The University of Toledo football team will now take on the role of spoiler Friday when it travels to Central Michigan for its regular-season finale.
With Western Michigan losing 17-14 at Northern Illinois on Tuesday night, Central Michigan (7-4, 5-2 MAC) steps into the driver's seat of the Mid-American Conference West Division. With a win over Toledo (6-5, 3-4) on Friday, the Chippewas will represent the MAC West in the conference title game against MAC East champion Miami.
Prior to the Western Michigan game on Tuesday, first-year Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain said his team wasn't going to focus too much on the outcome of the Broncos game.
“We've got such a long ways to go as a program,” McElwain said on the MAC weekly teleconference. “We can only control the things that we can personally control. That's how we get ready to go play Toledo. These mid-week games, you don't get a chance to watch them, because we are working. We'll find out about the score, but we have so many things to improve.”
Even in his first year, McElwain recognizes how consistent Toledo has been in the MAC recently.
“They are a program that everybody in this league kind of chases,” McElwain said. “They've done an unbelievable job there. [Toledo coach Jason Candle] is a great coach that recruits to his system. I really like the players on their football team. They do a great job offensively of staying balanced.”
This year, however, a MAC title is not in the cards for the Rockets, as they search for their first road win in the conference. But Toledo will have a shot at its 10th straight win over Central Michigan in the series and its seventh win of the season, which would help its bowl prospects.
Central Michigan was 1-11 last season and lost 51-13 at Toledo on Black Friday at the Glass Bowl. But under McElwain, the Chippewas have completed a quick turnaround and have a realistic shot at a MAC title.
Candle is impressed with what McElwain and his staff have been able to do in such a short time.
“If you look back at their roster, this is a group that always had a talented group of guys,” Candle said. “We were here playing them at the same time last year, probably 365 days to the day, and I was here saying, 'This is a good football team. This is talented roster. But this is a team that has had trouble figuring it out.’ ... They've been able to find some consistency in games and found a way to grind out some tough wins. Credit their staff and their senior leadership.”
Toledo is coming off a game when it allowed Buffalo running back Jaret Patterson to rush for 192 yards and five total touchdowns in a Bulls rout. The Rockets will have to key on the run game of Central Michigan defensively, as the Chippewas also feature a talented back in Jonathan Ward, who is third in the conference with 107.6 rushing yards per game.
Central Michigan also has talented playmakers on the outside led by Virginia Tech transfer Kalil Pimpleton, who leads the MAC with 69 receptions for 738 receiving yards and six touchdown catches. JaCorey Sullivan is another reliable weapon for the Chippewas with 42 catches for 629 yards and three touchdowns.
“That's a very confident football team on tape,” Candle said. “Their staff has done a awesome job of re-energizing that program and getting them to play at a fairly consistent level throughout the whole season. They have a few really good playmakers on offense that I see. Like Buffalo, they are very sound in the run game. Then these guys have some perimeter players that can really go with the football in their hands. That Pimpleton kid is a really good receiver and the other receiver on the outside has been able to really stretch the field and create some explosive plays.”
With one game remaining, Candle is looking for one more win for his senior class, as well as some positive momentum heading into next season.
“Seven wins is a big difference, and for most of our seniors, it could be the last time they put pads on ever in their life,” Candle said. “So I think a collective push to make sure those guys go out on the right note is what I'm seeing in practice. Hopefully that resonates and shows up in the game on Friday. If we turn the page and look towards our football team next year, this is a way to solidify some more practice opportunities for us and some chances for us to be together and keep this thing going for a few more weeks.”
First Published November 28, 2019, 5:00 p.m.
