Boca Raton Bowl Capsule

No. 24 Temple (10-3, 7-1 All-American) vs. Toledo (9-2, 6-2 MAC), 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Line: Temple by 1 1/2

Series Record: Toledo, 7-3

What’s at stake

Both programs established themselves as serious Top 25 contenders this season with wins over Power Five conference teams and were at the top of their respective conference standings. Toledo’s 35-30 loss to Western Michigan forced a three-way tie for the Mid-American Conference West Division title and the Northern Illinois advanced to the conference championship game as a result of winning the tiebreaker. Temple, meanwhile, lost to Houston, 24-13, in the AAC title game so bragging rights in the final rankings is at stake.

Key matchup

Temple’s front seven vs. Toledo’s four-pronged rushing attack. The Owls allowed just 126.3 rushing yards per game, while Toledo pounded the ball on the ground for an average of 213.2 yards per game. Watch for some explosive collisions between Rockets leading rusher Kareem Hunt (920 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns) and Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich, whose 481 career tackles are the most of any current NCAA player.

Players to watch

Temple: QB P.J. Walker is a dual threat in the backfield and can carve up defenses with his arm and his legs. He gained 325 rushing yards on 71 attempts, including scrambles caused by opposing pass rushers, and completed 222-of-390 passes for 2,736 yards, 19 yards and seven interceptions. He is the centerpiece of the offense and Matakevich is obviously the centerpiece of the defense.

Toledo: WR Alonzo Russell is a four-time All-MAC selection and became only the third receiver in school history to surpass 3,000 receiving yards (3,044). He and sophomore Cody Thompson are among senior QB Phillip Ely’s favorite targets and will test the Owls secondary, especially if Matakevich and the defensive line key on the running game.

Facts & figures

Toledo is making its fifth bowl trip in six seasons and 15th overall, posting a 10-4 postseason record. . Temple’s last two bowl appearances came as a member of the MAC, where their rivalry with Toledo began, and the current redshirt senior class is the last link to that era. . The last time Toledo played in a bowl game in Florida was the 1971 Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, when the Rockets beat Richmond, 28-3. . This is Temple’s first trip to Florida for a bowl game. . Last year was the inaugural Boca Raton Bowl, with Marshall out of Conference USA routing Northern Illinois, 52-23.