In what is the biggest home game in recent Ohio State Club Football memory, the Buckeyes are set to host No. 5 Toledo with the Great Lakes East Division title on the line.
The Buckeyes are ranked No. 1 in the country following a 62-7 victory over Wright State, but still need a win over the Rockets, who come in at 5-1, in order to solidify their spot in the postseason.
With five wins, the Rockets have matched their highest win total in the five-year history of their program. Toledo collected blowout wins over UW-Milwaukee, Oakland, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati United Prep while also receiving a forfeit victory against SIU-Edwardsville. The 5-0 start propelled the Rockets to their highest NCFA ranking ever, as Toledo went into last week’s matchup against then-No. 1 Coppin State ranked No. 3 in the country. Despite dropping a 21-0 contest to the Eagles, Toledo can still solidify its spot in the conference title game on Sunday by defeating the Buckeyes in Columbus.
The Rockets come to Columbus boasting one of the highest scoring offenses in the league, despite being shutout against Coppin State. Toledo is averaging 39.6 points per game, just behind Ohio State’s 46.3 points per game, for best in the NCFA. Meanwhile the Toledo defense is surrendering just 10.6 points per contest, good for third in the NCFA behind Ohio State (9.5 ppg) and Coppin State (6.4 ppg).
The matchup between Ohio State and Toledo is set to feature the top-two quarterbacks statistically in the NCFA this season. The Rockets are led by veteran quarterback Brandon Motter. The fourth-year starter leads the NCFA in passing yards (1,165) and completion percentage (73.3) and has thrown eight touchdown passes to four interceptions.
On Ohio State’s side, senior quarterback Niko Pappas has been named the NCFA’s Offensive Player of the Week three out of the four weeks he has been eligible for the award. Through four games, he has completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 847 yards and 12 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He leads the league in passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns (8). His passing yardage is second behind only Motter and his 305 rushing yards are good for fourth in the NCFA.
Pappas has three receivers that rank in the top-10 of the NCFA in receiving yards. As of stats uploaded by Oct. 29, senior Ricardo Wahington is second in the NCFA in receiving yards with 233 to go along with three touchdowns on 15 receptions. Fellow senior Charlie Harlow leads the NCFA in receptions with 16, and is seventh in yardage with 180 yards and a pair of scores. Finally, junior Desean Bonte ranks fifth in yardage with 190 on 12 receptions and three touchdowns. At the tight end position, juniors Aidan Donovan and Tommy Delaney have combined for 187 yards and two touchdowns on 13 receptions, giving the Buckeyes one of the more balanced offenses in the country.
On the other side of the ball, the Buckeyes have been led by a slew of defenders. Trey Jones set the program’s all-time sack record against Wright State, giving him 23.5 for his career and 5.5 this season. Freshman linebacker Tyler Siegel leads the team in total tackles with 34 while the Buckeyes have received numerous contributions in the back end. Safety Keegan Lynch leads Ohio State’s defense in interceptions with two, but the Buckeyes have also received INTs from Bonte, Topaz Linton and freshman newcomer Jackson Gula. Ohio State’s secondary has recorded at least one interception in every game this season and 11 out of its last 13 games dating back to 2024.
In addition to the stellar play in the back end, Ohio State has also received contributions from Cayden Humphries, who returned from injury last week against Wright State to record four total tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Cornerback Reagan Little also returned from injury against the Raiders, recording a pair of tackles, a 53-yard scoop-and-score and fell on a pooch kick on special teams.
For Toledo, the Rockets are led defensively by defensive lineman William Kerr, who leads the NCFA in sacks with 12. Toledo also hauled in a whopping 15 interceptions in its first five games, including five in a 58-20 win over Cincinnati United Prep. Toledo safety Gavin Fietz leads the NCFA in interceptions with five.
Kickoff between the Buckeyes and Rockets is set for Noon on Sunday, Nov. 2 at Lincoln Tower Park in Columbus. Ohio State is undefeated all-time against Toledo, and is 2-0 at home. Should Ohio State win, it would cement its spot in the 2025 Great Lakes Conference Championship Game. Should Toledo win, it would also need a victory over Wright State in Week 8 of the NCFA season to advance to the conference title game.
Admission to the game is free and those unable to attend will be able to watch live on Campus Nation via YouTube.
(Header photo credit: Scott Mayberry)
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