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Robert Hearons: Rockets’ defense gives UT’s offense a leg up

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RJ Hearons

Robert Hearons, Associate Sports Editor

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With the University of Toledo 2014 football season beginning to take shape and October play right around the corner, it has been made evident that this 2014 Rockets’ football team is going to go where the offense takes them.

In other words, if that offense doesn’t put up the points, it’s not likely this team will put up the W.

A shoot-out victory or else has been the basic expectation all year, merited alone by the average number of points the defense has surrendered per game.

But when Toledo’s offense, although moving the football down the field, struggled to punch the ball into the end zone during their first three possessions Saturday night in a 42-28 win against Central Michigan, some sort of cushion or safety net was desperately needed.

Boy, did they get one.

Even though the UT offense ultimately put up the points (42 of them), a series of first half fumbles – one lost – and a pair of promising drives that ended with disappointing field goals put the pressure solely on the defense to step up and prove this team isn’t a one trick offensive pony.

“Any time we stall on our drive we have to have confidence in our defense” said sophomore quarterback Logan Woodside. “That they are going to play out there as hard as they can.”

And that’s exactly what the defense did.

In what was their best half of the year, a young defense already forced to deal with a series of crucial injuries to the secondary brought the pressure early Saturday night holding the Chippewa’s to seven first-half points.

The Rockets were playing Saturday without team-leading rusher, sophomore Kareem Hunt, who had been putting up video-game-like rushing stats to date. The absence showed in the red zone during the first half, as momentous drives would sputter into field goals.

Moving the ball in between the 20’s proved no problem, but punching into the Promised Land seemed impossible.

In order to match Hunt’s offensive production, Toledo utilized five rushers throughout the game. But before the running game got on track, the defense was there to provide a much-needed safety net.

The success started up front as Central Michigan running back Thomas Rawls was held to 70 yards on 17 touches, taking away any confidence he might of carried into the Glass Bowl from a 155-yard day against Purdue earlier this month and putting it on the back burner. Rawls only averaged 3.8 yards a carry by the time everything was said and done Saturday night.

A team that not only put up points against Big Ten competition, but came away victorious, had to deal with a Toledo front four that was hungry for a sack from the get go. A solid first half effort was cemented when junior linebacker Trent Voss wrapped up Chippewa quarterback Cooper Rush behind the line of scrimmage for that desired sack.

Even though the Chippewas would march down the field to open up second half play and record a touchdown, trimming the lead to six, it was The Rockets’ D that stepped up after a quick Rocket three-and-out, with senior safety Jordan Haden picking off quarterback Cooper Rush’s pass on third down, putting the offense in position to score their third touchdown of the night.

Without the quality performance out of the gate on the defensive side of the ball Saturday night, the Rockets could have easily found themselves in a two-touchdown hole before the first quarter ended. An offense that is clearly the main attraction on this squad found themselves in need of a safety net on Saturday and the defense was there to fulfill that need.

First half performances like that of Saturday night on the defensive side of the ball will not only gain the respect of your offensive teammates, but will likely garner the attention of MAC foes down the road.

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