 ROCKET FOOTBALL |
| ROCKET FOOTBALL |
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Recruiting Update! The Rocket coaching staff is in high gear on the recruiting trail. National signing day for college football is February 4, 2004 and the Rockets have already picked up some verbal committments. Below is a list of players that have given verbals to Toledo as of Friday, 12/12/2003. Running back Jalen Parmele, 6-0 205lbs, is from Dow High School in Midland, MI. Parmele has 4.5 speed and great size for a running back. He rushed for over 1500 yards and 24 TD's as a senior in high school. Another running back that has committed is Richard Davis, 6-0 192 lbs, from Harding High School in Warren, OH. Davis also played defensive back in high school and he may play in the secondary for the Rockets. Quarterback Clint Cochran, 6-4 210lbs, is from Wadsworth High School in Wadsworth, OH. Cochran threw for over 2400 yards and 19 TD's this past season. Offensive lineman Patrick Dawson, 6-3 290 lbs, is from Central Catholic High School in Greensburg, PA. Another offensive lineman is Andrew Decker, 6-3 284lbs, from St. John's High School in Toledo, OH. Decker helped lead his team to the 3rd round of the state playoffs this past season. Wide Receiver Trumaine Smith, 6-3 185lbs, is from Warrensville Heights and is very fast. He has been clocked with a 4.37 forty time in high school. He did not have many catches this past season because his high school team mostly ran the ball, but he has a lot of potential. Defensive Back Terrell Herbert, 6-1 175lbs, is from Penn Hills High School in Pittsburgh, PA. Safety Greg Hay, 6-2 205lbs, is from Western High School in Walled Lake, MI. Safety Erique Dozier, 5-11 195lbs, is from Garfield High School in Akron, OH.  It's BG Week!After winning the last three games, the Rockets control their own destiny in the MAC's West Division. That destiny is a MAC West Division battle with the Bowling Green Falcons. Both Toledo and Bowling Green are 6-1 in the MAC and the winner of the game will win the West Division title and host the Miami Redhawks in the MAC Championship Game. Toledo defeated Bowling Green last season in the Glass Bowl, 42-24. The victory earned the Rockets a share of the West Division title and gave them the berth into the MAC Championship game. This year Toledo will look to get their 3rd consecutive MAC Championship Game berth with a win, but the game will be played at the Doyt in Bowling Green. As of Saturday afternoon, less than 3000 tickets remain for the game. ESPN will also broadcast the game, known as the Battle of I-75, at Noon on Saturday.  Rockets Prepare for Homecoming!After a tough 34-7 loss to Syracuse, the Rockets must now prepare for homecoming against Eastern Michigan. The Rockets are a little banged up, but the have a bye week this week which should help to rest those injuries. Head Coach Tom Amstutz said that free safety Patrick Body and linebacker Brock Dodrill will both be ready to play on October 11th against the Eastern Michigan Eagles.  Toledo Defeats Pittsburgh!The Toledo Rockets upset 9th ranked Pittsburgh 35-31 in front of 31,711 fans, the 7th largest crowd in Glass Bowl history. Bruce Gradkowski broke 2 single game records. The first was most completions in a game with 49 and the second record was most passing yards in a game with 461 yards passing. He also threw three touchdown passes. Junior receiver Lance Moore also broke a single game record with 15 receptions. Those 15 receptions went for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Moore caught the game winner on a diving catch in the corner of the end zone with just 43 seconds remaining. Next week Toledo will take on their 2nd straight Big East opponent when they play at Syracuse.  Just 2,300 Tickets RemainAs of Wednesday morning, only 2,300 reserved tickets remain for the Rockets game against Pittsburgh this Saturday. Pittsburgh, ranked 9th in the AP Poll, will be the highest ranked team to ever play in the Glass Bowl. The Toledo ticket office will be open for expanded hours this week to take as many requests for tickets as possible. The ticket office will be open from 8:30am to 6:00pm on Wednesday and Thursday, from 8:30am to 7:00pm on Friday, and from noon to 5:00pm on Saturday. Tickets will be on sale at the stadium gates starting at 5:30pm on Saturday. Once the reserved tickets are gone, you can still purchase general admission seats. Expect temporary bleachers to be brought in to provide additional seating as well. To purchase tickets, please call 419-530-4653.  Alumni Trip to Syracuse!The University of Toledo Alumni Association has put together a hotel package for the game at Syracuse on September 27th. They have partnered with the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel on a special game rate and ticket for the game. The details are as follows: Overnight accomadations and a ticket to the game are available for $72 per person, based on double occupancy. Single occupancy is $50 additional. Taxes are included in the package. The Sheraton hotel is located on the Syracuse University campus and just a short walk from the stadium. To take advantage of this special offer, please call the Sheraton hotel directly at 1-800-395-2105 and ask for the University of Toledo Alumni Package.  Rockets Host #9 PittsburghWhen the 9th ranked Pittsburgh Panthers come to town Saturday evening, they will be the highest ranked opponent to ever visit the Glass Bowl. Pittsburgh, 2-0, has defeated Kent State and Ball State by an average of 29.5 points in their first two games of the season. The Rockets played at Pittsburgh last year, losing 37-19. The Toledo/Pittsburgh contract is for a 3 game series. Toledo will travel back to Pittsburgh in 2006 to complete the contract. The Rockets are fresh off a 24-17 victory at Marshall. It was just the 2nd loss for Marshall at home since 1995. Good tickets still remain for the Pittsburgh game this Saturday. Call the Rocket ticket office at 419-530-4653 to purchase your tickets for this game. The University is expecting a capacity crowd.  Rockets Defeat Herd!The Toledo Rockets opened MAC play tonight with a big 24-17 victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd in Huntington, WV. Toledo scored the game winning touchdown when sophomore tailback Astin Martin ran 11 yards into the end zone with just 1:10 to play in the 4th quarter. Patrick Body intercepted Marshall's QB on the last play of the game to seal the victory. Toledo has now won three of the last four games against Marshall. Next Saturday the Rockets will host Pittsburgh in the Glass Bowl in Toledo, OH.  2003 Weekly Picks Contest!RocketFootball.Net is proud to announce that it will once again have a weekly picks contest for the college football season. This year's contest will be co-sponsored by The Sports Gallery, Inc. and NCAAbbs. The person with the most overall wins at the end of the contest will receive a $50 gift certificate to the Sports Gallery and a free "@NCAAbbs.com" email address. The Sports Gallery is a sports collectible and memorabillia shop with locations in Toledo, OH and Philadelphia, PA. You can also shop the Sports Gallery online at www.thesportsgallery.com. NCAAbbs is a message board community that has separate, but linked forums for all Division I-A schools and conferences, as well as most Division I-AA schools and conferences. The most used Internet site for MAC conference discussions is at their MACbbs forums. To enter the contest, Click Here!  UNLV Game Moved for TV!The Rockets season opener at UNLV has been changed to Friday, August 29th at 9pm Eastern in order to accomodate televsion. ESPN networks will pick up the game and air it on ESPN. Toledo's game at Marshall on Friday, September 12th will also be televised on ESPN.  QB Commits to Rockets!Michael Faulds is a quarterback that has bounced around the last couple of years. He was 33-0 as a high school QB in Canada, and was expected to be recruited by a major D I-A school. However, no major schools offered him a scholarship so he decided to go to a prep school, Valley Forge. He played in the NFL Global Junior Championships for Team Canada this past winter. He was 30-44 passing for 446 yards and 5 TD's as Team Canada won the Silver Medal. He has the talent to really be something big. After attending a football camp at Toledo on the 1st weekend in June, he verbally committed to the Rockets on Wednesday, June 4th. Toledo Lands First 2004 Recruit! Erique Dozier has verbally committed to attend the University of Toledo on a football scholarship in 2004. Dozier is a RB/DB from Akron Garfield High School. The 5-11, 195 pounder will be a senior at Garfield this coming fall. As a junior last season he had 48 tackles and 3 fumble recoveries. He returned punts as well and returned one for a touchdown. He attended a camp at Toledo last weekend and was offered a scholarship Sunday evening. He has been recruited by Toledo to play the safety position.  Chester Taylor Autograph Session!Former UT running back Chester Taylor will be in town on June 21st to sign autographs at The Sports Gallery, Inc. located in the Southwyck Mall. Taylor played for Toledo from 1998-2001. He is the all-time leading rusher in the school's history with 4,721 yards. As a senior in 2001, Chester rushed for 1492 yards and scored 23 TD's as the Rockets went 11-2 winning the MAC Championship and the Motor City Bowl. Taylor was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the 6th round of the 2002 NFL Draft. As a rookie with the Ravens last season he played in all 16 games, starting 2 of them. Tickets for the signing are $15 a piece and are available at The Sports Gallery, Inc. in the Southwyck Mall; or by calling them at 419-868-1106. The signing is scheduled to last from 2:00pm until 4:00pm on Saturday, June 21, 2003. To view the official release about the signing, click here!  2003 Preseason Predictions!It is time for our annual preseason football predictions. 2003 is the 3rd year we have been making picks for all Division I-A conferences as well as our picks for the Heisman Trophy Winner and National Champion. Once again this season we have included are picks to represent the MAC in bowl games as well as a closer look at the Toledo Rockets. Full Story!  2003 Linebackers and Secondary!Replacing Tom Ward and David Gardner will be the most important aspect on defense for the Rockets. Ward and Gardner were the top two tacklers for Toledo last season and their loss causes a big hole up the middle. Toledo is ready for life after Ward and Gardner though with some players moving positions and some fresh faces on the scene. Today we look at the replacements at linebacker, and the Rocket secondary. Full Story! 2003 Defensive Line!The Rockets were very inexperienced on the defensive line last season. However with all four starters returning, the Rockets are very optimistic for 2003. In all, they have four seniors in Frank Ofili, Chaz Williams, Lantz Jeudy, and Robert Menefee and three juniors in Phil Alexander, Don Gaines, and R.J. Cameron that will see the bulk of the playing time on the defensive line this fall. Full Story!  2003 Offensive Line!The Rockets only lost two players from the offensive line that was the largest in the country last season. Center Chris Tuminello and guard Noah Swartz were the only seniors last season. Swartz has signed a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys and Mr. Tuminello is still weighing his options after college. Despite having to fill those two starting positions, Toledo has a lot of depth and experience on the offensive line in 2003. Full Story!  Noah Swartz Signs with Cowboys!Former UT offensive lineman, Noah Swartz, signed a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys. Swartz, a 6-6, 319 lb right guard, was a starter for the Rockets from 2000 through 2002. After redshirting in 1998, Swartz played in 5 games as a backup in 1999. In 2000, he started 11 games. The Rockets only gave up 5 sacks all season long in 2000. In 2001, Swartz only started 3 games but played in 11. In 2002, Swartz wrapped up his college career at Toledo playing in all 14 games. He was a part of the Rockets huge offensive line that averaged about 320 pounds across. Good luck to Mr. Swartz in Dallas!  Ford Drafted by Packers!Former UT wide receiver, Carl Ford, was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 7th round of today's NFL draft. Ford set a single season record for receivers yards at Toledo last season with 1062 yards. He also had 79 receptions with 9 TD's. The 79 receptions and 9 receiving TD's were tops on the Rockets. Ford impressed NFL scouts this winter when he was clocked at a 4.3 40 time at the Glass Bowl in front of several NFL team's scouts. This is the 2nd straight year that a Rocket was selected in the NFL draft. Last season, running back Chester Taylor was drafted in the 7th round by the Baltimore Ravens. Taylor was the backup running back for the Ravens last season. Ravens' coach Brian Billick plans to use Chester as a return man on special teams this coming season, as well as the backup running back for Jamaal Lewis.  2003 Rocket Receivers!Last season Donta Greene became the all-time leader in receptions for a career at the University of Toledo. Carl Ford broke the single-season receiving yards record with 1062 yards. Ford had 79 receptions in 2002, while Greene had 63 receptions. The next highest on the team was Andrew Clarke with 37 receptions. Now for the big blow; both Ford and Greene have graduated, along with the 4th leading receiver from 2003 in Manny Johnson. How can the Rockets go on without these guys this fall? Full Story!  A look at the Rocket Running Backs!Last season the Rockets replaced Chester Taylor the only way possible - using a running back by committe approach. William Bratton and 3 freshmen tailbacks led the attack behind the nation's largest offensive line. This year William Bratton is gone, but the 3 "Baby Backs" are back with plenty of speed, size, and talent. Full Story!  Rocket QB's for 2003Last season Brian Jones was named the starter to replaced Tavares Bolden. They were big shoes to fill, but Jones took it all in stride. He set a new single season mark with 3446 yards passing. He threw 23 touchdowns with a 70.2 completion percentage. Once again this year the Rockets will be breaking in a new quarterback, and the shoes to fill are enormous. Full Story! 2003 Season Tickets on SaleThe University of Toledo 2003 football season tickets are now on sale. The price is $124 per seat for an adult, children 12 and under are half price. The Rockets home schedule includes a game against the Pittsburgh Panthers on September 20th. Other home games include a non-conference game against Liberty and conference games against Eastern Michigan, Buffalo, Northern Illinois, and Western Michigan. For season ticket information, call the university at (419)530-4653. Tickets are not available online yet, but when the university makes them available we will provide a link. Season ticket holders have until June 15th to reserve their current seats. For single game tickets, prices are $19 per seat except for the Pittsburgh game. Single game tickets for the September 20th meeting with Pittsburgh are $29 per seat. The UT ticket office will begin selling single game tickets on May 1st.  Alumni Trip to VegasThe University of Toledo Alumni Association is sponsoring a trip to Las Vegas for the weekend of the Toledo/UNLV football game. The game is scheduled for a 7pm (10pm Eastern Time) start on Saturday, August 30th. The Alumni trip will depart Detroit Metro airport Thursday morning and is scheduled to depart Las Vegas on Monday morning. The trip will include round trip airfare, four nights at the MGM Grand Casino and Hotel, transfers to and from the airport, transfers to and from the pre-game tailgate and football game, pre-game tailgate access, and football game ticket. The price of the package is $860 for one, or $1,300 for two. A 50% deposit is required by April 18th, so don't delay. For more information on the trip, you can contact the University of Toledo Alumni Association at 419-530-ALUM or 1-800-235-6766. Information is also available on the official Toledo Alumni website by Clicking Here! |