MAC championship game: Miami will face No. 23 Toledo for conference title
Miami University (10-2, 7-1 Mid-American Conference) vs. No. 23 Toledo (11-1, 8-0), Saturday, 12 p.m. EST (ESPN)
Series record: Miami leads series 28-23-1.
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What's at stake?
No. 23 Toledo can accomplish two rare feats by winning consecutive Mid-American Conference titles and being ranked heading into bowl season. The last time Toledo won consecutive conference championships was when it captured three straight from 1969-71. This is the first season the Rockets have cracked the Top 25 since Nov. 22, 2015.
Key matchup
Toledo’s Dequan Finn against Miami’s defense. Finn threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score during the first half of the Rockets’ 21-17 victory over the RedHawks on Oct. 21. Miami’s defense was able to shut down the junior quarterback in the second half, allowing him to complete only 3 of 12 passes for 13 yards.
Players to watch
Miami: Graham Nicholson is one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation’s top placekicker. The junior is the first RedHawk and third placekicker in Mid-American Conference history to be named a finalist for the award. Nicholson has connected on 23 of 23 field goal attempts and 33 of 34 extra points. Nicholson is 8 of 8 on field goals over 40 yards this season, including a career-long 52-yarder.
Toledo: RB Peny Boone has rushed for at least 100 yards in eight games this year. He is the first Rocket to break the 100-yard mark eight times in a season since Kareem Hunt did it in 2016. Boone now has 1,359 yards for the season, which ranks fifth in FBS. He is also second in yards per carry and is eighth with 15 rushing touchdowns.
Facts & Figures
The Rockets have not had a losing season since 2009, a streak of 14 consecutive seasons which is the fifth-longest in the FBS. … After not competing against each other for 4,382 days these two teams will now face each other for the second time in 42 days. Prior to their game on Oct. 21, they last met in 2011.
Miami’s 86 points allowed in conference games this season are the fewest a MAC team has allowed since Western Michigan gave up 80 points in eight games in 2000. … The Rockets have won 11 straight games in a single season for the first time since 1971. … Toledo has the No. 1 scoring offense in the MAC and Miami has the No. 1 scoring defense in the league. … The two schools last met for the MAC crown in 2004 with Toledo winning 35-27.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Miami vs. Toledo preview for MAC football championship
