Rocket Docket

The morning after: Northern Illinois

Usually I use this space the morning after a UT win or loss to discuss the many thoughts running through my head after getting out of bed (usually still tired with that "just covered a game on an excruciating deadline" hangover). Today, I have countless thoughts running through my head after last night's crazy 63-60 shootout at the Glass Bowl, but really only one seems cogent to discuss.

Here's my two cents on UT coach Tim Beckman's decision not to call timeouts on NIU's final scoring drive.

• It's something that people who have followed the Rockets closely since Beckman was hired in December 2008 already know, but Beckman is a very stubborn guy. You'll never win an argument with him because he's always right. Now, that's not an unusual trait among college football head coaches. They're always the boss, they're usually full of bravado and self-belief, and they'll almost never concede they were wrong.
• So, it should not come as a shock that Beckman didn't regret leaving the field with two timeouts in his back pocket last night.
• You have to remember, Beckman is a defensive coach to his core. If he's going to put his trust in his offense, defense or special teams to win the game, he's going to pick the defense 10 times out of 10. So, even after the Rockets' D had been sliced and diced and beaten to a pulp, Beckman still put his faith in that unit to make a stand and he wasn't going to be detered from that.
• Was it the wrong choice? Of course, because the Huskies bled the clock down to 19 seconds and still scored the go-ahead touchdown. Everybody in the stadium knew it was coming, except apparently Beckman.
• At the end of the day, you take the good with the bad with him. He's shown that he's a tremendous recruiter and has a horde of assistants who are also great recruiters. But when the light shines brightest, that's usually when the Rockets falter. And Beckman's decision-making is sometimes very suspect. Right now, Rocket Nation is up in arms about Beckman's shortcomings. But if he and the Rockets can get the ship righted and win out, he'll be loved again soon enough.
• Just don't expect him to always make the right decisions in crunch time or be remorseful when things don't go Toledo's way. 

The morning after: Bowling Green

Some news and notes from Toledo's 28-21 victory over Bowling Green yesterday at Doyt Perry Stadium:

• Maybe the biggest development from the Rockets' victory is that they took over sole possession of first place in the MAC West standings after Western Michigan was routed at Northern Illinois. That definitely gives UT a little breathing room as it nears the midpoint of conference play and gets closer to the most important two-week stretch of the season when NIU and WMU come to town in early November.
• Kudos to senior RB Morgan Williams for the job he's done replacing Adonis Thomas in the last three games. During that stretch, Williams has rushed for 328 yards and five touchdowns. After a steller freshman year followed by a rocky first two years under Beckman, this has to be a great feeling for Morgan.
• I was very curious to see how coach Tim Beckman would handle sitting in front of the BG banner in the interview room at Perry Stadium postgame. Two years ago after Toledo's loss to the Falcons, he walked in, saw the banner and refused to sit down at the podium and instead forced the media to shuffle over to the corner of the room away from the banner. Yesterday, he had four players stand behind him in front of the banner so that he could conduct his postgame news conference at the podium. Then, like a conga line moving clockwise, after Beckman was done, one of the players came up to the podium and Beckman took his spot in the human shield. Then when that player was done, the next guy up would take his seat at the microphone and the other guy would move back into the shield, and it followed from there until each Rocket had his turn. Interesting to say the least.
• Through 7 games, both QBs still have nearly identical passing stats. Junior Austin Dantin has a 152.3 passing efficiency, and he's completed 85 of 125 passes (68 percent) for 925 yards with 9 TDs and 1 INT. His long pass is 63 yards and he averages 132.1 passing yards per game. Owens has a 145.1 passing efficiency, and he's completed 62 of 98 passes (63 percent) for 806 yards with 5 TDs and 2 INTs. His long pass is 66 yards and he averages 134.3 passing yards per game.
• Two Rockets made their first career starts against BG due to injuries. Sophomore DE Christian Smith started in place of junior T.J. Fatinikun (dislocated elbow) and sophomore FS Ross Madison started in place of senior Diauntae Morrow, who moved to SS to replace junior Jermaine Robinson (hand/wrist) in the starting lineup. Smith registered one tackle for a loss, while Madison posted six tackles. 
• Next up for the Rockets are the Miami RedHawks (2-4, 1-1 MAC), who won 9-3 yesterday at Kent State.

The morning after: New Hampshire

It's amazing what a season-opening victory will do for a program and a fan base. The UT message boards were abuzz last night and this morning about the Rockets' 58-22 rout of New Hampshire, and rightfully so. UT looked sharp offensively and defensively, outgaining the Wildcats 591-332 in total offense while also notching five takeaways.

Here are a few more notes from the Rockets' first win in Week 1 since 2005:

• Toledo's scoring total was the third-highest for a season-opener in school history, surpassed only by the 88-0 victory over Davis-Elkins on Sept. 15, 1951 and a 62-14 win over Western Illinois on Sept. 1, 2005. UT's point total was also the most its scored since a 70-21 victory over Northern Illinois on Oct. 27, 2007 at the Glass Bowl.
• The Rockets have won five straight at home and outscored their opposition by an average of 17 points in each of those contests.
• UT has scored 30 or more points in eight straight games, the second-longest streak in school history. The record is 12 set during the 2000-01 seasons.
• The QB battle between junior Austin Dantin and sophomore Terrance Owens isn't going away anytime soon. Dantin was 15-of-21 passing for 161 yards and 3 TDs and played in six series. Owens was 10-of-13 passing for 122 yards and two touchdowns and played in five series. Redshirt freshman Dwight Macon also saw his first action and finished with 21 passing yards after completing both of his attempts and also rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown, on his birthday no less.
• Two new starters on defense stepped up in a big way. Junior LB Robert Bell and senior star Charles Rancifer tied for the team lead with 8 tackles, career-highs for both. Bell also had two forced fumbles, and each had a fumble recovery. 
• Junior DE T.J. Fatinikun led the Rockets with 2.5 tackles for a loss as UT finished with eight stops behind the line of scrimmage.
• Big ups to senior K Ryan Casano, who booted a career-high three field goals in the first half. Casano made just 2-of-7 attempts last season before missing the rest of the year with a torn ACL suffered in practice on a kick-blocking drill. It was good to see him back out there and performing at his best less than a year off a major injury.
• 20 different players saw their first collegiate action for the Rockets, and seven freshmen (PK J.D. Detmer, DB Junior Sylvestre, CB Keith Suggs, DB Cheatham Norrils, WR Justin Olack, CB Kishon Wilcher and CB John James) burned their redshirts.
• Toledo has won 13 in a row against FCS opponents, with their last defeat coming against McNeese State on Sept. 17, 1988.