Preview: Miami football visits Toledo in rematch of 2023 MAC Championship

The Miami University RedHawks (1-3) will open Mid-American Conference (MAC) play at the Glass Bowl against the University of Toledo Rockets (3-1) on Oct. 5. This will be the third game in two years against the Rockets.

The teams played twice during the 2023 season, with Toledo winning in the regular season contest 21-17 at Yager Stadium. The RedHawks took the Dec. 2 matchup at the MAC Championship at Ford Field, winning 23-14.

Miami looks to continue its winning ways after a slugfest win against the University of Massachusetts Minutemen. Redshirt junior kicker Dom Dzioban’s game-tying field goal as time expired evened the score, and a game-winning field goal in overtime helped the RedHawks take the win 23-20.

The RedHawks’ offensive struggles continued against a very porous Minutemen defense. Sixth-year quarterback Brett Gabbert threw for 185 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Senior running back Keyon Mozee paced the RedHawks’ rushing attack with 114 yards on nine carries, including a 66-yard rush and a 27-yard rushing touchdown. Notably, four different ball carriers received eight or more carries for Miami.

The Rockets suffered their first loss of the season on Sept. 21 against a potent Western Kentucky University team (2-2). Quarterback Tucker Gleason threw two interceptions in the final minute of the game, giving the Hilltoppers a 26-21 win against one of the best teams in the MAC.

The Toledo defense forced Western Kentucky, which usually boasts a very pass-heavy, Air Raid-style offense, to just 242 passing yards. The week before, WKU quarterback Caden Feltkamp threw for 398 yards and five touchdowns against Middle Tennessee State.

The Rockets’ continued their potent running game, with three players having ten or more carries each and combining for 125 yards and one rushing touchdown. Junior running back Willie Shaw III leads the team with 138 yards on 38 carries this season.

Toledo, much like Miami, was hit hard by the transfer portal. Leading MAC rusher Peny Boone transferred to the University of Central Florida, and reigning MAC Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Dequan Finn, transferred to Baylor University.

However, Gleason has been dynamic in his own right with 862 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns and an additional 136 rushing yards.

Toledo's receiving duo is one of the best in the conference, with wide receivers Junior Vandeross III and Jerjuan Newton logging a combined 490 yards and seven touchdowns.

Toledo scored one of the biggest wins in the MAC with a dominant 41-17 victory over the Southeastern Conference’s Mississippi State University Bulldogs in week two. Toledo hopes to rebound from its week four loss and avenge the loss to the RedHawks in last year’s MAC championship.

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The RedHawks are coming off of three tough losses to Power Four opponents, but their victory against Massachusetts can spark a run toward a second consecutive MAC Championship.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The weather is expected to be significantly better than last week’s monsoon, with game-time temperatures projected to be around 70 degrees.

wiesemsm@miamioh.edu