Football (5-3, 3-1 MAC) will get back on the road to face undefeated Toledo (7-0, 4-0 MAC) Tuesday.

The Rockets and Huskies rank second and third in the MAC in points-per-game, respectively. The Rockets lead the MAC in points allowed, giving up only 16.3 points.

“They’re a good team,” said head coach Rod Carey. “They’re a good team every year we play them. This year is no different. They’re a really exceptional team.”

Toledo is now ranked 20th in the nation after its undefeated start but has lost five straight contests to the Huskies. The Rockets’ last win against NIU came in the 2009-10 season when they downed the Huskies 20-19 after a 42-yard field goal block with 37 seconds remaining.

“They’re ranked No. 20 for a reason, and they’re 7-0 for a reason,” said junior quarterback Drew Hare. “It’s not easy to win games, and they’ve found a way to win games seven times already and not suffer defeat.”

NIU is on a three-game winning streak and ranks third in the MAC West division behind Toledo and Western Michigan after a three-game losing streak earlier in the season.

The Huskies still have a chance at first place in the division with four games left. This season will mark the first time since the 2011-12 season that NIU didn’t win at least 10 of its first 12 games.

“I feel that we have improved and gotten better each week, and that’s the challenge this week,” Carey said. “The guys are definitely working hard trying to get better.”

Tuesday’s game can turn out to be a big one as rankings in the MAC will be finalized in the next several weeks. Knocking off the top team in the conference could be huge for the Huskies and the best they can finish the regular season will be 9-3.

“I mean, every week we treat it like a championship game,” Hare said. “Every week we’re going to prepare as well as we can and treat our opponent like we’re playing the number one team in the nation.”

Hare was named the MAC West Player of the Week for his work against Eastern Michigan. Hare posted some of his best numbers of the season, going 24-38 on 267 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

“It’s good just getting back into a groove — feels amazing,” he said. “It’s great; however, none of that matters. We have a new opponent in Toledo and we just have to focus on them.”

The Huskies beat Toledo in a close matchup last year with a 27-24 home victory. The game will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in Toledo, Ohio.