Thunder on the Turf: Week 8's Most Anticipated College Football Battles
By Justin Perez
4-2. 2150. Northern Illinois -3. 4-2. 2156. Saturday, October 19th. ESPN+. niu vs toledo. 3:30 PM ET
All-Time Series: Toledo leads 35-17 Last Matchup: Toledo won 35-33(2023) Location: Brigham Stadium at Huskie Field in DeKalb, Illinois
The top matchup in the MAC for week eight is on the list. The visiting Toledo Rockets entered this season as one of the top contenders in the MAC. Northern Illinois did not. However, the Huskies have been a surprise to most following the conference. Both teams come in with a 1-1 mark in league play. Toledo is vying for a bounce-back after an upset loss to Buffalo. Meanwhile, last week, Northern Illinois defeated Bowling Green, 17-7. The winner would be in position to be at the top of the MAC standings.
Players To Watch
. Jerjuan Newton. Jerjuan Newton. toledo's jerjuan newton. . Wide Receiver. 1. player. 2156.
The aerial attack of the Rockets is the best in the MAC. Quarterback Tucker Gleason has several weapons in his arsenal. His most reliable receiver is a debate but Jerjuan Newton is in the running for the honor. He along with Junior Vandeross III is the best receiving duo in the MAC. However, it's Newton that has stood out. He is second on the team in receptions with 31. He has caught for 517 yards and seven touchdown passes. The seven scores rank fifth nationally and he's 29th in the nation in receiving yards.
. . Quarterback. . . 2150. NIU's ethan hampton or josh holst. 2. . Ethan Hampton or Josh Holst
NIU has an uncertain quarterback situation at the moment. It has nothing to do with performance but rather injury. Ethan Hampton is the team's regular starter at quarterback. In last week's game, Hampton left early with an undisclosed injury and the freshman backup, Holst, finished the game. There is still no word on who will start in this contest. However, whoever does start will be interesting to watch.
Hampton hasn't had the best year. The junior signal-caller from Elburn, Illinois has posted a 53.2 quarterback rating. He's completed only 59% of his throws for 932 yards. He has thrown eight touchdowns to four interceptions. He's also been sacked six times and has had issues in fumbling the football.
On the other hand, Josh Holst showed what he can do in his action last week. for anybody that saw NIU's win over Bowling Green noticed that Holst is not a pocket passer. Holst can run and throw while scrambling most of the time. So far this year, he's tossed for 106 yards on 17 throws. He ran for a 22-yard touchdown last week.
. Safety. Maxen Hook. player. . toledo's maxen hook. . Maxen Hook. 3. 2156
Toledo's defense is highlighted by their secondary. There are several players in the defensive backfield who rank high amongst the leading tacklers on the team. One of them is safety Maxen Hook. The Indiana native is filling up the stat sheet in his senior year. 30 of Hook's 50 tackles have been unassisted. He has two pass breakups, a TFL, a forced and recovered fumble, and an interception.
NIU's nate valcarcel. . Nate Valcarcel. . Nate Valcarcel. 4. player. . Safety. 2150
The Northern Illinois defense has so much depth and balance, that anybody could be highlighted here. However, Nate Valcarcel is a special talent. The senior safety is one of NIU's best players in the secondary. The Greenfield, Wisconsin native has combined efforts with Jacob Finely and Amariyun Knighten to form a great unit. Valcarcel has stood out the most. He's racked up 24 tackles, a sack, an interception, a TFL, four pass breakups, and even a QB hurry. He's a guy that can be found everywhere on the field.