INSIDE SLANT

The Rockets had just endured a third straight losing season when Tim Beckman took over the program a year ago, vowing to make a quick return to the championship style play that had built Toledo’s legacy in the Mid-American Conference. The transition he spoke of might constitute a tougher climb that Beckman anticipated.

The long-time former defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State and Bowling Green who had also done a recent stint as defensive backs coach at Ohio State, found the going tougher than he anticipated. His defense betrayed him numerous times, allowing a nearly unmanageable 37.7 points per game, thus putting significant pressure on the offense to score mountains of points to keep the Rockets competitive.

While posting a 5-7 record for the third time in the last four years, Toledo was bitten by the same list of familiar vices. The Rockets turned the ball over far too often, and made costly special teams mistakes. In their season finale, a 38-24 loss to rival Bowling Green, the Rockets dropped in a 24-0 hole right out of the gate by having two punts blocked and losing a fumble deep in their own end.

Beckman talks about getting the program back to “where it needs to be”, but going 3-5 in the MAC and saying goodbye to a senior class that never experienced a winning season makes that a difficult sell.

The Rockets had just one signature win in 2009—a thumping of a weak Colorado team (3-9) in the season’s second week. Outside of that, Toledo defeated winless Eastern Michigan (0-12), Ball State (2-10), Florida International (3-8) and a Jekyll and Hyde Northern Illinois (7-5). The season also included a loss to 1-11 Miami.

When their new indoor training facility opens after the first of the year, the Rockets will have facilities that rival any in the conference, taking that issue off the table. The onus will then be firmly on Beckman to recruit better players, revamp or overhaul his defense, and devise a way to drastically minimize the mental lapses that often haunted this team in 2009.

NOTES, QUOTES

   GAME OF THE YEAR: Toledo 54, Colorado 38—The Rockets knocked off a team from a BCS conference in robust fashion, racing to a 30-3 lead early in the third quarter as QB Aaron Opelt threw touchdown passes to four different receivers, and took off on a 61-yard scoring jaunt of his own.

Toledo led 54-24 with four minutes left in the game, showing the way in which the Rockets completely dominated this meeting with the Buffaloes. The Rockets had 624 yards of offense, with both Opelt (109) and RB DaJuane Collins (160) rushing for more than 100 yards.

Toledo had a zip in its offense and a tenacity in its defense it was not able to duplicate the rest of the season. The Rockets put a lot of emphasis on this meeting, since it is not often they are able to entice a BCS conference team to visit the Glass Bowl. The game proved to be somewhat of an illusion, however, as a week later the Rockets got overwhelmed 38-0 by Ohio State in a game played at Cleveland Browns Stadium. 

   PLAYER OF THE YEAR: S Barry Church—The rugged head-hunter will be a rare four-time, first-team all-conference pick, and there was no question that he had an outstanding season while the defensive unit as a whole struggled to keep up.

Church, another standout player for Toledo that the Rockets were able to mine from the talent-rich Pittsburgh area, finished with 98 tackles on the season, making nine stops behind the line of scrimmage and adding three sacks.

   FAST FORWARD: Toledo goes into the off-season nursing disappointment over the fact the Rockets lost four of their last five games, only managing a victory over hapless and winless Eastern Michigan.

The Rockets lose lion-hearted QB Aaron Opelt, who led the offense for most of four seasons. Also gone is record-setting WR Stephen Williams, but the biggest loss is S Barry Church, who is expected to be a rare four-time, first-team all-conference pick.

Church was all that held a troubled defense together at times, and replacing him will be the major part of revamping that unit, which allowed 37.7 points per game and more than 400 yards per game.

   RECRUITING TRAIL: The Rockets are searching the country for capable defenders, especially along the line. After giving up more than 400 yards per game and nearly 38 points per game, Toledo learned that without some significant help on defense, the Rockets will have to out-score everyone to win.

Help could be on the way—on both sides of that formula. The Rockets landed local product WR E.J. Tucker (6-3, 207), an athlete they expect to become a big-time playmaker. The troubled defense gets a double-shot of new blood on the line in the form of DE Grant Pleasant (6-3, 230) and DE Keenen Gibbs (6-1, 250), a pair of Ohio kids who are skilled enough to press for immediate playing time.

LB James Gordon (6-2, 205) comes over from the football factory at Cleveland Glenville, while LB Ray Bush (6-3, 210) is a high school classmate of Tucker’s at Toledo’s Rogers High. They both are tabbed as speedy hitters who will add a touch of nastiness to the defense, something the Rockets sorely need.

   QUOTE TO NOTE: “Every loss hurts. I don’t like it, and I don’t want these kids experiencing it. It’s something we’ve got to get changed. That game doesn’t come down to one play. It’s not about one or two plays—it’s all of them together. We just didn’t make the plays we needed to win it.”—Toledo coach Tim Beckman reflecting on the season-ending loss to Bowling Green

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

   PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2010:

QB Austin Dantin—The freshman got pressed into service when injuries sidelined senior Aaron Opelt, and Dantin was outstanding, especially in the finale against Bowling Green when he completed 23-of-38 passes for 326 yards.

WR Eric Page—Another freshman who played a key role in 2009, Page finished with 82 receptions, and 1,159 receiving yards, fourth-most in school history.

LB Archie Donald—The junior led the Rockets with 116 tackles this season, and will inherit the leadership role on the defense from departing senior Barry Church.

   PRO PROSPECTS:

WR Stephen Williams—The 6-5 target has the pros intrigued, although his work habits and intensity have been called into question at times. Williams broke the school’s all-time reception record in the season finale, and finished with 229 career catches, breaking Lance Moore’s record of 222 (2001-04).

S Barry Church—Toledo’s top defensive player for four straight seasons, Church has the speed, smarts and athleticism the pros covet. He is expected to fully recover from a concussion he suffered in the season-ending loss to Bowling Green, and be honored with a fourth consecutive first-team All-MAC selection. Church had 98 tackles this season, nine for loss, and three sacks.

   ROSTER REPORT:

• S Isaiah Ballard came on to replace injured senior Barry Church in the season finale, and showed that he had studied well behind the talented Church. Ballard, a local product from Toledo’s City League, has two years of eligibility remaining.

• QB Austin Dantin is expected to make a full recovery from a nagging high ankle sprain that limited his movement since the midway point in the season. He will top the Toledo depth chart when spring practice opens.

• RB Morgan Williams, who split duty with senior DaJuane Collins in 2009 and was spectacular at times, had to shake off a slow start due in most part to the two-game suspension he served for an off-season transgression. Williams should start spring ball as the top ball-carrier for the Rockets.