 TOLEDOROCKETS.NETYour source for information on Rocket Football! |
TOLEDOROCKETS.NETYour source for information on Rocket Football! |
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By Brian Nowicki Jalen Parmele rushed for a career high 173 yards and the Rockets amassed 378 yards of total offense, but they managed just 17 points in a 20-17 setback to Ball State. After scoring 14 points in the first half, the Rockets sputtered much of the second half and managed just a 39 yard field goal in the half. Trailing 20-17 with less than two minutes to play, Toledo was faced with a 4th down and 2 at the Ball State 31 yard line. Just a little bit out of field goal range for the Rockets, so Clint Cochran dropped back to pass and found an open receiver, at the Ball State 20 yard line, in tight end Chris Hopkins. The ball hit Hopkins right between the numbers, but he was unable to bring it in for a catch and the Rockets turned the ball over on downs. Ball State took a knee to end the game and earn their first victory at Toledo since 1991.  Jalen Parmele has his third straight 100 yard rushing game for the Rockets with 173 yards. The play of the game was a 92 yard touchdown run by Parmele in the 1st quarter to give the Rockets a 7-0 lead. The 92 yard scamper was the second longest run from scrimmage in Rocket history.Clint Cochran came into the game in relief of Aaron Opelt in the first half. Opelt was 2 of 3 passing for 16 yards. Cochran looked a little bit hesitant at first, but seemed to relax more as the game went on and put the Rockets in a position to win the game. A couple of dropped passes in the 2nd half proved costly though to the Rockets. Cochran was 12 of 23 for 136 yards and one touchdown. Jalen Parmele wasn't the only Rocket running back that played well in the game. Redshirt freshman DaJuane Collins got a chance to show his stuff and looked pretty impressive. He rushed the ball 9 times for 48 yards, a 5.3 yards per rush average, and had a couple of really nice runs. Overall it was a disappointment to see the Rockets struggle to score points against a poor Ball State defense, but it was encouraging to see the Rockets gain 378 yards of total offense and show some glimpses of good play. For whatever the reason, the offense just struggled to execute at key times and that kept them from scoring on several possessions. "It hurts. We're better than this", said sophomore quarterback Clint Cochran. He added, "this team has worked so hard. It's frustrating because we work hard everyday. We deserve to win. It's just unfortunate its not happening for us." Despite falling to 4-7 on the season, the Rockets have not given up and continue to give a hard effort. You can tell they want to win and our frustrated by the way things have turned out this season. A good example is what junior running back Jalen Parmele said after he was asked to comment about becoming just the 11th player in Rocket history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. "It's nice, but I want a victory more than anything," said Parmele. Well there's one more game left, and it happens to be against arch-rival Bowling Green. Next Tuesday night, November 21st, the Rockets will host Bowling Green at 7:00pm for a game that will be televised by ESPN2. It's been a disappointing season at 4-7, and the first losing season since 1993, but a win over Bowling Green next week would be the right way to end the season and look forward to next season. It would also be a nice way to send out the seniors, who have been part of two MAC West Division Titles, two bowl games (2004 Motor City Bowl and 2005 GMAC Bowl), and one MAC Championship. Photo Gallery Have a question or comment for Brian? Email |