2025 MAC Football Week 14 Game Preview: Toledo Rockets vs. Central Michigan Chippewas

Senior Day in Mt. Pleasant will have stakes attached to it in 2025, as both the Central Michigan Chippewas (7-4, 5-2 MAC) and Toledo Rockets (7-4, 5-2 MAC) look to keep their slim chances of a MAC championship bowl berth alive.

Western Michigan’s win over Eastern Michigan on Tuesday night complicated the scenarios for both the Chippewas and the Rockets, as they’ll need to not only win, but find some favorable outside help on Friday and Saturday.

With a winner-take-all game set to be played on Saturday in Mt. Pleasant, we take a look at what to expect from both teams.

Game notes

• Time and date: Wednesday, November 29th, 2025 at 12 p.m. Eastern time

• Location: Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

• TV network options: The game will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+; a valid subscription is required for viewing.

• Radio options: Adam Jaksa (play-by-play) and Brock Gutierrez (color) will provide the CMU call for WUPS-FM 98.5; Mark Baier (play-by-play) and Jack Mewhort (color) will provide the Toledo call for the Rockets Radio Network.

• Gambling considerations: Toledo is listed as an 11.5-point road favorite, with an over/under 44.5, per FanDuel.

• All-Time Series: Toledo leads the all-time series 30-16-3 in 49 games all-time, and holds a current three-game winning streak.

About the Toledo Rockets

Dr. Jekyll and My. Hyde would be jealous of the incongruent performance the Rockets have exhibited in the 2025 campaign.

The Rockets were undefeated and— frankly unstoppable— in their home confines, finishing with a 6-0 record and scoring an average of 45.8 points while giving up only 7.6 points per game at the Glass Bowl. Their road games have been less successful, mustering a lousy 16.6 points per game away from home while allowing 19.4 points per game. That’s a net decrease of 26.4 points scored and a net increase of nine points allowed per game.

However, November has proven to be different for the Rockets, finishing with a 3-0 record. A triumphant road win over Miami (24-3) has proved to be a vital pivot point in saving Toledo’s title aspirations, which looked pretty dead around the end of October’s slate due to two tough losses to Bowling Green and Western Michigan.

The Rockets have won their games on defense since the turn of the calendar, allowing 15 total points in their last three games, with five interceptions and a fumble recovery dotting the box scores. Toledo has also held their last three opponents to 14-of-51 on third-down plays, 6-of-13 on fourth-down plays, and 3-of-7 on redzone scoring chances.

As a reflection of their recent form, the sportsbooks have Toledo as a double-digit road favorite despite their 1-4 record away from the Glass Bowl.

The safety duo of Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Braden Awls have especially highlighted for the Rockets, as the two pro prospects continue a successful legacy in the defensive backfield. McNeil-Warren is second on the team in total tackles (67), top-five in tackles-for-loss (5.5) and the team leader in forced fumbles (three) and fumble recoveries (two), while Awls has exploded onto the scene with a team-leading five interceptions and 5.5 TFLs to go with 47 tackles and two pass break-ups.

The corner pair of Avery Smith and Andre Fuller have each notched a pick, but their game specializes in sticky coverage, with Smith (10) and Filler (11) leading the team in pass break-ups. They should be able to effectively shut down CMU’s in-progress receiving attack.

K’Von Sherman leads the team in total tackles (79) and tackles-for-loss (12.5) from the linebacker spot.

On offense, Toledo is one of the most talent-laden units in the MAC, with the NCAA’s leader in touchdown receptions on offer in Junior Vandeross III, one of the MAC’s most effective runners in Chip Trayanum and a potential first-team all-MAC QB selection in Tucker Gleason.

Gleason sits at 63 percent completion, with 2,417 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions on the season, while also contributing four rushing touchdowns. Vandeross has been the team’s most effective passcatcher, accounting for 31.5 percent of the team’s passing targets (71 receptions), 32 percent of the team’s yards (876) and just under half of all the team’s receiving touchdowns (11).

Toledo had one of the MAC’s worst running games in 2024, and made major investments to ensure that would not be the case in 2025. The gamble worked out, as Chip Trayanum has rushed for 856 yards and 10 touchdowns in nine games played.

Expect a strong, balanced attack on offense and aggressive defensive back play from Toledo when they take the field.

About the Central Michigan Chippewas

Central has looked refreshed in 2025 under the new leadership of first-year head coach Matt Drinkall. The going hasn’t been perfect, but when this team in on schedule, they’re one of the toughest outs in the MAC.

A one-score loss to Western Michigan to start the November slate has impacted their chance at a true title run, but they’re still in contention so long as they win against Toledo on Saturday. They’re certainly capable of doing so, sitting at 3-1 in their last four contests.

In conference games, Central is third in the MAC in both offensive and defensive scoring, sitting at 28.3 points scored and 17 points allowed per game. Those are impressive stats considering they’re middle of the league in both total offense and defense, sitting in seventh in both categories.

Keying in for the Chippewas’ success is their aggression and their situationals. CMU sits second in the MAC with 15-of-21 on fourth-down conversions and time-of-possession (32:02), while also ranking in the top five in both redzone offense (32-of-38) and defense (29-of-38). CMU is more than capable of bowing up in leverage moments and dictating the pace on both sides of the ball.

Like Toledo, CMU has also used their suffocating defense to win games in recent weeks, with two defensive touchdowns against Buffalo and limiting Kent State to 5-of-16 on combined third-and-fourth down conversions while also recovering a fumble.

Michael Heldman is the man to be marked for the Chippewas on defense. Over the last two games, the EDGE rusher has made his case to pro scouts with nine tackles, 4.5 TFLs, four sacks, three QB hurries and two pass break-ups. He and CMU’s leading tackler Jordan Kwiatkowski (14 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, sack, forced fumble last week vs. Kent State) have gone back-to-back as MAC Defensive Player of the Week with their recent performances.

Kwiatkowski has been one the of the country’s best coverage linebackers, with three interceptions and four pass break-ups to go along with his 96 total tackles on the season— including 10 TFLs.

Offensively, CMU has one of the most unique looks in the NCAA, utilizing a multiple-QB system which runs the ball at nearly the rate of a service academy. CMU runs the ball to the tune of 177.5 yards per game on 475 runs, while putting the ball in the air only 199 times for 1,752— a ratio of 70:30 run-to-pass.

Expect to see both Joe Labas and Marcus Beamon carry the load at signalcaller. Labas is the primary passer, with 1,434 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions on 69.9 percent accuracy. Beamon, a JUCO transfer who started the year fourth on the depth chart, has been drafted into action after injuries to Jadyn Glasser and Angel Flores above him. He has performed admirably as a rushing option, with 29 carries for 92 yards. He converted several fourth-down attempts against Kent State last week.

Flores, who leads CMU with eight rushing touchdowns, could also be available after suffering an injury a few weeks ago.

Nahree Biggins is the main rushing threat, with 497 yards and two touchdowns, but halfback responsibilities are shared with Trey Cornist (396 yards, touchdown) and Brock Townsend, who has scored five total touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving) over the last four games.

Tommy McIntosh (21 rec., 318 yards, three scores) and Langston Lewis (29 rec., 442 yards, three scores) are a thunder-and-lightning receiving combo, with McIntosh depended on for a variety of contested catches and Lewis a zippy route-runner with great speed.

Final Thoughts

Both teams have already secured bowl games, so they’ll get at least one more chance to better their record. However, getting a win here would give both teams the opportunity to potentially secure a trip to Detroit to take on the Western Michigan Broncos for the MAC title game.

Central will want revenge for a one-score loss on the road earlier this month, while Toledo will want to re-establish themselves as a serious conference contender after stumbling out of the gate.

Both teams have extremely distinct styles of play which will clash in fascinating ways against one another. Central’s run-centric offense against a Toledo defense which specializes in keeping the air clean of passes. A Toledo offense which wants to score quickly with big chunk plays against a ballhawking Central defense which and wants to win the leverage plays with aggression.

They’ll need help to get to Detroit, but both teams are more than capable of making noise if they can get there.

The books have this as a blowout, with Toledo an 11.5-point favorite and an over/under of 44.5 points. That was pretty shocking to read initially, but it seems to be a sign of respect to the Rockets’ recent form and the on-paper talent advantage than any disrespect to CMU’s performance.

Setting the early pace will be of distinct advantage; CMU wins games by grinding them out over a long period, while Toledo wants to seize on opportunities as quickly as possible. The team who can control the emotional tempo should be able to win this game.