Here are three keys to the game for Toledo’s home matchup with Western Michigan:
1. Who will have more success establishing the running game?: The game features the top two rushers in the Mid-American Conference in Western Michigan’s Jarvion Franklin (106.9 yards per game) and Toledo’s Terry Swanson (104.5). Western Michigan averages 236.5 rushing yards per game, while Toledo is just behind at 220.5 yards. Both teams want to establish the run game, but it’s more important for Western Michigan because the Broncos lean on the run instead of turning loose freshman quarterback Reece Goddard. Toledo, on the other hand, can rely on senior quarterback Logan Woodside. Look for the Rockets to zero in defensively on the run game and try to force WMU to throw the ball.
2. Can Darius Phillips get loose in the return game?: Western Michigan has one of the best special teams players in the country in Darius Phillips. The senior defensive back is a threat to score every time he touches the ball, whether on a punt return, a kickoff return, or even an interception. Phillips already has kickoff return touchdowns this season against USC and Michigan State. Containing Phillips will be priority No. 1 on special teams for Toledo. That’s easier said than done, and one special-teams touchdown can change the outcome of the game.
3. Can Western Michigan slow down Logan Woodside and the UT passing game?: Woodside leads the MAC in passing at 286.5 yards per game and is tops in pass efficiency at 170.7. Toledo is at its best offensively when it is balanced. But make no mistake, Toledo wants to throw the ball and get the ball in the hands of playmakers on the outside like Diontae Johnson and Jon’Vea Johnson. Western Michigan comes in as the eighth-ranked pass defense in the conference, allowing 215.4 yards per game. The Broncos haven’t faced a MAC quarterback the caliber of Woodside yet, and their ability to keep the UT receivers in front of them and limit the big plays will go a long way in the deciding the game.
First Published November 24, 2017, 11:00 a.m.
