The Toledo Rockets have been one of the most impressive teams in the MAC this season, but have lost two straight to fall out of the conference title picture.
The team had a chance to take the West division lead last Saturday against Northern Illinois, but lost 31-24. The Rockets will have a chance to finish the season on a winning note on Tuesday night as they host the Akron Zips at home at the Glass Bowl.
The team is under their first full season under coach Matt Campbell and has proven to be an offensive beast in the conference.
The Rockets got off to a rough start this year by opening the season with a loss against Arizona 24-17 in overtime, but followed by winning eight games in a row. During their winning streak, the Rockets scored 50 points twice and also defeated a ranked opponent in then-No. 21 Cincinnati on Oct 20th.
At 8-1 the Rockets looked as if they had a chance to move up in the rankings, but have since lost two straight games to Ball State and Northern Illinois.
The team has struggled since winning 25-20 at Buffalo three weeks ago, including last Saturday's loss against Northern Illinois.
Junior quarterback Terrance Owens had a tough game, throwing three interception and zero touchdowns. Owens has been stellar most of the season for the Rockets, throwing for 2,677 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Owens' best game of the season came against Wyoming in the second game of the season when he threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-31 win.
The team has been explosive on offense all season, ranking 40th in the country with 32 points per game. The offense has been one of the most effective all year, gaining over 200 yards rushing on the ground and 252 through the air per game.
Running back David Fluellen is questionable for Tuesday's game and it would be a big blow to the Rockets if he cannot play. The junior has been one of the best running backs in the MAC, rushing for 1,460 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has also been a threat out of the backfield, catching 32 balls for 246 yards.
Wide receiver Bernard Reedy and Owens have been in sync all season, connecting for six touchdown passes and 78 receptions for over 1,000 yards. In the loss on Saturday, Reddy caught 10 balls for 131 yards, but failed to make it into the endzone.
The defense allows 27 points per game, ranked 64th in the nation.
The Akron Zips hope to finish the season by winning their first conference game. The team has lost eight in a row since winning 66-6 against Morgan State on Sept. 15 and hasn't won in seven tries against conference foes.
The Zips have been exceptional passing the ball this season, ranking 14th in the nation with 317 yards per game, but have been unable to stop anyone on defense. Akron has been one of the worst in the conference, allowing over 35 points per game.
Toledo's high-powered passing should have a good matchup against Akron's secondary, which allows over 230 yards per game. The Zips rank 109th in points against and has the 116th ranked road run defense, giving Toledo running back David Fluellen a very favorable matchup as well.
Senior Dalton Williams has been the most outstanding player on offense for Akron, passing for 3,335 yards and 25 touchdowns while completing over 60 percent of his passes. In last week's 22-14 loss against Massachusetts, Williams passed for 332 yards and one touchdown, but also had four costly interceptions.
Running back Jawon Chisholm has been the best all-around player for the Zips, gaining over 1,000 combined yards this season. He has rushed for 906 yards and four touchdowns and has proven to be a threat catching the ball, making 32 receptions for 279 yards and two touchdowns.
Wide receiver Marquelo Suel has been stellar the past two games, making a combined 21 receptions for 190 yards and a touchdown in the losses against Kent State and Massachusetts.
Toledo is currently tied with Ball State for second in the MAC with a 5-2 record, while Akron is alone in last place at 0-7 behind Massachusetts.
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