The Toledo Rockets march into InfoCision Stadium on Wednesday, November 2nd to take on the Akron Zips. The MAC match-up will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be shown on ESPN 2 for your viewing pleasure. The Rockets are an -8 point favorite and the over/under for the game is penciled in at 66.5 points.
The Toledo Rockets are looking for their third road victory of the 2016 season. After a disappointing 26-31 loss to the Ohio Bobcats, the Rockets need this win to keep alive in MAC West division race. The Rockets have not dropped back-to-back affairs since the 2014 season.
Toledo (6-2):
Signal-caller Logan Woodside has been as a productive quarterback as there is in the MAC conference. The accurate rifleman threw for over 430 yards with three touchdowns and one pick in their defeat last week.
For the year, Logan Woodside has led the nation’s eighth ranked passing attack with 184 completions for over 2,700 yards and a whopping 31 touchdown tosses. Woodside has also only had five of his passes picked off on the year.
Toledo likes to stay as balanced as possible when moving the chains down the grid-iron. When they run, the Rockets turn to Kareem Hunt and Terry Swanson to get the job done. As a duo, they have carried the ball for over 250 times for 1,230 yards and seven scores.
Logan Woodside likes to spread around the wealth when passing the ball down the field. Five receivers have caught more than 20 passes and all but one have scored multiple touchdowns. Cody Thompson leads this group of talented wide outs with 917 yards and nine trips to the back of the end zone.
Defensively, the Rockets give way to 23.5 points a game and 377 yards per contest. Line backer DeJuan Rogers leads Toledo with 49 tackles and defensive end Treyvon Hester has five sacks. The defense is as average as it gets, but that has been enough for the amount of offense that they produce.
Akron (5-4):
The Akron Zips will try to get their third win on their home turf against Toledo on Wednesday. Furthermore, a victory would give the Zips six wins and make them bowl eligible for the second straight year. Akron has lost back-to-back games twice since last season, continuing to struggle with consistency.
Quarterback Thomas Woodson has done pretty well since winning the job from Tra’Von Chapman in the spring. Even though he has been banged-up, Woodson has delivered 129 completions for 1,763 yards with 16 scores and five interceptions.
The Zips tend to lean to the run to churn out first downs and keep opposing quarterbacks on the sidelines. Van Edwards Jr. and Manny Morgan are doing their best behind an inconsistent offensive line. Together, they have 142 carries for just under 750 yards and two scores.
Three Akron receivers are doing their part to keep the Zips posting numbers on the scoreboard. As a unit, they have reeled in almost 150 balls for 1,800 yards and an impressive 18 trips to the promised land. They might just be the most under-rated group in the Mid-American conference.
On the other side of the football, Akron is allowing 34 points a match and 483 yards per game. Ulysees Gilbert III shores-up the run defense for the Zips. The blue-collar linebacker has racked-up 100 tackles in 2016. Kyron Brown leads the nations 93rd rated pass defense with three interceptions.
Trends and Notes:
The Rockets are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 road games.
The Zips are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Wednesday games.
The Under is 5-1 in Rockets last 6 road games.
The Under is 4-0 in Zips last 4 games overall.
Game Prediction:
Toledo needs a bounce back performance to keep themselves in the MAC West race. They certainly have enough firepower to do it. Logan Woodside has to like going up against the 93rd ranked passing defense in the nation, if he’s going to be on the road.
The Akron Zips are a hard team to figure out in 2016. They have had games where the offense looks extraordinary and others where they have down right struggled. One things for sure, Akron plays well at home and this win makes them bowl eligible.
Head Coach Jason Candle will have Toledo ready for this match-up. Since the beginning of the season, Toledo has consistently scored. That trait is a good one to have when you go on the road after a short week.
Akron should keep this game close but Toledo is a touchdown better. Unfortunately, the spread is -8 and that can be tricky for a solid home dog like the Zips. Instead, jump on Toledo to be up by seven by half and then cash your ticket and sit back and enjoy. Take Toledo half-time -4.5.
