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The Toledo Rockets and the Northern Illinois Huskies are even-steven against one another since November of 2015 (3-3), but not for long. Toledo and the Huskies will face off in a Mid-American battle at noon ET on Saturday at Glass Bowl. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous games.
Toledo ran circles around the Massachusetts Minutemen last week, and the extra yardage (448 yards vs. 157 yards) paid off. Toledo claimed a resounding 45-7 victory over UMass on the road. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 31 to nothing. Among those leading the charge for Toledo was RB Bryant Koback, who punched in two rushing touchdowns.
The Rockets' defense was a presence as well, as it collected two interceptions and two fumbles. The picks came courtesy of LB Dyontae Johnson and S Nate Bauer.
Meanwhile, the Huskies were able to grind out a solid win over the Eastern Michigan Eagles last week, winning 27-20. No one had a standout game offensively for NIU, but they got scores from CB Zhamaine March and RB Clint Ratkovich.
NIU's defense was a presence, as it got past EMU's offensive line to sack QB Ben Bryant four times for a total loss of 24 yards. It was a group effort with four guys contributing.
Toledo is the favorite in this one, with an expected 12.5-point margin of victory. Their home turf has been no bettor's paradise, though, as they've failed to beat the spread in two of their two home games.
The wins brought Toledo up to 3-2 and the Huskies to 3-2. A couple defensive numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: The Rockets come into the matchup boasting the 13th fewest rushing touchdowns allowed in the nation at one. On the other end of the spectrum, NIU is 244th worst in the nation in rushing touchdowns allowed, with 16 on the season. So the cards are definitely stacked against NIU.
