Two weeks remain in the regular season, and the Toledo-Ohio game on Wednesday at the Glass Bowl will significantly impact who plays in the Mid-American Conference championship game.
A loss for the Rockets knocks UT out of the race. An Ohio win puts the Bobcats in prime position to play at Ford Field. If the Rockets win, they go into the final week with high hopes of a third consecutive MAC title game appearance.
Noon start times for college football has seemed to be a hot topic for some fans recently, so we're wondering...
— Blade Sports (@toledosports) November 18, 2024
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Do you like when your college football team plays at noon?
November football is about big games that decide a team’s fate. That’s exactly what will happen when Toledo and Ohio get together.
“Really good team, very well-coached,” UT coach Jason Candle said about the Bobcats. “[Ohio coach] Tim [Albin] has done as good a job as anybody in our league, in my opinion. They lost a lot of players in the offseason, and they’re at the top of the league standings right now.”
When Toledo has the ball
In conference games, UT ranks eighth in total offense (373.0 yards), third in passing offense (258.8 yards), 10th in rushing offense (114.1 yards), and eighth in scoring offense (25.0 points). It has been an uncharacteristically inconsistent year offensively, with most of the struggles relating to a new and oft-injured line and the lack of a game-breaking running back.
Nationally, quarterback Tucker Gleason ranks in the top 50 in passing, with 2,032 total passing yards and 225.8 yards per game. His 19 touchdown passes rank 20th.
Wide receiver Jerjuan Newton ranks 17th with 823 receiving yards. Only one player — San Jose State’s Nick Nash — has more TD receptions than Newton's 10. Fellow wide receiver Junior Vandeross III ranks 52nd with 653 yards.
The Rockets don’t have a single running back in the top 100 nationally. Connor Walendzak is the team’s leading rusher with 368 yards. No one is averaging more than four yards per carry.
They’ll be going against the MAC’s top defense (260.2 yards). Ohio also ranks first in scoring defense (15.2 points), second in rush defense (97.0 yards), and third in pass defense (163.2 yards).
Defensive end Bradley Weaver ranks in the top 30 nationally with six sacks. Weaver (nine) and defensive tackle Cam Rice (eight) are in the top 100 in tackles for loss.
Cornerback Tank Pearson has three interceptions, tied for the most in the MAC. CB Roman Parodie has seven pass breakups to rank in the top 40.
When Ohio has the ball
The Bobcats have soared offensively in MAC games, ranking second in total offense (414.0 yards), doing so with the league's top rushing offense (215.8 yards). They rank fourth in scoring offense (33.3 points) and ninth in passing offense (198.2 yards).
Running back Anthony Tyus III (80.6 yards per game) and QB Parker Navarro (72.6 yards per game) each rank in the top 60 nationally in rushing. Navarro has nine rushing TDs and Tyus has seven.
Navarro also ranks in the top 30 in completion percentage at 65.7 percent. But he has only thrown seven touchdowns versus eight interceptions.
Wide receiver Coleman Owen has the ninth-most receiving yards in the country (882).
In MAC games, Toledo ranks fifth in total defense (361.5 yards), pass defense (205.8 yards), rush defense (155.6 yards), and scoring defense (22.5 points).
Safety Maxen Hook ranks 16th nationally with 87 tackles. Linebacker Dan Bolden is 45th (75).
Cornerback Avery Smith is second with 12 pass breakups.
Special teams
Toledo’s special teams continue to stand out, ranking in the top 20 in kickoff (25.1 yards) and punt returns (13.0 yards). Bryson Hammer is averaging a little more than 13 yards per punt return, seventh-best in the country.
The Rockets also cover kickoffs and punts well, ranking inside the top 50, and placekicker Dylan Cunanan is 43rd with an 81.3 percent field-goal percentage. His 13 made FGs rank 31st.
The Bobcats rank in the top 40 in kickoff (23.1 yards) and punt returns (10.6 yards). They rank outside the top 50 in covering special teams plays.
Ohio has missed three field goals.
Toledo will win if…
Even though it’s a home game, the Rockets are going to have to play one of their best games of the season. Ohio does almost everything well, especially on defense. The offensive line and run game have to give Toledo something, and the pressure is going to be on Gleason to deliver a great game. It’s probably an unfair expectation, but it’s reality for a UT team that cannot run the football reliably.
Ohio will win if…
The Bobcats’ defense needs to perform at its highest standard. If it plays like the top defense in the MAC, Toledo will have problems. Ohio needs to force a turnover or two and find weaknesses in the UT run defense. A mid-November night game is the exact situation where you want to be able to run effectively. Ohio’s team makeup is built for this type of game.
First Published November 18, 2024, 3:48 p.m.
