UT vs. BG: Battle of I-75

THE INDEPENDENT

COLLEGIANUT vs. BG Battle of I-75

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

2 | The Independent Collegian | UT vs. BGSU 2014

JACKIE KELLETT / ICThe Battle of I-75 trophy (pictured above) has been given to the victor of Toledo and Bowling Green State University’s annual face-off since 2011. BGSU hasn’t yet managed to beat UT for the award.

It’s not Rocket Science! (UT vs. BG trivia)How well do you know the rivalry? (Answers can be found on page 8)

A) When was the last time either Bowling Green or Toledo was ranked going into their rivalry game?

B) Before last season, when is the last time the loser of the rivalry game went on to win the MAC Championship?

C) Who has led the series between UT and BGSU since the second Peace Pipe was instated in 1980 and with what record are they leading by?

D) Who was the last Rockets’ quarterback to lose to Bowling Green?

E) What was former UT head coach Gary Pinkel’s record against BG in his last six seasons in Toledo?

F) Which coach holds the highest winning percentage in Bowling Green State University history?

G) Since 1980, what was the largest margin of vic-tory in a game between UT and BGSU and who was the winner of that game?

H) How long was the Original Peace Pipe and when was it first introduced?

By Blake BachoSports Editor

DEKALB, Ill. – Anyone who didn’t see the University of Toledo football team’s Tuesday night 27-24 loss to Northern Illinois probably won’t believe what happened.

It is a tale you simply can’t make up, but one with an ending the Rockets are all too familiar with.

Three UT (6-4, 5-1 in MAC) quarterbacks took the field during Toledo’s fifth-straight loss to the Huskies (8-2, 5-1 in MAC). That includes normal first-string soph-omore Logan Woodside, who wasn’t healthy enough to start and proved it during his single series of the night.

Woodside was forced to attempt playing after freshman Michael Julian took a knee to the head during a third-down scramble late in the first half. Woodside also wasn’t the only starter the Rockets entered the game missing, as se-nior center Greg Mancz was un-able to play due to a knee injury.

Woodside wasn’t even the on-ly Rockets’ starter to leave the game, as tight end Zac Rosen-bauer was knocked out of play during the first half.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever dealt with some of the things that we dealt with,” said Toledo head coach Matt Campbell. “But the only way I knew how

to, and I think our kids knew how to, is for the team to fight together.”

In place of the two quarter-backs, the Rockets turned to se-nior wide receiver Dwight Ma-con, an option Campbell had discussed late last week as one of UT’s emergency options.

Macon — who actually began his college career as a quarter-back — entered the game having attempted seven passes during his time at Toledo, completing five of them for 62 yards.

The senior wide receiver topped his career total Tues-day night with one pass, a 69-yard bomb to sophomore Corey Jones for UT’s first touchdown of the night.

Macon finished 8-of-11 for 140 yards and the one score, netting another 97 yards and two scores with his legs in an attempt to drag the limping Rockets to a victory.

“They said there was a possi-ble chance I would play, but I knew that Michael Julian was ready,” Macon said. “I just tried to go out there and manage the game. I knew I could run but people know that, so I want to throw the ball. I don’t like to run all the time, but if it is there then I will run.”

Before things got crazy, frigid conditions prevented either of-fense starting fast.

The Huskies got on the score-board first with a field goal.

The Rockets failed to answer the score and NIU padded their own lead when senior wide re-ceiver Da’Ron Brown turned a short pass from sophomore quarterback Drew Hare into a 64-yard touchdown.

With just over five minutes left in the first quarter, Toledo already trailed the Huskies by two scores.

On Toledo’s next drive, Julian led the Rockets into Husky ter-ritory with a 39-yard pass to ju-nior wide receiver Alonzo Rus-sell, but UT had to settle for a field goal after being stopped in the red zone.

Julian’s first collegiate start end-ed abruptly when he was forced to

UT vs. BGSU 2014 | The Independent Collegian | 3

Toledo returns home for Falcons after wacky 27-24 loss at NIU

“I don’t know if I’ve ever dealt with some of the things that we dealt with, but the only way I knew how to, and I think our kids knew how to, is for the team to fight together.”

MATT CAMPBELLToledo head coach

See Huskies / 4 »

JACKIE KELLETT/ICThe Rockets traveled to Northern Illinois on Tuesday to face the Huskies. The Rockets fell 27-24 in DeKalb giving up sole possession of first place in the MAC West Division. Toledo entered the matchup with an unbeaten Mid-American Conference record, but the Rockets had dropped four straight to NIU, who made it to the MAC Championship and lost to BG last year.

“I just tried to go out there and man-age the game. I knew I could run but people know that, so I want to throw the ball. I don’t like to run all the time, but if it is there then I will run.”

DWIGHT MACONSenior wide receiver

Toledo returns home for Falcons after victory over Huskies

leave for concussion testing after taking the hit to his helmet. Julian finished 2-of-7 for 49 yards and no scores and Campbell said af-terward that he was officially di-agnosed with a concussion.

A fruitless series led by the in-jured Woodside forced Toledo’s head coach to make Macon the team’s signal caller.

“We tried to play Logan a lit-tle bit and he just doesn’t have it right now,” Campbell said. “Even when Mike went down, it certainly wasn’t the best situa-tion for Logan to try to man-age. Logan is a really tough guy and if he could have played he would have.

“I think we just settled on — certainly once Mike got hurt — that Dwight was our best answer and gave us the best opportunity certainly to win the football game.”

After Macon’s scoring pass to Jones, Hare responded with a 39-yard toss to sophomore wide re-ceiver Aregeros Turner, placing the Huskies on Toledo’s 2-yard line. The Rockets’ defense limited NIU to a field goal, and UT entered halftime with a one-touchdown deficit. Hare finished the game 14-of-22 for 190 yards and a score.

“What you hope to do defensively against Northern Illinois is try to eliminate as many big plays as possi-ble,” Campbell said. “I look at statis-tically what happened, I think they were able to run the football — that is something we’ve done a very good job of [stopping].”

A four-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Cameron Stingily put the Huskies up 20-10 over Toledo. Stingily finished with 81 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Macon brought the Rockets with-in a score of NIU after a one-yard touchdown run with 6:36 left in the third quarter, but Stingily added his second scoring run of the night in the fourth quarter to keep the game out of Toledo’s reach.

Macon added his second rushing touchdown with 2:14 left on the clock, bringing UT within three of the Huskies and setting up an onside kick attempt Northern Illinois was more than ready for.

Just like that, it was all over.“A couple plays here or there go

our way and maybe we [win],” Campbell said. “But I told our kids afterward I am proud of them. We’ve got nothing to be ashamed of with what occurred tonight and our abili-ty to overcome the adversity and give ourselves a chance to win the football game against a very good football team.

“I don’t second-guess anything.”The Rockets will hope to get

healthy quick, as Toledo will host Bowling Green for the annual Battle of I-75 next Wednesday, Nov. 19.


Huskiesfrom page 3

IC FILE PHOTOSophomore running back Kareem Hunt getting tackled during last season’s rivalry game against Bowling Green’s Falcons. Hunt and freshman tailback Terry Swanson will look to continue UT’s success on the ground when they face BG in the Glass Bowl Wednesday.

“I think we just settled on — certainly once Mike got hurt — that Dwight was our best answer and gave us the best opportunity certainly to win the football game.”

MATT CAMPBELLToledo head coach

IC FILE PHOTOToledo entered Tuesday’s faceoff with Northern Illinois ranked atop the Huskies in the MAC West.


In their own words

PHOTO COURTESY OF UT ATHLETICSFormer UT quarterback Chuck Ealey led his Toledo squad to 35 straight victories, a record that still stands as fifth-longest in college football history.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UT ATHLETICSDuring his Toledo career, Bernard Reedy was a two-time all-conference receiver. Reedy is currently a member of the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UT ATHLETICSFormer Rockets’ signal caller Bruce Gradkowski set 27 passing records and led Toledo to a MAC Championship, two MAC West titles and two bowl games over three years.

Former Rockets talk about their experiences with the I-75 rivalryBy Blake BachoSports Editor

Former University of Toledo wide receiver Bernard Reedy, and quarterbacks Chuck Ealey and Bruce Gradkowski all remember facing Bowling Green like it was yesterday.

They still talk about the rivalry like they are suiting up against the Falcons tomorrow.

“You just didn’t lose that game,” Ealey said. “We all knew how im-portant it was, regardless of what your record was.

“It was just a natural atmo-spheric thing that went on be-tween Bowling Green and Toledo, and you just don’t lose to BG.”

As a Rocket, Ealey just didn’t lose. During his three seasons as UT’s signal caller, the 1971 All-American led Toledo to 35

straight victories, a record that still stands as the fifth-longest streak in the history of college football.

Ealey, a member of the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame and a three-time MAC Player of the Year, said that re-cords never mattered when his Rockets faced BGSU.

According to him, Gradkowski and Reedy, prior wins and losses are still meaningless for this rivalry.

“All that stuff goes out the win-dow when they play,” Ealey said. “I don’t care who has the record, I don’t care who has the best on-pa-per team. It is one of those games you can’t count on just because you have the better record.”

Gradkowski knows all about re-cords, having set 27 passing

marks while leading the Rockets to a Mid-American Conference Championship, two MAC West ti-tles and two bowl games.

None of that happened without

going through the Falcons.“Some of the best wins that I

had in my career at Toledo came against Bowling Green,”

Gradkowski said. “They were some of the best wins because they were some of the most im-portant games. Every time we played BG, something was on the line, whether it was the I-75 rival-ry, a trip to go to the MAC Cham-pionship, there was always some-thing on the line and it just added value to that rivalry.”

Reedy — a two-time all-confer-ence receiver during his Toledo career — never needed extra in-centive to face the Rockets’ long-time rival.

Even in his current position as a member of the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad, he still bristles at the thought of Bowling Green’s Falcons.

“I get mad about it,” he said of the rivalry. “I get intense about it, because I don’t like them. All

the four years I was there we could beat every other team by like 30 or 35 points, but when you play [Bowling Green] it was always a tough game. That’s what made it even better.”

Ealey said the emotions — which always run hot during this rivalry — also help determine the outcome.

“One mistake here or there, it can go either way,” he said. “The team

See Words / 8 »

“You just didn’t lose that game. We all knew how important it was, regardless of what your record was.”

CHUCK EALEYFormer UT quarterback

“I get mad about it. I get intense about it, because I don’t like them.”

BERNARD REEDYFormer Rockets’ wide receiver

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that is emotionally ready will be the one that can win this game.

“You can’t play the position game — who’s first, who’s second, who’s had the bet-ter season — when it comes to that game. The emotional thing takes people to a high-er level. The ones who are on top of that are going to be the ones who win.”

No matter who wins, fans from both sides of I-75 are always in for a treat.

“It’s an awesome game for fans to come watch and enjoy, especially for the students of Toledo and BG,” Grad-kowski said. “The schools are so close that it just adds to that rivalry to see who is the best in town, the best around. That’s why it is important to win this game.”

But who will win this year?Perhaps not as confident as Reedy — who

predicted Toledo will defeat Bowling Green by at least 23 points — Gradkowski and Eal-ey didn’t bet against their alma mater either.

They each faced the Falcons plenty during their storied college careers, and they know that this rivalry produces games that are nev-er ordinary and always impossible to predict.

“It’s always going to be a dogfight,” Gradkowski said. “No matter what the score is, at some point during the game there is going to be a chance and you’ve

just got to keep playing.“It’s a huge game for both teams in

their season and that just brings a lot more excitement to the game. I’m sure the fans and students of both teams are going to love it.”


Words from page 5

PHOTO COURTESY OF UT ATHLETICSReedy says he never needed extra incentive to get up for the Bowling Green Falcons.

It’s not Rocket Science! (Trivia answers from page 2)A) In 2003, BGSU was ranked No. 22 heading into the rivalry matchup with UT.B) Toledo won the MAC Cham-pionship after losing to BGSU in their 2001 rivalry game.C) UT has led 19-15 since 1980.D) Austin Dantin and the Rockets fell to Bowling Green in 2009.E) Pinkel went 5-1 before leav-ing Toledo for Missouri.F) The legendary Doyt Perry was .855 from 1955 to 1964.G) BGSU won 39-0 in 1981.H) The six-foot long Peace Pipe

PHOTO COURTESY OF UT ATHLETICSFormer University of Toledo head football coach Tom Amstutz celebrates along with the crowd after he, along with Bruce Gradkowski, led the Rockets to a comeback victory over the Bowling Green State University Falcons in the 2004 rivalry matchup.


Crossing I-75Talking football with BG News’ Editor-in-Chief

The Independent Collegian’s Sports Editor, Blake Bacho, recently sat down with BG News’ Editor-in-Chief Cameron J. Teague Robinson to discuss all things Bowling Green, including the upcoming rivalry matchup between the Rockets and the Falcons.

Blake: The Falcons have had a few ups and downs this year, but generally seem to be transitioning nicely from previous head coach Dave Clawson to new coach Dino Babers. How have they been able to do that so easily?

Cameron: Well it hasn’t been as easy of a transition as many from the outside have seen.

The non-conference schedule was a huge roller coaster, from the embarrassing blowout opener against Western Kentucky Univer-sity, to the win at home against Indiana. Injuries hurt this team early on and it took them time to really transition into the team they were going to be.

In the last three or four games or so, the defense has looked like a totally different defense and the offense has found ways to score when they needed to.

They aren’t the high-powered Falcons people predicted, but they find ways to win.

Blake: What has gone well and what hasn’t worked for the Fal-cons so far this season?

Cameron: [Junior quarterback] Matt Johnson got hurt after the season opener, and then injuries to [senior linebacker] DJ Lynch, [senior defensive back] Ryland Ward, [sophomore wide receiver] Gehrig Dieter; the list [of injuries] can go on for days.

The defense struggled a lot early on, but has turned it around since the second half against Buffalo. They are getting healthy and are forcing turnovers all over the field.

The offense started the season hot, but has cooled down since their close win against the Univer-sity of Massachusetts. Like I said earlier, it’s been a roller coaster season for them, but they have played well in Mid-American Con-ference play and look to be mesh-ing together at the perfect time.

Blake: What does Babers bring to the team that is different from the program’s approach last season?

Cameron: Speed, plain and simple.

On both sides of the ball, the team is all about speed and mak-ing game-changing plays.

Blake: In terms of the rivalry, Toledo has gotten the best of BGSU in recent years. Is that something that seems to bother the players that have been here for a lot of it?

Cameron: It bothers them more than people know, I can tell you that, to the extent that I can only imagine.

At media day this year they said that is one game they had circled.

Think about it: nobody on this team has beaten Toledo; nobody on this team has even seen a win against Toledo. I guarantee that up-sets them, they still have a sour taste in their mouth from last year’s loss.

It should be a fun game to watch next Wednesday.

Blake: Who is one Falcons’ player that Rockets’ fans may not have heard of, but may play a key role in determining a win-ner in this year’s game?

Cameron: Depending on how serious the injury that [junior run-ning back] Travis Greene [suffered against Akron] was, the player that they should know is [sophomore running back] Fred Coppet.

Really, even if Greene plays, they should know about Coppet.

He is technically the No. 2 run-ning back, but they split time. He is a mix between a power and speed back who can make plays in the hole or by bouncing outside.

He will be a key.On the defensive side, they

should know [senior defensive end] Bryan Thomas. He is fourth in the nation with five forced fumbles, and when he is able to get pressure on the quarterbacks it makes it easier for the linebackers to get pressure.

That leaves a relatively inexperi-enced, but improving, secondary with less time to cover one-on-one. If Thomas can get pressure on the QB, it could be a long day for UT.

Blake: What do you think will be the key if Toledo hopes to stop BGSU’s offense? What does UT do that will give BG trouble?

Cameron: I don’t think the key for UT is to stop the offense, because they have been starting slow lately.

Their key will be to not turn the ball over, because the [BG] offense has been good at con-verting points off of turnovers. I haven’t watched a lot of UT football this year, but BG has struggled this year against good running backs.

If UT can run the ball and pro-tect the quarterback well, then I believe UT has a chance.

“Think about it: nobody on this team has beaten Toledo; nobody on this team has even seen a win against Toledo. I guarantee that upsets them....”

CAMERON J. TEAGUE ROBINSON

BG News Editor-in-Chief

IC FILE PHOTOThis season, the Rockets will host the Bowling Green State Falcons inside the Glass Bowl for the annual Battle of I-75. UT won last season’s version of the rivalry with a successful late comeback.

IC FILE PHOTOFormer Rockets’ quarterback Terrance Owens guided Toledo to their victory over the Falcons last season at Doyt Perry Stadium.


The rivalry through the yearsBy Marcus DodsonSports Reporter

The University of Toledo football team began their annual faceoff with Bowling Green State University in 1919.

Every year has brought something new to the rivalry and hordes of passionate fans contribute by making the mere 25-mile trip one way or the other every season. The rivalry is so intense that, when the rocket statue was placed behind the Glass Bowl on Toledo’s campus, it was angled so that, if launched, it would be aimed for the 50-yard line of the Fal-cons’ Doyt Perry Stadium.

BGSU holds the series record against UT with a 39-35-4 advantage. The Falcons also hold the longest win streak in the rivalry with 11 straight victories from 1955-1966. In nine different seasons, this game has helped decide a Mid-Ameri-can Conference divisional champion and this year is on pace to be no different.

With both teams on top of their respective divisions, the two may have the chance to play each other twice in the same football season, with the second date set for the MAC Championship. Even with all the history surrounding this ri-valry, several games have stood out over the rest as the most memorable battles of I-75.

1919

PHOTO COURTESY OF UT ATHLETICSFormer Toledo quarterback Chuck Ealey never lost to the Falcons during his three seasons as UT’s starter from 1969 to 1971. Ealey actually never lost at all, leading Toledo to 35 straight victories.

1935: Riot gameThe now-famous riot breaks out after the Rockets hand

the Falcons a 63-0 bludgeoning. Displeased BG fans storm the field following the loss, causing the rivalry to be put on hold until 1948. The Falcons’ faithful may have also been frustrated after losing three straight games (1933-1935) by a combined score of 111-7.

1980: Peace Pipe 2.0A scaled-down replica of the

original Peace Pipe Trophy is fashioned and placed on top of a trophy created by former UT football player Frank Kra-lik. BGSU is the first winner of the new award, defeating Toledo 17-6 in the Glass Bowl.

1919: The beginningIn the first meeting, the Rockets de-

feat the Falcons 6-0 in Bowling Green to mark the start of this historic rivalry. The two teams have three ties within the first eight meetings, scoring a combined 12 points in those games.

1948: Resuming the rivalryPlay resumes between the two teams with

the introduction of the Peace Pipe Trophy and the Falcons get some revenge of previous losses with a 21-6 victory. The six-foot Peace Pipe came to an end when it was stolen from the UT offices in 1969. The thief was never found, and neither was the trophy.


2014

PHOTO COURTESY OF UT ATHLETICSThe Rockets celebrate after beating the Falcons to become the final possessors of the second Peace Pipe trophy. The next time the two teams met would mark a new beginning for the rivalry.

IC FILE PHOTOToledo enters this season’s version of the rivalry having defeated Bowling Green last season at BG. The Rockets escaped with a victory thanks to wide receiver Alonzo Russell’s game-winning score.

2004: UT on topUT beats the Falcons in a thrilling 49-41

victory at home. Toledo trailed BGSU 27-7 at halftime but would score 35 straight points. The Falcons are stopped on all three of their third-quarter possessions after scoring the first five times they had the ball. The Rockets go on to win the program’s most recent MAC Championship.

1992: BG on topBowling Green defeats the Rockets 10-9

on UT’s home turf and eventually wins the MAC Championship. The Falcons wouldn’t win another MAC title until 2013, when they upset No. 16 Northern Illinois in a 47-27 victory. Although BG defeated the Huskies for the championship and North-ern Illinois handed Toledo a defeat earlier in the season, the Rockets actually won the 2013 rivalry battle with Bowling Green.

2010: The end of the Peace PipeThe NCAA starts cracking down to remove inappropriate American

Indian nicknames, marking the end of the Peace Pipe trophy. Toledo be-comes the final holder of the award with a 33-14 victory over Bowling Green. UT routes the Falcons with over 500 total yards of offense and the Rockets’ defense causes four turnovers. UT’s Eric Page has a night to remember with nine catches for 111 yards and a touchdown, while Adonis Thomas rushes for 163 yards on 24 carries and a score, with a long run of 81 yards against the Falcons’ defense.

2011-PresentThe rivalry is rechristened ‘The Battle of I-75,’ and the Falcons have

no luck winning the new trophy, losing the first three games of the new series. In the most recent meeting of the two programs, the Rock-ets snuck out of Doyt Perry Stadium with a win thanks to the hands of UT wide receiver Alonzo Russell, who caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 1:22 left to play. UT held a 21-7 lead going into halftime, but thanks to a fourth-quarter rally by the Falcons, the Rock-ets found themselves trailing 25-21 with just under six minutes left to play. The win marked Toledo’s fourth-straight victory over the Falcons.

Offense may sell tickets, but defense is the reason Toledo has an edge going into their matchup with BGSU. As the old adage goes, defense wins championships.

The University of Toledo football team is in a prime position to bring home a Mid-American Conference Championship, and though it may not always seem like it, their defense has played a big role and will have to continue to play a big role for the Rock-ets to take the next step.

Everyone in the con-ference is gunning for the Rockets and they can expect their bitter I-75 ri-vals, the Bowling Green State Falcons, to be no different.

Part of the success of the Toledo defense can actually be attributed to the offense. The Rockets’ offense is fourth in the MAC in time of possession, compared to BGSU, which sits in last. UT’s offense has been able to keep the de-fense rested and off the field, while the Bowling Green defense has been left out to dry by an offense that goes three and out way too often.

Looking at the raw numbers, the Tole-do defense looks like a middle-of-the-pack unit. The run defense is solid, but the pass defense appears to be struggling.

That, however, can be largely attrib-uted to a really strong out-of-confer-ence schedule, when the Rockets hosted reigning SEC East champions Missouri and went to Cincinnati to play Gunner Kiel and the Bearcats’ high-flying of-fense, then traveled to Iowa State to play a typically explosive Big 12 unit.

When facing MAC offenses — espe-cially some of the more pass-happy of-fenses in the conference — Toledo has given up 292 passing yards per game,

31 fewer than the average against the Toledo defense this year. The Rockets also only gave up 163 yards passing in their last game, indicating they may be trending in the right direction.

UT’s strength on defense is their abil-ity to stop the run. They lead the MAC

in rush defense, only allowing 113 rushing yards per game.

Led by senior linebacker and tackling machine Junior

Sylvestre, the Rockets have stifled almost every rushing attack they’ve faced. Toledo has yet to yield 200 yards rushing in a single game this

season and have held a hand-ful of teams below the century mark.

This plays well against a team like Bowling Green, who would rather establish a running game than put the ball in the air all day.

That strategy may not bode well for BGSU, as

they’ll have to put up points quickly to keep up with Toledo. The Rockets do all the little things as well as any team in the MAC. They don’t leave points on the board, leading the conference in field goal percentage and red zone scoring percent-age. UT also doesn’t grant teams good field position, leading the MAC in kickoff coverage.

Bowling Green has proven they can complete passes, but only for a measly 6.5 yard average. They’re also near the bottom of the conference in passing touchdowns with just 12.

Don’t let the yardage fool you, this is not an explosive Bowling Green passing attack.

A veteran-laden Rockets’ defense, re-turning nine starters from last year’s team awaits the Falcons when they enter the Glass Bowl. If they can do what they usually do in stopping the run, while slowing down Bowling Green’s

Much of the talk surrounding Rockets’ football as of late has been centered on how the Mid-American Conference West divi-sion will be won — and for good reason.

After all, the conference’s premiere teams — Toledo and Northern Illinois — are both seated within the West. A ticket to Detroit for a MAC Championship hinges on how the next few weeks play out for those two teams.

But the East division gets a ticket to Detroit as well and that divi-sion plays some pretty good football.

This season the Rockets will welcome the Bowling Green State Falcons to the Glass Bowl for the annual I-75 match up. It is an East vs. West showdown that will be a tougher test than it appears to be on paper, and the 2014 Rock-ets need be wary.

If UT doesn’t put the foot on the ped-al early and often, a host of problems is more than likely to evolve against BG-SU. The primary problems, however, have been here all season.

Truth be told, the Rockets have been really dinged up.

A rough outing at Kent State earlier in the month forced senior starting center Greg Mancz, as well as sophomore signal caller Logan Woodside, to the sideline due to injury, and those issues are just the most recent.

The defense was torn apart early by the injury bug, and Toledo’s potent run-ning game has dealt with a fair share of bumps and bruises this season as well.

Even when healthy, the offense has struggled with pre-snap penalties, turn-overs and other hiccups that have pre-vented this high-powered machine from moving on all cylinders at all

times. The Rockets have made a habit of digging themselves into first-half holes and doing so in late November during a rivalry game could cost UT dearly.

The Falcons are hungry for their first win against the Rockets since 2010.

They don’t fear the road and will come to the Glass Bowl more than ready to play.

Each team’s ultimate goal of a MAC Champi-onship still has wings. Bowling Green will come ready to go from the very first whistle.

The Falcons have play-makers of their own on both sides of the ball that could potentially cause the Rockets fits. Freshman defensive back Nick John-son — who recently picked up MAC East play-er of the week honors — leads the conference with

four interceptions and will be ever-present throughout this contest.

On the other side of the ball, fresh-man wide receiver Roger Lewis is cur-rently fourth in the MAC with 742 re-ceiving yards, averaging 13 yards a catch.

The fact that UT is already dealing with an injured, and at times leaky, secondary unit doesn’t help this situation.

The Rockets boast the hottest offense the MAC has to offer, with playmakers at just about every position. It’s safe to say that UT will likely be favored to win this edition of the I-75 rivalry, but a victory won’t come without some hiccups.

If the Rockets can get off to a fast start and follow the run game they should slip by Bowling Green.

If Toledo’s winning streak against BG is to continue, the Rockets will have to come out and punch the Falcons in the mouth.

Who has the edge?

ROBERTHEARONS

ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR

KEITHBOGGS

SPORTS REPORTER

UT needs to start fast to keep up with the Falcons

Rockets will cruise past BGSU thanks to defense


Debating what will determine the outcome of the rivalry this year

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UT vs. BG: Battle of I-75