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The Toledo Rockets and the Buffalo Bulls are set to square off in a Mid-American matchup at 1 p.m. ET Oct. 22 at UB Stadium. After both teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one of them is set up to suffer a discouraging change of fortune.
The Rockets' contest against the Kent State Golden Flashes last week was close at halftime, but Toledo turned on the heat in the second half with 24 points. Toledo was the clear victor by a 52-31 margin over Kent State. The win came about thanks to a strong surge after the first quarter to overcome a 21-7 deficit. QB Dequan Finn went supernova for Toledo as he passed for six TDs and 263 yards on 22 attempts in addition to rushing for one TD and 87 yards. Finn's 59-yard touchdown toss to WR Jerjuan Newton in the fourth quarter made for one of the most memorable moments of the afternoon.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Buffalo's strategy against the Massachusetts Minutemen last week. The Bulls blew past UMass 34-7. The matchup was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point Buffalo had established a 27-7 advantage. Among those leading the charge for them was RB Al-Jay Henderson, who punched in one rushing touchdown. That touchdown -- an 84-yard rush in the second quarter -- was one of the highlights of the game.
Buffalo's defense was a presence as well, as it got past UMass' offensive line to sack the quarterback four times for a total loss of 28 yards. Leading the way was DE Ibrahim Kante and his 2.5 sacks. Kante now has 3.5 sacks this year.
Toledo is the favorite in this one, with an expected 7.5-point margin of victory. They have been consistent moneymakers against the spread when favored (3-1), so they might be worth a quick bet.
Their wins bumped the Rockets to 5-2 and the Bulls to 4-3. Both Toledo and Buffalo have easy wins in recent memory. We'll see which one's ego takes a hit when they face off.
