UT heads to Iowa State to challenge Big 12 Cyclones

We interrupt our regularly scheduled broadcast of Mid-American Conference play to bring you next Saturday’s showdown between the University of Toledo and Big 12 member Iowa State.

Set smack in the middle of the MAC portion of UT’s 2014 schedule is next weekend’s faceoff with the Cyclones (1-4, 0-3 Big 12). It is an interruption to Toledo’s (4-2, 3-0 MAC) rhythm that head coach Matt Campbell and his players don’t seem to mind.

“We’re competitors,” Campbell said. “We like to go play no matter where it is or who it is. From our standpoint, we’ve heard so many great things about the environment of Iowa State. Certainly it’s going to be a great crowd, it’s their homecoming.

“You only get 12 opportunities; you better take advantage of at least each and every opportunity you get. What an opportunity for us and our kids to take our show and go on the national scene again and have a chance to play in a big ball stadium.”

The Rockets’ latest game in the limelight comes one week after their closest win so far this season. Toledo defeated Western Michigan 20-19 last weekend in overtime to remain undefeated in MAC play.

It was a win earned despite wild weather and a disappointing offensive showing.

“Offensively, I thought we were conservative in the first half of that game,” Campbell explained. “That goes on my shoulders, it had a lot to do with my thoughts on how I thought we would end up winning the football game.”

Toledo cannot be nearly as conservative against Iowa State. The Cyclones may have only one win this season, but three of their four defeats came at the hands of Top 25 ranked teams. ISU’s latest loss was a 37-20 decision at No. 21 Oklahoma State last weekend.

“What you’ve seen is [Iowa State] get better and better and better as their season has went on,” Campbell said. “They’ll come in, we’ll get their best shot; there is no doubt in my mind. I think they are a team that is pretty confident in themselves and probably look forward to playing us.”

If the Cyclones are excited for Toledo’s arrival, it may be due to their knowledge of the Rockets’ lack of success against big name teams this season.

After dismantling New Hampshire 54-20 in the Glass Bowl to kick off the year, UT dropped two consecutive games, the first to SEC member Missouri and the second to AAC member Cincinnati.

Those two opponents scored a combined 107 points against Toledo, but don’t expect Iowa State to find it that easy to rack up touchdowns Saturday. The Rockets’ defense, which suffered from several key injuries early in the season, has regrouped and rebounded in a big way.

Last week they held WMU running back Jarvion Franklin — who came into the matchup leading the MAC with 154.5 yards per contest — to a mere 64 yards on 20 carries.

“Each week we go into [the game] wanting to make a team one-dimensional,” said junior cornerback Christian Dukes. “It will pretty much help us get our game plan going.”

In order to make Iowa State one-dimensional, Toledo may have to focus on the Cyclones’ quarterback position. ISU junior quarterback Sam Richardson has thrown for 1,003 yards this season, and he has compiled 252 yards on the ground.

Richardson threw for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week against Oklahoma State. Both of his scoring passes were caught by senior tight end E.J. Bibbs, who led the Cyclones in receiving for the game.

It was the first multiple-TD performance of Bibbs’ career, and he now has five scores this season.

On the other side, the Rockets’ offense has been explosive this year, excluding last weekend’s game against the Broncos. Toledo is averaging a MAC-best 516 total yards of offense per game, which is also the 17th-best average in the country.

The only glaring issue for UT’s offense has been turnovers, an issue that they struggled with even more than normal during the wet conditions in Kalamazoo last Saturday.

“I think we’ve committed too many,” said senior center Greg Mancz. “[But] we need to improve everywhere. As coach Campbell says, if you’re not getting better you’re going to get beat.”

The Rockets’ offensive weapons have shrugged off the ball security issues to notch three-straight wins against MAC opponents. Toledo currently sits atop the conference, which would seem to make this game against a non-conference opponent even more annoying for the team.

The players still don’t agree.

“For me, I only have six games left as a Toledo senior guaranteed,” Mancz explained. “I don’t take anything for granted or get frustrated by anything.

“It’s another chance to go out there and play with my brothers and I can’t wait.”

Kickoff is set for Saturday at 3:30 p.m.