TOLEDO, Ohio – It's been 12 years since Toledo and Miami met on the gridiron. The much-anticipated showdown in Oxford, Ohio on Saturday, Oct. 21 (4:00 p.m./ESPNU) may be worth the wait.

Saturday's game is shaping up as a battle between two of the best teams in the Mid-American Conference. Both teams are 6-1 and 3-0 in MAC play, and are riding six-game winning streaks. 

Toledo is coming off a hard-fought 13-6 win at Ball State. Junior Peny Boone's three-yard touchdown run with 1:31 remaining lifted Toledo to victory at a rain-soaked Scheumann Stadium.

With both teams bogged down by inclement weather, Toledo won the battle in the trenches, outgaining Ball State 376-205. Boone rushed for 148 yards, his fifth consecutive 100-yard game, 91 yards of which came in the decisive fourth quarter. Toledo held the Cardinals to just 38 yards in the air on 4-of-16 passing. Safety Maxen Hook put the game on ice with an interception with 54 seconds left.

The victory over BSU also earned bowl eligibility for Toledo for the 14th consecutive season, the eighth-longest streak in the country.

Miami is coming off an equally close 34-31 win at Western Michigan.  Brett Gabbert threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns and added a career-best two rushing scores to lead the RedHawks to their sixth straight win and their best start since 2003. Their only loss came in the season opener, a 38-3 defeat at Miami (Fla.).

Miami is second in the MAC in scoring (31.6) and scoring defense (19.1). Gabbert leads the league in passing yards (207.9) and passing efficiency (162.92). 

Toledo vs. Miami
Saturday, Oct. 21 - 4:00 p.m.
Yager Stadium, Oxford, Ohio

• TEAM RECORDS: 
    Toledo (6-1, 3-0 MAC)
    Miami (6-1, 3-0 MAC)

• SERIES RECORD: Miami leads, 28-22-1. Toledo won the last meeting, 49-28, in Toledo in 2011.

• THE COACHES: 
    Jason Candle, 60-33 (8th year) at Toledo, same overall. 0-0 vs. Miami.
    Chuck Martin, 51-60 (10th year) at Miami, 124-67 overall (16th year). 0-0 vs. Toledo.

• TV/STREAMING: ESPNU
   Play by Play: Drew Carter
   Analyst:  Dustin Fox

• ROCKET RADIO NETWORK: Pregame begins at 2:30 p.m.
   Play by Play: Mark Beier
    Analyst: Jack Mewhort
    Sidelines: Mike Robinson

• WEB-AUDIO: Free live audio streaming of the UT Rocket Radio Network broadcast on UTRockets.com. 

• X/TWITTER: 
    @ToledoFB: Regular updates on UT Football, live updates on Game Day.

• TICKETS: 
    Online at UTRockets.com/tix, by phone at 419-530-GOLD (4653) or at the Rocket Ticket Office in Savage Arena.

Notes From the Launch Pad
    • Toledo's win makes it 6-1 for the first time since 2017. It is also the first time the Rockets have won six straight since the 2015 season when they began the season 7-0.
    • With six wins, Toledo is now bowl eligible for the 14th consecutive season, which is the eighth-longest streak in the FBS and the second-longest among "Group of Five" schools. 
    • Toledo begins the MAC season with a 3-0 mark for the second straight year.
    • Saturday's game will be the first time in its history that a 6-1 Toledo team will face a 6-1 opponent.
    • Toledo's offensive line has not allowed a sack for four straight games. The Rockets have allowed just two sacks this season, the fewest in the nation.
    • Toledo leads the MAC in scoring offense (36.9), total offense (459.3), passing offense (216.1) and rushing offense (243.1). The Rockets are No. 4 in the nation in rushing.
    • Junior Peny Boone leads the MAC with 792 yards rushing and is fifth in the country in rushing yards per game (113.1). He leads the league and is sixth in yards per carry (7.40). He has rushed for over 100 yards in each of his past five games and is the only runner in the MAC to pass 100 yards five times in 2023.
    • Jerjuan Newton is tied for first in the country with three other players with nine TD receptions. 
    • Dequan Finn is second in the MAC in passing efficiency (149.29) and first in total offense (243.29).