Toledo Rockets College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
Toledo Rockets Biggest Key: Offense
The offensive line has to be tighter. All five starters are back with several all-stars among the front five. It should be good in pass protection, and it’ll have its moments against most defenses with big rushing days, but the tackles for loss have to slow down.
The Rockets did just about everything right, but it allowed ten tackles for loss against Western Michigan, and Ball State lived behind the line with five sacks and 12 tackles for loss – both were Toledo losses.
The Central Michigan game should’ve been a blowout, but the line allowed six sacks and 12 tackles for loss in a too-tight 24-23 win.
Toledo Rockets Biggest Key: Defense
Get nastier in the red zone. The defense was fantastic on third downs, and it’s going to be even better with so much experience and talent returning. Now it has to come up with a stop when teams get inside the 20.
Overall the red zone defense wasn’t great – teams scored 90% of the time when they had the shot. Worse yet, the Rocket D did’t force enough field goals.
Eastern Michigan scored touchdowns on all four trips inside the 20, but the Rockets came away with the win. However, Ball State and Western Michigan combined to score touchdowns on seven of the ten trips in their wins.
Toledo Rockets Key Player To A Successful Season
P Bailey Flint, Sr.
The 6-4, 210-pound Australian has the size and he’s got the leg, but the punting game could stand to be a whole lot better.
The placekicking situation that was a problem early last season might have been sorted out with Thomas Cluckey hitting all five of his field goal tries, and now it’s up to Flint to make the punting game rock.
Last year he averaged just 36.4 yards per kicks and put six of the 19 inside the 20 for the nation’s 115th-ranked punting game.
Toledo Rockets Key Game To The 2021 Season
at Ball State, Sept. 25
It was the costly loss last year that kept the Rockets from pushing for the MAC Championship, and the conference opener needs to be when order is restored.
Toledo lost in a tough 27-24 battle that could’ve gone either way. It was the second year in a row it lost to the Cardinals, but before that it won five straight in the series and eight of ten.
2020 Toledo Rockets Fun Stats
– 3rd Down Conversions: Toledo 48% – Opponents 27%
– Penalties: Toledo 58 for 451 yards – Opponents 41 for 390 yards
– Time of Possession: Toledo 33:32 – Opponents 26:17