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Colorado State vs. Toledo: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction
Rams are hoping to avoid an 0-3 start
Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire
A tough MAC matchup
WEEK 3: Colorado State (0-3) at Toledo (1-1)
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 18th, 2021 – 2:00 p.m. MST | 4:00 p.m. EST
WHERE: Glass Bowl; Toledo, Ohio
TV: ESPNU
STREAMING: You can get a free seven-day trial of FuboTV by clicking here.
RADIO: Colorado State feed | Toledo feed
ODDS: Toledo – 14
Colorado State football is a complete mess and we are being nice and playing Toledo on the road is going to be a tough matchup, as suggests the Rockets being a two-touchdown favorite. Depending on the site, the odds will vary slightly.
For Colorado residents, Barstool Sportsbook just launched recently and they might offer slightly better promos than other sites. This page here goes into detail on the current promos. Since the Rams do not have very good odds, it will take more than just promos to entice an audience.
It will take a really good performance from the underperforming defensive front seven and the offense can not stutter like it did last week in the second half against Vanderbilt.
The Rams really did play good football last week with its two-touchdown lead over Vanderbilt but they need to put in a complete game as they go on the road for the first time all season.
Missing Players
Colorado State is going to be down a few players and two that are for sure out are going to be a pair of defenders in safety Logan Stewart and linebacker Tavian Brown due to second-half targeting calls in last week’s game.
This is a blow as the depth for this Rams defense is not ideal but what could be even worse for the defense is that Tywan Francis missed Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s practices. Colorado State doesn’t have open availability on Thursday so it is unsure if he will play, and Brown is the teams leading tackler at 20 through two games.
“We’re going to be missing a couple of guys and then we’re banged up in the other couple of guys,” Addazio said. “That can turn ugly. It is what it is. Hopefully, we get a couple guys back that will help bolster our defense in the second half. We’re going to be very vulnerable in the first half.”
Freshman Jack Howell is expected to play a lot of snaps at safety, plus Addazio said Chase Wilson might see time as Brown’s replacement.
Wide receiver Deante Wright had a foot injury vs. Vanderbilt and if he is out or limited it will make things tough on the offense. He also missed Tuesday and Wednesday’s practice. Wright’s big-play ability will be missed as he has 10 catches for 146 receiving yards in two games.
Look for the offense to use a lot of Trey McBride to make up for what production Wright may not be able to provide.
Key Players for Toledo
The Rockets hung around against Notre Dame last week losing 32-29 in a game probably. not many saw since it was on NBC’s streaming platform Peacock.
Perhaps the Irish are overrated but they have athletes so seeing Toledo hang around likely means they are a solid team and most already felt they could compete for the MAC title.
The two players who the Rams defense need to pay attention to are quarterback Carter Bradley and running back Bryant Koback. Toledo held the ball for 34 minutes in that loss against Notre Dame so they could play ball control if needed in this game.
Bradley only has one passing touchdown on the year but he is averaging just over a first down per pass attempt at 10.2 yards per throw; while the Rams secondary is in the middle of the pack in yards allowed per attempt in the Mountain West at 6.6. However, that number could be higher with the Rams missing out on a few starters and going with young guys for at least a half.
Koback is off to a good start with three touchdowns and rushing 5.8 yards per attempt and gets a solid 15 carries per game to date. The Rams defense can’t just focus on the ground or passing game and will need to be more balanced.
Overall
This game could be a long day for the Rams defense by being down a few starters on defense while facing an offense that can put up points and yards in multiple ways.
Also, if Wright can’t go on offense this game could really get out of hand as so far through two games there is no real third pass-catcher who has emerged.
Final score: Toledo 38, Colorado State 17
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