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Rockets prepare for first MAC road challenge

Toledo will face Western Michigan in Kalamazoo this weekend

The Rockets (shown above in last week’s victory over Central Michigan) are preparing to face Western Michigan in Toledo’s first Mid-American Conference road contest of the year. The Rockets are 2-0 so far in MAC play this season.

Blake Bacho, Sports Editor

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Grab a suitcase and don’t forget your toothbrush because the University of Toledo football team is on the road again.

After back-to-back home games, the Rockets will spend the next two weeks away from the Glass Bowl, starting this Saturday with a matchup against fellow Mid-American Conference member Western Michigan.

Toledo (3-2, 2-0 in MAC) will look for their third straight victory when they suit up against the Broncos (2-2, 0-0 in MAC) in the Rockets’ first conference road game of 2014.

“Going on the road for the first time in the MAC is going to be big,” said UT sophomore quarterback Logan Woodside. “Western Michigan is a real good team, so we’ve got to get in the film room and watch them. It will be a real big challenge for us Saturday night.”

This will be only the second away game of the season for Toledo. Five of the Rockets’ remaining games this season will take place away from home, a challenge head coach Matt Campbell says his team is ready for.

“Great teams play great football anywhere,” he said. “You could play in the parking lot — wherever it may be, you better be ready to show up. Our hope and our goal is that, someday, we’d like to be a great team here.

“No matter where we play the game at, we’ve got to do a great job executing.”

Execution hasn’t been a problem lately for UT. The Rockets are coming off a 42-28 win over Central Michigan last Saturday, a game in which Woodside set a new personal best with 339 yards passing and two touchdowns.

Woodside also led Toledo to a 34-23 victory over Ball State two weeks ago.

“I feel like I’m growing,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got to continue to get better each day, going out to practice tomorrow and work on the things I need to improve so we can get ready for Saturday.”

The Rockets have notched four consecutive victories over Western Michigan, with two of those wins coming against current Broncos’ head coach P.J. Fleck.

Fleck and his team have already matched their win total from last year with a road win over Idaho and a home victory against Murray State.

“The biggest thing I’ll say about P.J. is that I think he has a vision for what he wants his football program to look like,” Campbell said. “He’s recruited extremely hard for that vision and I think that’s what you’ve got to do when you’re building a program. You better believe in what you stand for and what your program stands for and you’ve got to attack it. P.J’s done a really good job of that.

“He’s someone who is really passionate about what he believes in and he knows how to execute what he believes in.”

Western Michigan’s newfound success comes largely thanks to a ferocious running attack. Freshman running back Jarvion Franklin currently sits atop the MAC in rushing with an average of 154.5 yards per game to lead the No. 3 ranked scoring offense in the conference.

Franklin’s debut collegiate season is so far highlighted by his 211-yard performance in the Broncos’ victory at Idaho, but he will have to face a much-improved Rocket defense Saturday.

That defense has become very skilled at getting to an opposing team’s signal caller.

“It’s basically just effort, getting to the ball,” said junior defensive end Trent Voss. “Getting to the quarterback is really just how determined you are. We could be blitzing seven or we could be rushing four upfront. If we want to get to the quarterback we’ve got to do the best job of doing it.”

Toledo will need all three phases — offense, defense and special teams — to be firing on all cylinders in their first MAC road test.

“It’s definitely going to be a big game,” Voss said. “It’s the first MAC game on the road and we just need to stay poised, stay in control. It’s going to be a great environment.

“It’s going to be a big game for both teams.”

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Kalamazoo.

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