WMU: 2 Days and Counting

What match ups should Rocket fans be aware of as the Toledo Rockets (3-2, 1-0) take on the Western Michigan Broncos (2-3, 1-1) this Saturday night? It is Toledo's homecoming game Saturday, and a good crowd is expected. With just two days until kickoff, Rocket Digest examines two key match ups as Toledo takes aim on a third straight victory.

Saturday night the Western Michigan Broncos come to town to take on the Toledo Rockets in UT's homecoming game. The Rockets are 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the MAC so far, but this team knows that a win over Western Michigan Saturday night is a must if the are going to contend for the MAC West Division Title. What two key match ups should Rocket fans be aware of heading into this homecoming game?

Two Key Match Ups

1. Tim Hiller vs the Rocket Defense
Western Michigan QB Tim Hiller is completing over 63% of his passes so far this year. Against Northern Illinois, Hiller did not have a good game, but he was also without the services of his top wide receiver target Juan Nunez. Nunez is expected to play against Toledo.

The Rocket defense has done a good job of getting pressure on the opposing quarterback the last couple of games, and that must continue Saturday night. Head Coach Tim Beckman has been using all kinds of blitz packages to put pressure on. If the Rockets are going to have any kind of success at stopping the WMU offense, they must get to Hiller and disrupt him.

2. UT Receivers vs WMU Secondary
Western Michigan's secondary is young, but they get a boost Saturday night when free safety Doug Wiggins returns to the lineup after serving a two game suspension. UT receivers Stephen Williams and Eric Page have been tearing up opposing defenses, and they need to do it again Saturday night in order for the Rockets to pull out a W. Williams will likely draw a double team, so receivers Robin Bailey and Kenny Stafford need to step up and make some catches. And then slot receiver Eric Page needs to do his thing. If he can get in the right match ups with a linebacker or safety covering him, he will be open all game long. And the more that the Rocket receivers keep the safeties back, the easier it will be for DaJuane Collins and Morgan Williams to run the ball. Especially if Eric Page is taking a linebacker out of the picture to cover him.

This match up of UT's receivers against WMU's secondary is probably the biggest of the two key match ups. Toledo will have the energy of the crowd for the defense to feed off of, and if Western Michigan cannot stop the Rocket passing game, it will be a long night for the school from Kalamazoo.


Coming Up
On Monday – 5 Numbers to Note
On Tuesday – 4 Names to Know
On Wednesday – 3 Big Concerns
On Thursday – 2 Key Match Ups
On Friday – 1 Bold Prediction


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