Football kick-off

There is no question that the strength of the Rocket offense this season is the dynamic rushing duo of fourth-year criminal justice major Kareem Hunt and third-year communication student Terry Swanson.
Toledo was extremely effective running the ball last season, averaging over 200 yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry on their way to being ranked for first time since 2012.
Hunt, the two-time all-MAC performer, will lead the rushing attack in his final season playing for the midnight blue and gold. However he needs to add 1,380 more yards to his career 3,470 yards to pass Toledo legend Chester Taylor as the school’s all-time leading rusher.
That may be hard to accomplish with a backfield mate as talented as Terry Swanson. Last year Swanson had his best college season as he rushed for 923 yards and earned all-MAC second team honors alongside Hunt.

Swanson was very productive leading the entire Mid-American Conference in yards per carry (6.5). Against Ball State last season, Swanson rushed for 139 yards and led the Rockets to a victory in Hunt’s absence.
The depth of the rushing game does not stop there. Senior running back Damion Jones-Moore adds a change of pace to the backfield. The 5-7 speedster Jones-Moore has rushed for more than 400 yards each of last two seasons.
Hunt and Jones-Moore are listed as co-starters on the preseason depth chart. With the speed of Jones-Moore and strength of Hunt they will confuse defenses and set up openings in the passing games.
Swanson and Jones-Moore have proven in the past that they can get the job done all by themselves.
Last season, Hunt missed three games due to injury and suspension. In those three games Swanson ran for 210 yards and two touchdowns while Jones-Moore ran for 239 yards and three touchdowns.
Jones-Moore also carried the load in perhaps the biggest victory of the season on the road versus Arkansas where he rushed 65 yards on 11 carries.
Over the final five games of last season, Hunt and Swanson really hit their stride. Hunt showed why he is the work horse of the team as he rushed for 655 yards and seven touchdowns as Swanson added 404 yards and two scores of his own, including the game against Northern Illinois when Hunt rushed for 143 yards and Swanson added 133 yards.
Coach Candle has a full-house of running backs to play around with, which is good at a position where injuries are frequent. Even if they lost their top three runners, the Rockerts could call on the defensive side of ball and senior Marc Remy.
Remy, a converted running back, made the change to defensive back this offseason due in part to the depth in the backfield. He has 594 career rushing yards and would probably be the fourth back called upon if necessary.
The running attack will have to be just as good, if not better than it was last year, as the previous offense starting quarterback Phillip Ely and big play wide receiver Alonso Russell.
Hunt, Swanson and Jones-Moore are more than capable of carrying the offensive weight. They all have experience and they have all produced on the big stage.
They will look for some help on outside from leading receiver senior Corey Jones and junior Cody Thompson as the Rockets chase the 2016 MAC championship.