Toledo vs Mississippi State Preview

The Toledo Rockets will travel to Starkville this weekend to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Headlines

Toledo looks to start its season at 3-0 for the first time since 2017. It won’t be easy, as the Rockets come in as 11-point underdogs on the road. They will also look to capture just their second win in six meetings against the SEC. Toledo’s last win vs an SEC opponent came back in 2015 in a 16-12 win over Arkansas.  Mississippi State looks to get back on track before starting SEC play next week against Florida, following a 30-23 loss to Arizona State last week.

The Bulldogs are hoping to turn things around offensively after starting slow, having only scoring 3 points in the first half last weekend. The offense started to click late; however, being down 27 at half was too deep of a hole to get out of. With Toledo’s strong offense and gritty defense, things won’t get any easier for this Mississippi State team.

Players to Watch For

Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen has started the season completing 69% of his passes for 515 yards, 5 touchdowns and no interceptions. Shapen’s last interception was with Baylor last season on Nov. 11th.  Toledo quarterback Tucker Gleason comes in with similar numbers, having started the season throwing for 377 yards, 6 touchdowns and no interceptions. Led by Gleason, Toledo’s offense ranks the highest in the Mid-American Conference, averaging just under 44 points a game.

Another player to keep an eye out on is junior wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. Coleman Jr. comes into this game with 9 receptions, 191 yards and 2 touchdowns, including an 80 yard touchdown reception Week 1 vs Eastern Kentucky University.

Expect Mississippi State to look for quick passes and to establish the run game early. Meanwhile, Toledo will look to get the ball into Kevin Coleman Jr’s hands early, as he has been the team’s most explosive weapon.