Gleason stands strong as backup plan works out

YPSILANTI, Mich. — Down a concrete tunnel in Rynearson Stadium sits the E-Club, a posh area with couches, flat-screen TVs, and a bar for VIPs to congregate.

It was a fitting space for Tucker Gleason to do his post-game press conference because the Toledo quarterback was the toast of “The Factory” on Saturday, leading the Rockets to a stirring fourth-quarter comeback on the strength of his right arm.

“It’s been about three years now since I started a football game,” Gleason said, emotion in his voice and on his face. “There were definitely some nerves. After the first couple drives, I settled down. It was definitely an emotional day. It was awesome to come in here and get a win.”

Toledo head coach Jason Candle sat to Gleason’s left as he spoke. A wide grin broke out on Candle’s face as if he were a proud father listening to his young son recount a story about catching his first fish.

To Gleason’s right was wide receiver Devin Maddox, who caught the most important pass of the season a few minutes earlier, a fourth-and-10 dime for 36 yards. Next to Candle was safety Maxen Hook, the beneficiary of a game-clinching interception in UT’s 27-24 win over Eastern Michigan.

There was a palpable sense of camaraderie between players and coach, the type of bond that only exists inside championship locker rooms.

“We’ve been playing with Tucker the whole year every practice,” Hook said. “We knew he was going to be able to come in, step up, and win the game for us.”

Gleason’s journey to Saturday’s start began at Georgia Tech, where the Tampa native played in 2020. He transferred to Toledo, played sparingly last season, and replaced Dequan Finn for a few possessions this year when the starter was injured.

A more serious injury came last week on the final play of a deflating 34-27 loss at Buffalo. Finn didn’t even practice leading up to the Eastern game, and his status going forward is unknown. But that was irrelevant to the Rockets, who had confidence in their backup on Saturday.

A final stat line of 15 completions on 27 attempts for 238 yards and three touchdowns, with 33 rushing yards on seven carries, showed why there wasn’t any panic in the Larimer Athletic Complex.

“After practice, I was meeting with coach Candle and [quarterbacks] coach [Robert] Weiner. We were watching extra film,” Gleason said. “It definitely helped build confidence there, whereas I got thrown in at San Diego [State]. It was like, Tucker, go!

“I felt [comfortable] from the start. You have to give credit to the offensive line. They protected and they run-blocked really well today. It’s easy to play third-and-short as a quarterback versus third-and-long because we were getting [3.9] yards per carry.”

But quarterbacks still have to make the throws — and Gleason made the biggest one in 2022. With a defensive lineman that could have been confused for a grizzly bear in his face, Gleason didn’t cower and retreat. He stood tall in the pocket and hit Maddox in stride at the 3-yard line.

The cohesion didn’t occur in practice this week preparing for one game. Gleason might be second on the depth chart, a position he knew he resided in all summer, but it didn’t prevent Gleason from acting as if he would be taking every first-team snap.

“Throughout the summer, we get groups together every day and we throw,” he said. “There’s a big connection there already.”

Added Maddox: “There was no fall off.”

The rapport off the field may have been even clearer — Weiner was Gleason’s high school coach.

“We’re always on the same page. Being able to talk to him on the phone after every drive was definitely comforting,” said Gleason, who also had a student assistant helping him on the sideline at Eastern.

“[Finn] would come over after every drive asking what I saw and telling me what he saw,” Gleason said. “He was a big help for me.”

The story of Gleason’s fourth-quarter heroics and leading Toledo to a win in his first career start isn’t a miraculous achievement on the level of Rudy. Gleason is a former Power Five QB who was the No. 31 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2020. He isn’t a walk-on who did the unthinkable.

But his demeanor and the ability to make game-winning plays — a 21-yard run on third down, the pass to Maddox, four completions on the go-ahead touchdown — were obvious on Eastern’s drab, gray field with the sun shining.

For Gleason, three years was worth the wait.

“To come in and start your first collegiate game and lead a drive like that at the end,” Gleason said, “and Maxen makes a great play on the game for an interception, and we got to take a knee to win it.”