Toledo's Carter vs. Temple's Matakevich could be key matchup

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A Carter man finishes what he starts.

That’s the lesson Miami Jackson High School graduate Ruben Carter learned from his father. And even though his father passed away 13 months ago, Carter aims to keep his promise.

Carter has already earned his Bachelor’s degree, sticking it out at Florida State even though he didn’t like the tactics used by offensive line coach Rick Trickett.

On Tuesday at 7 p.m., Carter, now the starting center for Toledo (9-2), will put the finishing touches on his collegiate career as his Rockets challenge No. 24 Temple (10-3) in the second annual Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium. ESPN will televise.

Carter, who is working to earn his MBA at Toledo, could be a key figure in Tuesday’s game as he attempts to free Rockets running backs Kareem Hunt and Terry Swanson.

One of Carter’s main jobs will be to get to the second level to block Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich, a consensus All-American and the winner of the Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski awards, given to the nation’s top defensive player.

Matakevich had a three-sack game this season in a win over Penn State, a two-interception game in a win over Cincinnati and has 481 career tackles, the most of any active player at an FBS college.

"We’ll probably see each other on every play," Carter, a 6-4, 305-pounder, said of Matakevich. "I would love that matchup."

Matakevich, a 6-1, 235-pound senior who celebrates his 23rd birthday on Tuesday, gives up weight in his matchup against Carter, but he should enjoy a quickness advantage.

Still, Carter said there are things he can do to negate that edge against Matakevich, who has made more than 100 tackles in each of his four seasons at Temple.

“He is a pretty aggressive guy,” Carter said of Matakevich. “But we are a well-coached offensive line. We take pride in running the football. I just have to get low and take disciplined steps.  I feel like we will win that matchup.”

Matakevich is not the first big-time player Carter has come across in his career.

While growing up in Miami’s inner city, Carter played for the Liberty City Optimist team at Charles Hadley Park. One of his teammates was running back Devonta Freeman, who is now in the NFL with the Falcons.

At Jackson, Carter played with quarterback Quinton Flowers, who competed on Monday as South Florida’s starter in the Miami Beach Bowl.

Carter never won a Soul Bowl, Jackson’s annual rivalry game against Miami Northwestern, which at that time had quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and wide receiver Amari Cooper, both now in the NFL, with the Vikings and Raiders, respectively.

Freeman recruited Carter to FSU, where they teamed up to help the Seminoles win the 2013-14 national championship.

But Carter said he was never comfortable with how he was treated by Trickett.

“I'm sure I'm not the first one who transferred from him,” Carter said. “His background is in the Marines. ... The cursing, the yanking your helmet, the discipline — it was uncalled for sometimes.”

Carter admits Trickett instilled toughness in him. But once he got his degree — he had finished what he started — he moved on and ended up at Toledo, where he knew Rockets quality control coach Mark Thurston, who also played for high school coach Nigel Dunn in Miami.

Unfortunately for Carter, his father passed away on Nov. 18, 2014. Ruben Leon Carter, 52, had diabetes and suffered a heart attack, his son said.

Carter’s father played basketball at Tennessee State and more recently coached the kids at Hadley Park, including running back Duke Johnson, who is now in the NFL with the Browns.

After mourning for his father, Carter moved on to Toledo, where he found a golden opportunity. The Rockets had graduated all five starting offensive linemen from their 2014 team.

Carter helped solidify the Rockets’ line and led Toledo to a No. 1 ranking in the Mid-American Conference in rushing yards (213 per game). Toledo also ranked second in the league in scoring (35.3).

Hunt, a 5-11, 225-pound junior, wasn’t stopped all season. In Toledo’s two losses, he still produced — 140 yards against Western Michigan and 139 yards against Northern Illinois. He’s also a proven bowl-game performer, rushing for 271 yards and five touchdowns in last year’s GoDaddy game.

The Rockets are 5-0 on the road this season, including a win at Arkansas when the Razorbacks were No. 19 in the nation. Toledo also beat Iowa State this season, rising as high as No. 19 in the AP poll.

Carter, meanwhile, has found motivation in the memory of his father ... but also in Trickett.

“Someone told me he thought I didn’t love the game,” Carter said.

“He probably said that because I left. But I know he will watch Tuesday night, and I want to show him that I still love football.”

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