Toledo draws Air Force in Military Bowl

While they did not lock down one of the Mid-American Conference's bowl bids by winning one of the MAC's division titles, the Rockets felt very confident at 8-4 that they would be playing again in December or January. When the bowl bids rolled out, the Rockets had a date with Air Force in the 2011 Military Bowl at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 28. Not what they had expected, but plenty to get excited about. Few could argue that the MAC had a sexier entry out there, given Toledo's penchant for scoring tons of points, and sometimes giving up near equal amounts. With a showcase star player like WRKR Eric Page and an offense that averaged better than 50 points per game over its final five contests, the second-tier bowl folks were salivating to put their scoreboard circuit panels to the test with Toledo on the field. The Rockets played it smart and diplomatic throughout the process. They took every opportunity to demonstrate they were not being picky. They were not going to publicly lobby for any certain site, although the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl in nearby Detroit would have certainly been their fans' first choice, since it's just a 45 minute drive from campus. "We're just happy to be in a bowl game," said Toledo head coach Tim Beckman. "It's a chance for us to practice and get better as a football team. These young men deserve a reward, whatever that might be." The Rockets played in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl last year, and provided plenty of thrills and entertainment before falling 34-32 to Florida International on a last-second field goal. In the final month of the 2011 season, the Rockets won a game 66-63, and lost one 63-60, so their ability to put on a show is hardly in question. Toledo put an exclamation point on its bowl application in the season finale, scoring a 45-28 road win over Ball State. That victory gave the Rockets a 7-1 MAC record for the second straight season. To close the deal, the Rockets had the added bonus of promising any potential bowl committee that they would bring no less than six all-conference performers along for the show. That contingent is led by the dynamic and explosive Page, whose personal highlight film should be a ticket-selling boon. "We are very excited to be selected to play the Air Force Academy in the Military Bowl," Toledo athletic director Mike O'Brien said. "I think our players, coaches and fans will enjoy a terrific bowl experience in our nation's capitol over the holidays." NOTES, QUOTESPLAYERS TO WATCH: --WRKR Eric Page is the headline performer for the Rockets after putting up numbers this past season that had the same "wow" factor as his sophomore season in 2010 when he won All-American honors. The Air Force defense will have to alter the way it does business to keep the ball out of the hands of the speedy and elusive Page, who had a career-high 16 pass receptions for 145 yards in the season finale. --RB Adonis Thomas will be seeking a fifth straight game with more than 100 yards rushing when the Rockets face off with Air Force in the Military Bowl. Thomas is the workhorse in a deep and skilled corps of running backs. Thomas leads the MAC with his 6.5 yards per carry average and needs just 37 yards to reach 1,000 for the second time in his career. --QB Terrance Owens had shared the job with junior Austin Dantin until the 10th game of the season when Dantin, the starter, suffered a concussion. Owens stepped into the role solo and has excelled. He opened the Ball State game with 14 straight pass completions. In his two starts in the two final games of the regular season, Owens has completed 79.7 percent of his passes (51-of-64). --DB Desmond Marrow, who has twice come back from serious injuries, won first-team all-conference honors after leading the Rockets with 78 tackles. Marrow is second in the MAC with 14 pass break-ups and has three interceptions, so when Air Force decides to pass, Marrow needs to disrupt things. BOWL HISTORY: Toledo will be making its sixth bowl appearance in the last 11 years, and owns an 8-3 overall mark in bowl games. The Rockets faced Florida International in last year's Little Caesars Pizza Bowl and lost 34-32 on a last-second field goal. QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think the Military Bowl will provide our student-athletes with a terrific bowl experience in Washington D.C., as well as the opportunity to play against a very tough Air Force team. I'm very proud of this team. This is an excellent reward for all the hard work put in by our players, coaches and everyone involved in the success our of team." -- Toledo coach Tim Beckman STRATEGY AND PERSONNELBOWL BREAKDOWN: Scouting the running game: OT Mike VanDerMeulen is the point man on the big push the Rockets get from their veteran offensive line. He'll make his 50th straight start when the Rockets face Air Force in the Military Bowl. The running game gets most of its punch from senior RB Adonis Thomas, who has had four straight 100 yard games and averages 6.5 yards per carry. This team has averaged better than 50 ppg. for the past month, and everything got its start with a potent running attack. Scouting the passing game: The Rockets lead the world in accuracy, with sophomore QB Terrance Owens and junior QB Austin Dantin ranking sixth and 17th, respectively, in the nation in passing efficiency. No team in the country had had two of its quarterbacks ranked that high in the same season. Toledo's offensive line allowed the eighth-least number of sacks in the nation this season with just nine. The Toledo passing game's trump card is junior WR Eric Page, Toledo's all-time leading receiver with 293 career receptions. Scouting the run defense: Despite the fact the Rockets rank near the bottom of the conference in points allowed this season with nearly 31 given up per game, the Toledo run defense has been solid. The Rockets allowed an average of 123.2 yards per game on the ground this season, second-best in the MAC. LB Dan Molls, LB Charles Rancifer and LB Robert Bell slammed the door on a number of running games and will be relied on to do the same in the bowl. The opposition usually chooses to attack Toledo with the pass when given the opportunity, but Air Force tends to rely more on the run. The Rockets have their hands full since the Falcons ranked second in the nation in rushing this season. Air Force RB Asher Clark has fashioned two 1,000-yard seasons and is just 32 yards away from becoming the school's all-time rushing leader. Scouting the pass defense: The Rockets lost a big portion of their pass rush when DE T.J. Fatinikum injured his arm in the mid-season win over Eastern Michigan and was lost for the rest of the year. Struggling to put much pressure on the quarterback, the Rockets gave up 63 points in back-to-back games in the final month of the season. Toledo ranked at the bottom of the MAC in pass defense, which would have most opponents licking their chops to put the ball in the air. Air Force used QB Tim Jefferson and WR Zack Kauth to score three times through the air against Colorado State, so the Rockets need to be prepared. The line play has improved slightly, junior LB Dan Molls is back from an early-season injury and making a huge impact again, while the secondary is anchored by senior CB Desmond Marrow, a first-team all-conference choice. Scouting the special teams: The Rockets have the MAC's best return man in WRKR Eric Page, who earned All-American honors last season with his return prowess. Page averages 10.9 yards per punt return and 23.4 yards per kick return. P Vince Penza is just average and not a field position weapon, while freshman PK Jeremiah Detmer is a perfect 5-for-5 on his field goal tries this season with two kicks of 50 yards or better. Detmer gets selective use in this points-producing offense, but has cashed when called on. Intangibles: Toledo has good momentum going into the bowl game, with three straight wins and victories in seven of its last eight games. The Rockets also travel with a bit of a chip on their shoulders, convinced they should have been part of the league championship game this season but one off-night against Northern Illinois cost them that experience. Head coach Tim Beckman has done a good job of playing that "disrespected" card and keeping his team playing at a fever pitch. ROSTER REPORT --QB Austin Dantin, a junior who started the first 10 games of the season for Toledo, sat out the final two contests with concussion-symptoms. Dantin has been replaced in the lineup by sophomore QB Terrance Owen, who essentially shared the position with Dantin all season long. Dantin is expected to be cleared to play in the bowl game. --RB Adonis Thomas, who missed the better part of a month after breaking a bone in his arm on the first play of the Syracuse game, has roared back on the scene with four straight 100-yard rushing games. --TE Danny Noble broke a bone in his leg in the early October win over Eastern Michigan and was lost for the remainder of the season. Head coach Tim Beckman has left the door open for Noble to possibly play in the bowl game. --DE T.J. Fatinikum injured his arm in the win over Eastern Michigan and was lost for the season.