As WKU football looks to win its third consecutive game on Saturday against Toledo, I sat down with Kyle Rowland, Toledo football beat writer for The Blade, to discuss the Rockets.
Toledo heads into its bout with WKU coming off a 41-17 blowout win at Mississippi State. Rowland said the Rockets played “almost a flawless game” to defeat the Bulldogs on the road. He highlighted Toledo’s very young offensive line as a driving force in Toledo’s production.
“The line did a very good job. Zero sacks for Mississippi State. They out rushed Mississippi State by a wide margin,” Rowland said. “But most importantly… all the time for [quarterback] Tucker Gleason to throw.”
The lack of pressure on Gleason is apparent in his stat line against the Bulldogs. The junior threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns. On the season, he has thrown for 665 yards, nine touchdowns and no picks.
“I think a lot of people nationally are surprised by how good Gleason has been,” Rowland said. “It’s not really a surprise if you’ve been around the team.”
Junior Vandeross III and Jerjuan Newton have been Rowlands primary targets on the year. The pair have combined for 425 yards and seven touchdowns.
“They would not be out of place as the top two wide receivers on a huge number of power conference teams,” Rowland said.
Defensively, Toledo has allowed only 50 total points through three weeks, allowing around 17 points a game. Rowland said that the secondary, specifically the cornerback position, is an area Toledo could struggle with against the pass-heavy Hilltopper offense.
“In the air raid, you just never have time to breathe when you play a team like Western Kentucky,” he said.
With two high-scoring offenses taking the field on Saturday, Rowland said he expects a shootout between the Rockets and Hilltoppers.
“I would be surprised if either team blew the other out,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a lot of fun, a lot of swings, probably a lot of big plays.”
Sports editor Jake McMahon can be reached at [email protected]
