Nicholson, with 38 career victories that stood as a UT record for 30 years before being surpassed by Frank Lauterbur's mark of 48 wins. In 1942 when UT's football program was suspended due to WWII, Spears left to take the head coaching job at Maryland.

Bill Orwig's Brief Stint

Although head coach for the Rockets for just two seasons, Bill Orwig established one of the best winning percentages in the program's history (.762). He is one of few coaches in UT to coach two sports at once, overseeing both the football and basketball teams.

The Frank Lauterbur Era (1963-1970): A Golden Age

Affectionately known as "FXL" by his team, Frank Lauterbur coached the Rockets during one of the most successful eras of the program's history. Under his leadership, Toledo won three MAC titles including the first in the school's history in 1967 and won both of their two consecutive Tangerine Bowl appearances.

The Unstoppable Winning Streak (1969-1971)

The team's 35 consecutive game wins during Lauterbur's era ranks fifth in the longest winning streaks in NCAA Division I football. At 35-0 Toledo holds the 5th longest winning streak in NCAA football history, but the longest in modern NCAA history.

Oklahoma (1953-57) 47
Washington (1908-14) 40
Yale (1887-89) 37
Yale 1890-93) 37
Toledo (1969-71) 35
Miami (FL) (2000-2003) 34

Charles "Chuck" Ealey led the Rockets to all 35 victories as starting quarterback, the most wins without a loss by a quarterback in FBS history. In 1970, the Rockets finished the season ranked 12th in the AP Poll and 17th in the UPI poll. After capping that season with a second Tangerine Bowl victory, Lauterbur took a head coaching job at Iowa.

The defense was agile, mobile, and hostile. It was led by Gary Hinkson, Tom Duncan, John Niezgoda, Curtis Johnson, Jim Rance, Jim Tyle, Bob Rose, Steve Schnitkey, and All-American Mel Long who had returned from Vietnam to join The Rockets. The offense had weapons on the ground and in the air including Tony Harris, Dick Seymour, Don Fair, Charles Cole, Joe Schwartz, Glyn Smith, George Kiem, Jeff Calabrese. The lineman protected Chuck on passing downs and led him down the field when he ran. The special teams helped keep the win streak alive with last minute field goals by Ken Krots who saved the Bowling Green win with no time on the clock.

Jack Murphy and Continued Success (1971)

Jack Murphy, an assistant under Frank Lauterbur and coach of Heidelberg, took over as head coach for the Rockets in 1971. In his first season, he led the Rockets to an undefeated 12-0 record, a MAC Championship title, a third consecutive Tangerine Bowl win, and a 14th ranking in the year's final AP poll. That was also the year Toledo's famed winning streak reached 35 games, a streak begun under former coach Lauterbur.

Read also: History of the Block 'M'

Chuck Stobart and the 1981 MAC Championship

Chuck Stobart held the head coaching position for five seasons, rebuilding the Rockets into a stronger program and premier MAC conference contender. He earned MAC "Coach of the Year" honors in 1979 and 1981. In 1981, he led UT to a 9-3 record, a MAC Championship title, and a memorable 27-25 victory over San Jose State in the California Bowl that was decided on a last-second field goal by Tony Lee.

Dan Simrell: A Toledo Native at the Helm (1982-1989)

Dan Simrell took over the UT football program after Stobart's departure, going on to coach through eight seasons with a total of 50 victories, the third-most wins of any coach in the program's history. A native of Toledo, Simrell was the first UT alum to coach the football team. He lettered as a quarterback from 1962 to 1964 and served as an assistant coach from 1971 to 1981. Overall, Simrell posted four winning seasons of his total eight as head coach, with an overall 50-37-2 record.

Nick Saban's Brief but Impactful Tenure (1990)

Nick Saban was head coach of the Rockets for one season, leading Toledo to a 9-2 record and a MAC co-championship in 1990.

The Gary Pinkel Era (1991-2000): Program Transformation

Gary Pinkel came to Toledo from his post as offensive coordinator at Washington. With an overall record of 73-37-3, he has the most wins in UT history. Pinkel led the 1995 Rockets to an 11-0-1 record, a Las Vegas Bowl victory, and end-of-season rankings in the Top 25 of both the AP poll and Coaches poll. In 1997, Pinkel's Rockets took the first-ever MAC West title and appeared in the MAC Championship game. The Rockets finished the season 9-3, with a mid-season ranking high of 18 in the AP poll. In Pinkel's final season in 2000, the Rockets went 10-1, including a 24-6 victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions and a 25th-place ranking in the final regular-season polls.

"Toledo Tom" Amstutz (2001-2008)

Known as "Toledo Tom", Tom Amstutz led the Rockets to some of the greatest successes, including two MAC Championships, four MAC West titles, and four bowl game appearances. During his eight seasons as head coach, Amstutz led the Rockets to impressive victories over No. 9 Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Kansas, and Iowa State. Perhaps the greatest though was a 13-10 victory in 2008 against the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor. The Rockets are the first and only MAC football team to beat Michigan.

Read also: Legacy of Fordham University

Tim Beckman (2009-2011)

In December 2008, Toledo hired Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Tim Beckman as the new head coach for the Rockets. He revived the football program, leading the team through consecutive winning seasons with two bowl appearances and one MAC West Division co-championship. In 2011, the team earned an appearance in the Military Bowl.

Matt Campbell (2011-2015)

Named interim head coach following Tim Beckman's departure for Illinois, Matt Campbell made his debut as the Rockets coach with a 42-41 victory over Air Force in the 2011 Military Bowl. At 32 years old, he was the youngest FBS coach at the time and went on to enjoy four winning seasons and an overall record of 35-15. The team saw big victories along the way with a win over No. 18 Cincinnati in 2012 and a 2015 upset of No. 18 Arkansas in Little Rock, Toledo's first win over an SEC team. They also went on to a bowl victory over Arkansas State in the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl.

Jason Candle (2015-Present)

Initially planning to follow Matt Campbell to Iowa State for an assistant coaching position, Jason Candle changed course and quickly returned to Toledo after the Rockets offered him the head coaching position. Like his predecessor, his first game as head coach was a bowl victory, with the Rockets defeating No. In 2022, the Rockets defeated Ball State and Western Michigan lost to Northern Illinois to become the MAC West Division co-champions with Eastern Michigan. Toledo beat Eastern Michigan early in the season so the Rockets had the tie-breaker.

The Glass Bowl

From 1946 through 1949, the Rockets played a post-season game named the Glass Bowl that was played at their stadium. They were 3-1, losing the last game to the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Rivalry with Bowling Green

Toledo and Bowling Green have a rivalry, nicknamed "The Battle of I-75", dating back to 1924, when BGSU challenged the participation of Toledo's captain, Gilbert Stick, after it was discovered that Stick also played for a local team in Genoa, Ohio. Conference rules did not prohibit such play, and BGSU's protest was overruled. In 1950, Toledo's athletic director charged BGSU students a higher price for tickets at a basketball game than the general public, while rumors spread of a dog-napping attempt by BGSU against Toledo's mascot. Another incident came in 1951, when a fight broke out after a hard hit by a BGSU player on fullback Mel Triplett. Don Greenwood, then Toledo's coach, participated, and resigned after the university failed to back him up.

Statistical Leaders

The Toledo Rockets football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the Toledo Rockets football program in various categories, including passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats, and kicking. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. Although Toledo began competing in intercollegiate football in 1916, the school's official record book considers the "modern era" to have begun in 1951. Total offense is the sum of passing and rushing statistics.

Individual Achievements and Records

Throughout its history, numerous Toledo Rockets players have achieved remarkable individual accomplishments. Here are a few examples:

Chuck Ealey: Holds the record for the most wins without a loss by a quarterback in FBS history (35-0).
Kareem Hunt: A standout running back who led Toledo to victory in the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl with 271 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns.

Recent Seasons and Notable Players

In recent years, the Toledo Rockets have continued to be a competitive force in the MAC. Some notable players from recent seasons include:

Dequan Finn
Logan Woodside
Tucker Gleason
Bryant Koback
Peny Boone
Jerjuan Newton
Cody Thompson
Michael Roberts
Jon'Vea Johnson
Jamal Hines
Judge Culpepper
Luke Pawlak
Thomas Cluckey
Dylan Cunanan

Toledo Rockets Bowl Games

Toledo has a 12-10 record in bowl games.

Finishes in the Top 25

Since the inception of the AP Poll in 1936, Toledo has finished in the Top 25 four times with its highest finish coming in 1970 when it ranked No. 12 after finishing 12-0.

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