Toledo @ Purdue preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2009 ) Toledo 31, Purdue 52

Purdue looks to continue its dominance of Mid-American Conference teams when it hosts Toledo on Saturday.

The Boilermakers (2-1) will be facing their second consecutive MAC opponent, having dispatched Ball State 24-13 last week.

Since 2000, Purdue is 14-2 against MAC opponents, including a 52-31 thrashing of Toledo (2-1) in last year's season opener.

Despite a number of injuries in their backfield, the Boilermakers have relied on a staunch running game, churning out over 200 yards apiece in back-to-back wins over Western Illinois and Ball State.

Freshman quarterback Rob Henry led the way last week with 65 yards on 10 carries. He relieved starter Robert Marve, who injured his knee after throwing for 111 yards and a pair of first-quarter touchdowns.

Purdue coach Danny Hope expects Marve to be ready for Saturday's matchup.

Cortez Smith stepped up against Ball State with five receptions for a career-high 117 yards and two touchdowns, including a 76-yard scoring pass on a deflected ball.

Limiting mistakes has helped the Boilermakers, who are one of just 10 teams nationally with zero lost fumbles.

That will be put to the test against an opportunistic Toledo defense, which is tied for sixth nationally with 11 takeaways in three games.

The Rockets absorbed a 41-2 beating at home from Arizona in their season opener, but rebounded with a pair of conference road wins at Ohio (20-13) and Western Michigan (37-24).

Austin Dantin threw for a pair of touchdowns and ran for another as the Rockets stormed out to a 21-0 lead over Western Michigan.

After the Broncos whittled a 31-7 deficit to 31-24, Toledo’s Eric Page returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.

The Rockets forced six turnovers, had seven sacks and held Western Michigan to a paltry 13 yards rushing on 26 attempts. However, they were sliced up for 403 yards through the air.

Toledo also struggled with its ground game, accumulating 95 yards on 40 carries.

If Toledo is forced to pass, look for Purdue defensive end Ryan Kerrigan to have a field day. He has a team-leading 24 tackles – 8.5 for losses – and three sacks.

The Boilermakers have not won three straight since starting the 2007 season 5-0.