After a 10-day reprieve, Toledo returns to action on Tuesday night at the Glass Bowl.
The Rockets welcome struggling Central Michigan, which is just 12-20 over the past three seasons and losers of four straight.
“Got a lot of respect for Coach [Jim] McElwain and their team and what they’ve been able to do historically,” Toledo coach Jason Candle said. “I remember Central Michigan when I got to Toledo, it was a very physical team. One that applied pressure to you in all three phases of the game.
“In a lot of ways, they’re still the same. Maybe not the quality. There’s not an Antonio Brown or Dan LeFevour, that kind of caliber of consistency that they had back then. But a lot of similarities in the sense that they do make you earn everything that you get.”
In the semi-off week, UT can get healthy and do some self-assessing. The Rockets have dealt with injuries on the offensive line most of the season and played without two starters at Eastern Michigan.
Three games remain as Toledo keeps its sights set on Detroit.
When Toledo has the ball
UT found room to run at Eastern Michigan, but the Rocket still rank a woeful 10th in rushing offense (105.2 rushing yards) against Mid-American Conference opponents. They are first in passing offense (282.6 yards), sixth in total offense (387.8 yards), and ninth in scoring offense (22.6 points).
Quarterback Tucker Gleason is completing 61.4 percent of his passes for 1,896 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but turnovers have been a problem in recent weeks.
Wide receiver Jerjuan Newton continues to be one of the top TD threats in the country. He has 783 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
Central Michigan ranks 11th in total defense (442.2 yards) against conference foes, eighth in passing defense (236.0 yards), 11th in rushing defense (206.2 yards), and 10th in scoring defense (33.6 points).
Linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski ranks 31st nationally with 74 tackles. Three Central defenders rank in the top 80 in tackles for loss — Kwiatkowski (ninth, 12.0), defensive lineman Jonah Pace (50th, 8.5), and linebacker Dakota Cochran (80th, 7.5).
When Central Michigan has the ball
The Chippewas possess one of the worst offenses in the MAC, ranking 11th in total offense (317.2 yards), 12th in passing offense (109.2 yards), third in rushing offense (208.0 yards), and 10th in scoring offense (33.6 points).
QB Joe Labas has completed less than 60 percent of his passes for 1,114 yards with seven TDs and seven interceptions. But he has missed the last three games with an injury.
In Central’s most recent game — a 23-13 loss to Bowling Green — Jadyn Glasser and Tyler Jefferson combined to go 6 of 14 for 63 yards.
Tailback Marion Lukes is averaging 4.7 yards per carry, totaling 537 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
In conference games, Toledo ranks fifth in total defense (386.6 yards), sixth in pass defense (217.0 yards), seventh in rush defense (169.6 yards), and fifth in scoring defense (25.0 points).
Safety Maxen Hook ranks 11th nationally in tackles (82) and linebacker Dan Bolden is 50th (66). Linebacker Jackson Barrow is 65th with 8.0 TFLs. Safety Braden Awls is 18th with three interceptions. Cornerback Avery Smith is second with 11 pass breakups.
🎥 Post-Game Press Conference with @cmu_football head coach @CoachMcElwain following last night's game vs. Bowling Green....#FireUpChips 🔥⬆️🏈 pic.twitter.com/fqYWNCOmlJ
— CMU Football (@CMU_Football) November 6, 2024
Special teams
UT’s Bryson Hammer ranks sixth nationally in punt returns, averaging 16.2 yards. As a team, the Rockets are 12th in punt returns (15.1 yards) and 20th in kickoff returns (24.7 yards).
Toledo ranks in the top 50 in punt and kickoff return coverage. The Rockets rank 109th in punting and 66th in field goal percentage.
Central’s Donte Kent is 11th in punt returns, averaging 13.0 yards. He has one return for a touchdown. The Chippewas rank sixth in kickoff coverage, limiting opponents to less than 15 yards per return.
Place-kicker Tristan Mattson is 11 of 13 on field goals, with both misses coming from beyond 40 yards.
Toledo will win if…
The Rockets don’t need to do anything special. Gleason simply needs to avoid turnovers and the defense can’t let Central run wild. The Chippewas don’t throw it well and they don’t score many points. If Toledo brings its “B” game to the Glass Bowl, it should cruise to its seventh win of the season.
Central Michigan will win if…
Toledo spotted Eastern Michigan two turnovers and a short field on the first two possessions last week — and it still wasn’t enough. And that was a road game for UT. The Chippewas will need more mistakes by Toledo in the Glass Bowl and a big special teams play. It’s hard to envision Central sustaining numerous drives. The Rockets will score points, so Central has to find a way to keep up.
First Published November 9, 2024, 1:00 p.m.
