The 2008 season is the low point in this data set. Not only did Toledo score the least points in 2008 but the margin between our scoring and the opponents was -9. Interesting that the data tends to suggest that in 2010 our defense was improved and kept the opponents from scoring as much as in previous seasons.

It takes little interpretation to see that in 2011, UT kicked it in gear. In 2011, we scored nearly 9.3 more points a game than in the prior 5 (2007 was the closest at 32.9) and we did so without letting our opponents score that many more points than in previous years. Now, some people will be quick to point out the back-to-back 60 point games (where we also gave up 60+ points) but those are factored into these numbers as well. Of course averages skew the data a bit — while we held Temple to just 13 points, we also gave up 63 points to WMU — but the trend in defense suggests that things were tightening up.

If Toledo is going to continue to be an offense driven team under Coach Campbell, the key will be to force opponent scoring averages down into the upper 20s. While we showed we can light up the scoreboard last year, personnel changes will likely slow the frantic pace that we put up points. If you remove the Boise State (15 pts) and the Ohio State (22 pts) games that we lost, our average scoring soars to 46.5 points per game. If our scoring drops into the mid-to-upper 30 points per game range this year, we’ll need a matching defensive performance to keep pace and give some breathing room to the offense.

2012 Toledo Rockets FANtasy Football Camp held in Glass Bowl Stadium. Participation was free and open to students and the community to go through practice drills and tour the facilities.

Chuck Ealey – CFL, TSN believe Grey Cup documentaries will light a fire (NationalPost.com)

2012 Pre-Season Preview: Toledo Rockets (CollegeFootballZealots.com)

Originating in 1957, the PNC Big 33 Football Classic is one of the nation’s finest scholastic All-Star Football Games highlighting showcasing Pennsylvania and Ohio‘s outstanding high school athletes. Now entering its 55th year, the classic is often described as “The Super Bowl of High School Football.” The rivalry will continue into 2012 with Pennsylvania and Ohio tied in the overall series 12 game wins a piece.

Toledo landed 6 athletes in the game, 4 on the Ohio team and 2 on the Pennsylanvania side, to lead all schools. The school with the second most recruits is Ohio State with 4. The MAC school with the second most recruits is Kent State with 3.

Check out the Toledo-bound athletes that were selected:

Congrats to all the players selected. The Big 33 Football Classic will be played on Saturday, June 16, 2012 with kick off at 7:07 p.m.

Want more info on the Big 33 Football Classic, head over here or hit these links for the full OH roster or the full PA roster

The GoDaddy.com Bowl will continue to match teams from the Sun Belt Conference and the Mid-American Conference for at least six more seasons.

Bowl president Jerry Silverstein, MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher and Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson announced the four-year extension at a news conference on Monday. It carries the affiliations through the 2017 season.

The MAC has been linked to this bowl game for over a decade and while it’s not the most prestigious bowl game, it’s important as a conference for us to stay affiliated with these games and keep our teams on that stage.

The next GoDaddy.com Bowl will be played Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

• OL Phillipkeith Manley – signed with the Atlanta Falcons
• DB Desmond Marrow – signed with the Houston Texans
• WR Eric Page – signed with the Denver Broncos
• OL Mike VanDerMeulen – signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Updates:

• 4/29 10:00AM- Early reports were that Page signed with Tampa Bay, but it appears that he actually signed with Denver.
• 4/29 1:00PM- Adonis Thomas has signed with the San Diego Chargers.
• 4/29 4:45PM- Now it appears that Thomas did not sign the Chargers and will have tryouts with the Bears and Buccaneers.
• 4/30 3:30PM- Danny Noble did not sign with Tampa Bay, will tryout.

Congrats to these players as they take their talents to the next level and represent Toledo on a larger stage. We’ll be watching.

For more information about the game, head this way.

University of Toledo Spring Football Update – TheRocketNation.com

2-QB system rare, but it works for UT – Toledo Blade

Rockets still face series of questions – Toledo Blade

Copley’s Lou Gigliotti to walk on at Toledo – Ohio.com

Q&A with QB Terrance Owens – TheRocketNation.com

See more from Nick Kneer, here.