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Notre Dame Football 2021 Opponent Preview: Toledo Rockets

By Daniel Morrison

MOBILE, AL - DECEMBER 23: Mascot Rocky the Rocket of the Toledo Rockets prior to their game against the Appalachian State Mountaineers on December 23, 2017 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
MOBILE, AL - DECEMBER 23: Mascot Rocky the Rocket of the Toledo Rockets prior to their game against the Appalachian State Mountaineers on December 23, 2017 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /
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Notre Dame Football will take on the Toledo Rockets in 2021. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Notre Dame Football will take on the Toledo Rockets in 2021. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

As we continue to dive into the 2021 opponents for the Notre Dame Football team, we take a look at the Toledo Rockets from the MAC.

Notre Dame Football has become accustomed to playing a home game in September against a school from the MAC. 2020’s game against Western Michigan got the boot due to COVID-19’s impact on the schedule, but 2019 saw the Irish play Bowling Green, 2018 was Ball State, and 2017 was Miami (OH)’s turn.

2021 will have the Toledo Rockets come to South Bend early in the season.

Toledo has been one of the better programs in the MAC in recent years, largely due to the great coaching they get from Jason Candle and Matt Campbell before that. Still, in recent years, while Toledo has been at the top of the MAC, they’ve been a step below the winner in each season.

In 2021, they’ll want to take that step forward to win the MAC, and they have the pieces to do it too.

The MAC game that Notre Dame Football likes to play effectively takes the place of the FCS opponent that many teams like to play, but the Irish never have. These games, while not a fan-favorite, serve an important purpose for both sides. In Notre Dame’s case, this is an early-season game to build confidence, and more importantly, work out issues that they’re having before they get to the meat of their schedule.

For instance, here is an opportunity for different offensive line combinations to get live game action, helping to figure that out before they go to Soldier Field to play Wisconsin.

For Toledo or any FCS or low-Group of Five school, these pay games are an important money-making game. Oftentimes, without them, smaller programs wouldn’t be able to afford to play the sport at all.

The issue for Notre Dame Football is that Toledo isn’t a low-G5 school. They’re a good team and they’re a confident team, equipped to upset higher-ranked teams, particularly if that team overlooks them or has issues that they need to figure out for themselves.

This will also be the home opener for Notre Dame in 2021, so this is going to be an exciting weekend on campus. Now, what is it that you need to know about the Rockets before the game gets going?

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