NEU » had a way of reminding us with a couple inci

One game separates Western Michigan from an undefeated regular season and its against a team that will have plenty of motivation in its own right.The 14th-ranked Broncos face Toledo on Friday with a division title at stake. Yes, its true: After all the fanfare WMU has received for its remarkable run this year, the Broncos arent even assured a spot in the Mid-American Conference title game. They still have another test to pass.We have to be at our best. Toledos a phenomenal football team, with a really, really talented coach, Broncos coach P.J. Fleck said. Its like looking in the mirror on offense, defense and special teams. Its amazing how similar we both really are.The winner of Fridays game will face Ohio in the MAC title game next week.WMU (11-0, 7-0, No. 21 CFP) beat Northwestern by one in its season opener and has won every game since by double digits. Along with Alabama, the Broncos are one of two FBS teams that are still undefeated. With every victory, the stakes grow for WMU, which has a legitimate chance to play in a major bowl if it can maintain its unblemished record.Last weekend, ESPN CollegeGameday paid WMU a visit for its 38-0 win over Buffalo .Probably one of the most historic days our community and our city and our university have ever seen, Fleck said. We embraced it, we had a lot of fun with it, our players learned a lot, and then they also finished off the week with a win.Toledo (9-2, 6-1) comes into this weeks game having won three in a row. The big question for any team hoping to upset WMU is how to contain the Broncos electrifying tandem of quarterback Zach Terrell and Corey Davis.Theyre going to do what they do. Theyre well coached on offense, theyre going to get the football to their playmakers, Toledo coach Jason Candle said. Youve got to do a good job of trying to limit Coreys touches if you can, and I think the most important thing, where it can get lost, is the yards after the catch.Here are a few things to know when WMU hosts Toledo:HISTORYToledo has been one of the MACs most consistent teams in recent years -- the Rockets will finish above .500 in league play for a seventh straight season. But they havent been able to break through and win a league title in that span. Northern Illinois represented the MAC West in the conference championship game for the past six years, with Toledo always seeming to fall just short.The Rockets would have won the division outright if theyd been able to beat WMU last year, but a 35-30 loss to the Broncos created a four-way tie for first place and sent NIU to the MAC title game again. Toledo hasnt been to the league championship game since winning the title in 2004. WMU hasnt won a MAC championship since 1988 and hasnt played in the title game since 2000.RECORD WATCHDavis comes into Fridays game with 4,987 yards receiving in his career, 18 shy of the FBS record. Trevor Insley of Nevada had 5,005 from 1996-99.HUNTING SEASONToledos Kareem Hunt has 1,155 yards rushing this season and is approaching a record of his own. He has 4,625 yards rushing in his career, second in school history behind Chester Taylors 4,849.Hes had a tremendous career, and hes having another great season, Candle said. When youre able to build everything around him and that good offensive line, that opens up some things in the passing game.DAZZLINGTerrell has completed 71 percent of his passes this season, throwing for 2,890 yards with 27 touchdowns and only one interception. Toledos Logan Woodside has been tremendous as well, completing 70 percent of his passes for 3,653 yards with 40 touchdowns and seven interceptions.OPPORTUNISTICWMU has a turnover margin of plus-15. The Broncos have only five giveaways all season.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 .---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtristerMelvin Frazier Jersey . - The Washington Redskins have cut defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca. Penny Hardaway Magic Jersey .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. http://www.magicauthentic.com/kids-evan-fournier-magic-jersey/ . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Dwight Howard Jersey . Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey last Sunday. The fine is the fourth this season for Goldson. He was fined $30,000 for a hit on the New York Jets Jeff Cumberland in Week 1. Vince Carter Magic Jersey .Y. -- Syracuse has turned up the defence at the right time all season, and when High Point threatened to pull off a monumental upset the second-ranked Orange did what they do best with their quick hands and savvy play.Round Two in what is hoped to be a season-long series of pacing showdowns is set to take place at the Meadowlands Racetrack on Saturday, and at least one owner involved with the principal characters will cherish every minute of it. He likely wont be alone.Highlighting the $471,800 William R. Haughton Memorial for older male pacers is another much-anticipated battle between 5-year-old Always B Miki and 4-year-olds Wiggle It Jiggleit and Freaky Feet Pete. The trio will have its second head-to-head-to-head meeting in what is the most talked-about rivalry in harness racing in years.Always B Miki won the first match-up at the July 2 Ben Franklin Pace at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, beating Freaky Feet Pete by three-quarters of a length in a world-record-equaling 1:47. Wiggle It Jiggleit, the 2015 Horse of the Year, took third.Last weekend, Wiggle It Jiggleit beat Freaky Feet Pete at the Graduate Series championship at the Big M, but the race was only for 4-year-olds so Always B Miki wasnt eligible to compete.Before the Ben Franklin, I cant recall seeing as much dialogue on a race in a very, very long time, said Bob Boni, one of Always B Mikis owners. There was a real buzz all week about that. It started out this week with similar sentiments. Everyone is wondering whats going to happen in the race?I think its drawn a tremendous amount of attention. Its on a great card, a lot of people are going to see it. Weve got a number of other times when were scheduled to hook up, potentially, and I think it will be something that will continue to grow because its a very talented field of older horses.It is something that Boni and his fellow owners (Bluewood Stable, Roll The Dice Stable and Christina Takter) do not take for granted.Were very fortunate and very appreciative, Boni said. Those are the words I constantly use. Ive been very blessed that Ive had some pretty good horses over the years. Mikis the latest right now and hes about as good as anybodys horse. Its a great thrill, but you cant race horses on this level for a long time and not appreciate how fortunate you can be and how great it is to be around horses like this.Especially when it comes to Always B Miki, who was sidelined for nearly a year because of injuries but has returned to win nine of 11 starts with two second-place finishes and earn $642,710 since last October.In seven starts this season he has five wins and two seconds, winning $341,500. Trained by Jimmy Takter and driven predominantly by David Miller, he has finished in the money in 36 of 42 career starts, with 23 wins and $1.56 million in earnings. Roger Welch trained him as a 2-year-old and Joe Holloway had him at age 3, and Boni credits everyone involved for making the pacer the horse that he is today.His chief rivals on Saturday have equally impressive statistics, which has helped create the excitement. Wiggle It Jiggleit -- owned by George Teague Jr. and Teague Racing Partnership, driven by Montrell Teague, and trained by Clyde Francis -- has won 32 of 40 lifetime races. Freaky Feet Pete -- bred by Larry Rheinheimer, who trains the stallion for his wife Mary Jo and son Marty -- has won 29 of 35 careerr starts.ddddddddddddlways B Miki drew post five in the Haughton Memorial while Freaky Feet Pete is in post seven and Wiggle It Jiggleit is in 10. The race attracted 12 starters, so it will be contested at 1-1/8 miles rather than the traditional one-mile distance.We always have confidence in him, Boni said. Jimmy and David have just done a great job with the horse. Its going to be fun all year racing. Well go at it again and Ill always say the same thing, I like our chances, as Im sure the other guys will say too.The Ben Franklin was a hard-fought race and they all were competitive, they all took shots and they made it a very good event. How its going to happen this week I have no idea because if you try to talk to anyone that tried to handicap the Ben Franklin, I dont know anybody who handicapped it the way the race fell.Boni feels what is interesting is that all three horses are Indiana-sired and none of the three are owned by major stables, which he feels should give hope to other owners out there.Were essentially a small stable, were one horse, he said. George Teague races a moderate stable and the Rheinheimers, this is the first time theyve been exposed on this level, so these are not some of the names that youve seen in recent years. Thats a very healthy thing. The naysayers that say you have to buy expensive horses and have to have a big stable, thats not always the case. You can compete. It can happen at any time.In assessing the horses, Boni feels each one has their unique qualities and some similarities.Very little seems to bother Wiggle It Jiggleit, he can race on any size racetrack, and Freaky Feet Pete, the same thing; hes been a terrific horse from his 2-year-old season, he said. They all have brilliant high speed. I would say the other two probably leave the gate faster than Miki does. Hes not quick off the gate. But once they get settled in they can all go very fast and they show they can go fast a long way.Boni says Always B Miki enters the Haughton Memorial a healthy, happy horse.It would have been nice if we didnt have those injury issues, but he did, the owner said. In a somewhat bizarre way, I think hes a better horse for it. Hes much sounder now.Its because of those injuries that Always B Mikis group continues to cherish all the good things that happen now.I dont think theres anybody here that takes any of this for granted and if anybody did, Mikis had a way of reminding us with a couple incidents that we better not take it for granted, Boni said with a laugh. I think were all very appreciative. I dont know anybody who doesnt appreciate what he does.The Haughton Memorial is part of a stakes-filled card Saturday at the Meadowlands. Among the nights other races are the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace, Mistletoe Shalee, Hambletonian Maturity, and divisions of the Stanley Dancer Memorial and Delvin Miller Memorial.--By Rick Fisher-Courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, please visit www.ustrotting.com. ' ' '