Bahamas Bowl: What to Know

In collaboration with M!KEDROPSPORTS

Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl

Toledo Rockets (7-5) vs Florida International Golden Panthers (8-4)

Date/Time: Friday December 21 at 12:30 ET

Location: Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas

Bowl history

Originated: 2014

History of Conferences: In four bowl games, only Conference USA and MAC have had teams play and each conference has won 2 games against each other.

Last year’s result: Ohio beat UAB 41-6

Toledo bowl history

Toledo is 10-7 all-time in bowl games. They have lost their last two bowl games to Appalachian State (2017 in the Dollar General Bowl, 2016 in the Camellia Bowl). Their last bowl win was 2016, over Temple, in the Boca Raton Bowl. This is head coach Jason Candle’s third bowl game at Toledo (0-2).

1-3 all-time vs Sun Belt (beat Arkansas State in 2014 GoDaddy Bowl)

FIU bowl history

FIU is 1-2 all-time in bowl games. Last bowl win was 2010 Little Caesars Bowl win vs Toledo. 1-0 all-time vs MAC in bowl games. Head coach Butch Davis is 5-3 all-time in bowl games – 4-0 at Miami, 1-2 UNC, 0-1 FIU

All-time series history

FIU is 2-1 all-time vs Toledo. The most recent meeting was in the 2010 Little Caesars Bowl, which FIU won 34-32.

Prior to that, these teams played a home-and-home series wth FIU winning at Toledo in 2008 and Toledo winning at FIU in 2009.

Game Notes

Players to watch for

Toledo: Bryant Koback, RB

FIU: James Morgan, QB

Toledo

Toledo finished 7-5, 5-3 in conference. They lost to Miami and Fresno State and in the MAC they lost to Eastern Michigan, Buffalo, and Northern Illinois. The 7 wins is their fewest since 2013 (also went 7-5). Toledo hasn’t had a losing season since 2009.

Florida International

FIU finished 8-4, 6-2 in conference. Two conference losses in the final month (to FAU and Marshall) cost them the C-USA East. In the non-conference, they lost to Indiana and Miami in the non-conference. Butch Davis, in his second year at FIU led the Panthers to their second consecutive year winning 8 games (8-5 in 2017) and only their 4^th bowl game all-time.

Final Analysis

Two teams that finished as runner-ups in their respective divisions, within the MAC and C-USA meet up in the Bahamas Bowl. 

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