2022 MAC Championship Game

2022 Rocket Mortgage MAC Championship Game
Conference championship
Toledo Rockets Ohio Bobcats (7–5) (9–3) 17 7 Head coach:  Jason Candle Head coach:  Tim Albin
1 2 3 4 Total Toledo 7 3 0 7 17 Ohio 0 7 0 0 7
Date	December 3, 2022
Season	2022
Stadium	Ford Field
Location	Detroit, Michigan
MVP	Offense: Dequan Finn (QB, Toledo) Defense: Dyontae Johnson (LB, Toledo) Special Teams: Jonathon Batzke (P, Toledo)
Favorite	Toledo by 3.5
Referee	Tom Stapleton
Attendance	15,550
United States TV coverage
Network	ESPN
Announcers	Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (Analyst), and Stormy Buonantony (sideline reporter)

2022 Mid-American Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
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]

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

Main article: 2022 Toledo Rockets football team

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

Main article: 2022 Ohio Bobcats football team

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 C.J. Harris.[42]

Game summary

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Toledo	7	3	0	7	17
Ohio	0	7	0	0	7

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)

Statistics	Toledo	Ohio
First downs	20	14
Plays–Yards	71–390	60–262
Rushes/yards	46–236	29–99
Passing yards	154	163
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	16–25–0	17–31–1
Time of possession	33:00	27:00

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Toledo	Passing	Dequan Finn	16/25, 154 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Jacquez Stuart	9 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jerjuan Newton	6 receptions, 77 yards
Ohio	Passing	CJ Harris	17/31, 163 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Sieh Bangura	20 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Will Kacmarek	2 receptions, 39 yards

References

1. "College Football Conference Championship Games". FBS Schedules. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
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.
4. Paul, Tony (July 26, 2022). "MAC signs three-year extension to keep football title game at Ford Field". Detroit News. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
5. "About Ford Field". Ford Field. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
6. "Finn throws late TD pass to lift Toledo over Ball St. 28-21". ESPN. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
7. "Credle, Lynch help N. Illinois rally, beat W. Michigan 24-21". ESPN. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
8. "Woodside throws 4 TDs in Toledo's 45-28 MAC title game win". ESPN. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
9. "Rockets Sink Sharks, 37-0, in Season Opener". utrockets.com. University of Toledo Athletics. September 3, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
10. "Finn, Rockets Bombard Minutemen, 55-10". utrockets.com. University of Toledo Athletics. September 10, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
11. "Rockets Fall to No. 3 Buckeyes, 77-21". utrockets.com. University of Toledo Athletics. September 17, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
12. "Rockets' Fourth Quarter Comeback Falls Short in 17-14 Loss at San Diego State". utrockets.com. University of Toledo Athletics. September 24, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
13. "Rockets Rock Chippewas on Homecoming, 38-17". utrockets.com. University of Toledo Athletics. October 1, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
14. "Rockets Pick Off Northern Illinois, 52-32". utrockets.com. University of Toledo Athletics. October 8, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
15. "Dequan Finn's Six TD Passes Leads Toledo Past Kent State, 52-31". utrockets.com. University of Toledo Athletics. October 15, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
16. "Rockets Fall in Battle of MAC Division Leaders, 34-27". utrockets.com. University of Toledo Athletics. October 22, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
17. "Rockets Rally Late for 27-24 Win at Eastern Michigan". utrockets.com. University of Toledo Athletics. October 29, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
18. "Rockets Rally to Beat Ball State, 28-21". utrockets.com. University of Toledo Athletics. November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
19. "Rockets Fall to Bowling Green, 42-35". utrockets.com. University of Toledo Athletics. November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
20. "Rockets' Comeback Falls Short at Western Michigan, 20-14". utrockets.com. University of Toledo Athletics. November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
21. "Ohio Clinches MAC East Championship; Dominates BGSU, 38-14". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
22. Conn, Adam (November 23, 2022). "Bobcats clinch MAC East title with backup QB". NBC4i.com. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
23. "Ohio Football Opens Season with 41-38 Victory Over FAU". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. September 3, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
24. "Ohio Football Falls to Penn State". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. September 10, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
25. "Ohio Football Falls to Iowa State". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. September 17, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
26. "Rourke and Ohio Football Offense Break Records, Defeating Fordham 59-52". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. September 24, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
27. "Ohio Football Falls to Kent State in Overtime". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. October 1, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
28. "Ohio Football Secures Homecoming Victory Over Akron, 55-34". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. October 8, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
29. "Ohio Football Team Cleans Up MAC Specialty Awards". Ohio University Athletics. November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
30. "Ohio 41, FAU 38". ESPN. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
31. "Penn St. 46, Ohio 10". ESPN. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
32. "Iowa St. 43, Ohio 10". ESPN. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
33. "Ohio 59, Fordham 52". ESPN. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
34. "Kent St. 31, Ohio 24". ESPN. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
35. "Ohio 55, Akron 34". ESPN. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
36. "Ohio Football Secures First Road Victory, Defeating Western Michigan 33-14". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. October 15, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
37. "Ohio Football Secures Senior Night Victory, Defeating NIU 24-17". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. October 22, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
38. "Ohio Football Becomes Bowl Eligible, Defeating Buffalo 45-24". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. November 1, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
39. "Ohio Football Takes the Battle of the Bricks, Defeating Miami 37-21". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
40. "Ohio Football Defeats Ball State, 32-18". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
41. "Ohio Clinches MAC East Championship; Dominates BGSU, 38-14". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
42. "Ohio's Kurtis Rourke out for season after suffering torn ACL, meniscus". the Athletic. Retrieved November 23, 2022.