The Toledo Rockets’ quest for a Mid-American Conference West Division title and an appearance in the MAC Championship Game comes down to the final game of the season.
Toledo (9-2, 6-1 MAC) will host Western Michigan in the regular-season finale at the Glass Bowl Friday, Nov. 24. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m., and the game will be carried by ESPNU.
If the Rockets win, they earn at least a share of the division crown and a berth into the league title game at Detroit’s Ford Field Saturday, Dec. 2. A loss to the Broncos would leave UT needing a loss from Northern Illinois in its Nov. 24 game at Central Michigan.Toledo is coming off a 66-37 victory over archrival Bowling Green Nov. 15. Senior Terry Swanson rushed for a career-high 192 yards, and redshirt freshman Shakif Seymour tied a school record with five touchdowns to lead the offense. The Rockets only led by a field goal, 24-21, at intermission. But a four-touchdown barrage in the third quarter gave the Midnight Blue and Gold a comfortable 52-28 edge heading into the fourth quarter.
Western Michigan (6-5, 4-3 MAC) was knocked out of the MAC playoff picture by a 35-31 loss at NIU Nov. 15. The Broncos are led by senior running back Jarvion Franklin, who paces the MAC with 1,176 yards. True freshman Reece Goddard has taken over at quarterback over since sophomore Jon Wassink went down with an injury vs. Eastern Michigan Oct. 21.