2026 MAC Football Week 8 Game Preview: Western Michigan Broncos at Toledo Rockets

Setting the scene

This is potentially the highest-stakes MAC game of the regular season, and not even a 5,500-gallon chemical spill in the city of Toledo is going to stop it.

Under head coach Lance Taylor, Western Michigan has won eight consecutive matchups against MAC opponents, including 12 in a 13-game span. The Broncos won the conference championship last December, and that moment may have never happened if not for turning a 13-0 deficit against Toledo into a 14-13 win in September.

But this year, the matchup shifts to the Glass Bowl, where Toledo has won nine of its last 10, mostly in lopsided fashion. The Rockets' only loss in that timeframe occurred two weeks ago, and they look to bounce back and hand the Broncos their first blemish in conference play.

Game notes

• Time and date: Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET
• Network: CBS Sports Network
• Location: Glass Bowl in Toledo, OH
• Spread: Toledo (-3)
• Over/under: 47.5
• All-time series: Toledo leads, 46-33
• Last meeting: Western Michigan 14, Toledo 13 (September 20, 2025)
• Current streak: Western Michigan, 1 (2025)

Western Michigan Broncos outlook

Western Michigan (5-2, 3-0 MAC) doesn't necessarily win pretty, but that's not important because the Broncos do something better than anyone else in the MAC — win.

Lance Taylor's team is 15-3 in its last 18 (or 16-2 if you count the Michigan game as a victory), and Saturday will mark 364 days since it last fell to MAC competition. Western Michigan has also thrived in road environments this season. Since the Michigan officiating debacle, the Broncos are 3-0 away from Kalamazoo, although all three wins were low-scoring affairs decided by one possession — 28-21 at Rice, 20-17 at Buffalo, and 21-14 Central Michigan.

Western Michigan wants to limits possessions and shorten the game with its high-powered ground attack. That was the formula that led the Broncos to a MAC championship last year, and as the season progresses, Taylor's team is becoming more reliant on the ground. Star running back Jalen Buckley is finding his footing with consecutive 100-yard games, including a 150-yard, 2-touchdown outburst at Central Michigan. Buckley will serve as the workhorse, while Lolo Mataele will spot some carries in the ground game.

Now, the Broncos must get quarterback Broc Lowry going. Lowry, who scored both touchdowns in the win over Toledo last September, is heavily involved in the run game. Last season, he produced at least 80 yards in seven-straight starts. While Lowry's season-high is only 54 this year as a rusher, he has drastically improved through the air. The junior is completing 68.0 percent of passes, delivering eight touchdowns against one interception.

While Western Michigan had been throwing significantly more this season, the Broncos only attempted eight passes last game, showing they'll take the air out of the ball if the game calls for it. But when Lowry drops back to pass, Aveion Chenault has been the top target, and his 326 receiving yards more than double anyone else on the roster.

The Broncos are 25th nationally and first in the MAC in scoring defense, surrendering 16.9 points per game. Western Michigan's defense is at its best with its back against the wall, ranking 17th in the FBS by allowing points on just 72.2 percent of opponent red zone trips.

Western Michigan won the MAC due its defensive front last year. There were growing pains replacing the entire starting defensive line and linebacking corps, but the Broncos have finally settled in. Thirteen of their 16 sacks occurred in the last three weeks, and defensive end Scoop Gardner Jr. and outside linebacker Dillon Moore lead the team with 3.5 apiece.

The Broncos are quite sound in a veteran laden secondary as well, one returning several starters that held Toledo to 15-of-30 through the air in the previous meeting. Free safety Joey Pope recorded a pick in that game, and he's been sound in coverage this season with 35 tackles and five pass breakups. Cornerback Josh Franklin is another returning starter from that game, and he also offers five pass breakups this season. The secondary's next challenge will be turning deflections into interceptions, as the Broncos have only picked off three passes all year.

Toledo Rockets outlook

Toledo (5-2, 2-1 MAC) is ready to prove its last home game was a fluke. The Rockets saw their nine-game home win streak snapped in stunning fashion against Buffalo on Oct. 10. Toledo, which scored at least 38 points in all nine games during the streak, was less than five minutes away from being shut out by the Bulls in a 23-8 defeat.

However, Mike Jacobs' team responded maturely to their first MAC loss, dropping 31 in the first half at Eastern Michigan in a comfortable 20-point victory. Toledo hadn't been the best road team lately, but everything clicked in Ypsilanti, and the Rockets reestablished themselves as MAC contenders.

Outside of the Buffalo game, Toledo has proven to be a complete team this year. The Rockets offer a potent passing attack led by John Alan Richter, who leads the MAC with 1,853 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. Most impressively, Richter has found the perfect marriage of explosiveness and efficiency, completing 66.1 percent of passes, averaging a MAC-best 8.5 yards per attempt, and only tossing one interception all year.

Richter operates with one of the deeper, if not the deepest, wide receiving corps in the MAC. Three different receivers — Adjatay Dabbs, Bryson Hammer, and Rico Bond — have surpassed 100 yards in a game, while other options like Terrell Crosby Jr., Daryl Barnett Jr., and Sam Lee have also been regularly involved. Dabbs is the leader in every major category, boasting 32 receptions for 468 yards and five touchdowns on the season.

That well-roundedness can also be seen in the running back room. Last week, Autavius Ison became the Rockets' third different 100-yard rusher of 2026, joining CJ Miller and Connor Walendzak. All three running backs will get their share, and Toledo typically rides the hot hat in the second half after early game experimentation.

While Toledo exceeded 30 points in the first half against Eastern Michigan, it was the defense that impressed most in Ypsilanti. Specifically, defensive end Andrew Zock. The reigning Buck Buchanan Award winner (FCS top defensive player) has made a seamless transition to the FBS, and he is a surefire candidate for MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Zock lived in the backfield last week with nine tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and nine quarterback pressures. It's not just a one-man effort either. Fellow defensive end Ezra Odinjor recorded two sacks and three quarterback pressures, while defensive tackle Lucas Lambert-Pipkin's disruption helped Zock and Odinjor thrive.

The Rockets have also seen exceptional linebacker play from Isaac Zay and Julian Fox, who have 55 and 57 tackles on the season, respectively. Zay has been particularly disruptive with two interceptions, four tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups, and a defensive touchdown as one of the most versatile players in the conference.

Overall, Toledo ranks 34th nationally in total defense yet 69th in scoring defense. The main disconnect between the two rankings is penalties, which the Rockets commit at the seventh-highest rate in the country.

Prediction

Toledo plays a wide-ranging style of games, from a 49-48 overtime win over Temple to 23-8 defeat against Buffalo. However, Western Michigan plays a similar style every week, and the Broncos will likely dictate the pace in this one.

It will be low-scoring and possessions will be at a premium. This style will make Toledo lean heavier on its ground attack, which is a capable unit. Western Michigan has proven vulnerable this year, as the rushing attack hasn't been as dominant as it was last October, November, and December.

Given Toledo's greater tendency to produce explosive plays, the Rockets defend the Glass Bowl and eke out a close win over the defending MAC champs.

Prediction: Toledo 24, Western Michigan 21