Robert Hearons: Examining the Rockets’ season so far

The University of Toledo football team has visited both ends of the college football spectrum and just about everywhere in between over the first half of the 2014 season.

From a three-hour lightning delay to a game-clinching missed extra point, multiple injury setbacks and offensive fireworks galore, the Rockets have endured a season with its fair share of twists and turns.

The only thing we know so far is that UT currently sits in the driver seat of the Mid-American Conference with sole possession of first place in the MAC West division.

Toledo’s players control their own destinies moving into the rest of MAC play. To use a metaphor from a different sport, the ball is now in the Rockets’ court.

The goal should be simple and straightforward from here on out: don’t drop that ball.

Coming into the season, Toledo was picked by many to win the MAC West, even with the program’s recent issues dealing with fellow MAC West member Northern Illinois, the team that has been consistently keeping UT away from postseason play.

With a veteran offensive line consisting entirely of fifth year graduate students, along with former SEC quarterback Philip Ely under center, the Rockets seemed poised to win plenty in 2014.

If only championships were decided in August.

After a season-opening blowout victory over New Hampshire, a series of crucial injuries in the initial weeks of the season gave way for some legitimate concern in the early going.

Ely would go on to tear his ACL the second week during a game against Missouri, prematurely ending his season. To make matters worse, sophomore running back Kareem Hunt has struggled with a leg injury and starting sophomore defensive tackle Marquise Moore was lost for the season.

A strong strength of a schedule that included matchups against three power conference teams also put a damper on the season in the early going, as the Rockets failed to win any of those games.

But those are Toledo’s only losses this year. UT’s fourth 3-0 conference start in five years finds the Rockets in position to truly lock up a West division title this season.

Sophomore quarterback Logan Woodside has helped calm any turbulent waters this season, grabbing the number one spot on the depth chart following Ely’s injury and never looking back.

The trio of freshman Terry Swanson and sophomores Marc Remy and Damion Jones-Moore at running back has also helped the Rockets deal with injuries. Swanson now ranks fifth in the nation in yards per carry with 7.76 yards per clip.

No matter what the preseason polls said, Toledo’s path to a division title and ticket to Detroit will still hinge on what happens when they travel to DeKalb to face Northern Illinois. The Huskies, with two MAC championships in the past three years and three straight West division titles, will be UT’s toughest test of the season within the West division.

Although NIU already has a division blemish on their record, a win over UT could stack the cards in their favor and send them to Detroit if both teams win out the rest of their division schedule. Even with former Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch long gone, it will take a stellar performance to get the Rockets by the Huskies in the latter’s own house.

In the meantime, Toledo will still have to fight off the likes of UMass and Kent State, both worthy opponents and sure to give the division-leading Rockets their best shots.

From a defensive standpoint, UT will have to bury the previous weak performances and continue to progress, particularly in the secondary where injuries have wreaked havoc.

Even with their issues, it should not be forgotten that the Rockets lead the MAC in rushing defense, allowing a mere 113.9 yards per game.

Regardless of the opponent on the other side of the field in the coming weeks, it will be the Rockets who decide what team represents the West division in the MAC Championship game this December.

If any other team takes the division title, Toledo will only be able to look in the mirror to find fault.

If they can’t get to Detroit this season, the Rockets will have dropped the ball.