The VanDelay Sports 2008 MAC Football Pigskin Preview has been released over at
http://www.vandelaysports.com and includes detailed previews of all 13 MAC schools. Feel free to leave your feedback below and let us know what you think!
IBleedMACGreen Wrote:The VanDelay Sports 2008 MAC Football Pigskin Preview has been released over at http://www.vandelaysports.com and includes detailed previews of all 13 MAC schools. Feel free to leave your feedback below and let us know what you think!
Disagree on UT's D-line being too small.It's as big as a number of good BCS program,Mid-Majors,and most Mid-Am teams.The Rockets are actually bigger upfront than Ball State which you've picked to win the MAC West.The problem I've seen in the front seven is
quickness/speed off the snap.(Alot of really top defenses seem to have one freak playing DE 6'5"-6'6 and 255-270 lbs range along with great speed in their LB's:4.5-4.6/40's "football timing").
UT's DL:
DE Sean Williamson 6'1" 262 lbs
DT Maurice Hill 6'2" 282 lbs
NT Skylaar Constant 6'4" 285 lbs.
DE Derrick Summers 6'2" 244 lbs.
Ball State's DL
DE Crawford 6'2" 260 lbs
NT Perry 5'11" 271 lbs
DT Duffin 6'3" 255 lbs
DE Woodard 6'3" 222 lbs
Western Michigan' DL
DE Davidson 6'2" 239 lbs
DT Varcadipane 6'2" 285 lbs
NG Cielenski 6'2" 280 lbs
DE Marshall 6'1" 245 lbs
CMU's DL
DE Knight 6'3" 245 lbs
NG Droscha 6'1" 258 lbs
DT Allison 6'2" 245 lbs
DE Zombo 6'4" 259 lbs
NIU's DL
DE Bice 6'3" 254 lbs
NG Krutsch 6'2" 258 lbs
DT Rusch 6'4" 274 lbs
DE English 6'3" 254 lbs
EMU's DL
DE Smith 6'1" 240 lbs
DT Hunt 6'5" 290 lbs
DT Palsrok 6'4" 265 lbs
DE Brockman 6'3" 244 lbs
UCinn's DL
DE Nelms 6'3" 245 lbs
DT Hoppel 6'2" 270 lbs
DT Byrd 6'0" 271 lbs
DE Barwin 6'4" 240 lbs
Arizona's DL
DE Elmore 6'5" 260 lbs
NT Mitchell 6'2" 280 lbs
DT Tuipulotu 6'2" 280 lbs
DE Turner 6'3' 262 lbs
Fresno State
DE Ramos 6'4" 270 lbs
NT Banks 6'3" 285 lbs
DT Monga 6'2" 280 lbs
DE Ike 6'1" 255 lbs
Nobody could call Nick a "homer" after that write-up, that's for sure.
Sorry Nick, but that was pretty lame.
Lame on the analysis or lame on the #4 pick?
I hope I'm wrong, but if this team starts out of the gate slow, UT could end up 6th in the west really quick. EMU and NIU are much improved. Last years team was just five points away from being 2-10. Sadly, I think the review is pretty accurate.
Nick in Cleveland Wrote:Lame on the analysis or lame on the #4 pick?
I hope I'm wrong, but if this team starts out of the gate slow, UT could end up 6th in the west really quick. EMU and NIU are much improved. Last years team was just five points away from being 2-10. Sadly, I think the review is pretty accurate.
EMU's DL will be worse this year and I don't see NIU's DB's being able to stay with UT's receiving corp.There were good reasons that the Rockets hung over 1,400 yds and 120+points on the Eagles and the Huskies.Toledo actually had more lost starts than NIU in '07. A healthy UT will be Bowl eligible mark it down.
Nick in Cleveland Wrote:Lame on the analysis or lame on the #4 pick?
I hope I'm wrong, but if this team starts out of the gate slow, UT could end up 6th in the west really quick. EMU and NIU are much improved. Last years team was just five points away from being 2-10. Sadly, I think the review is pretty accurate.
Sadly comparing this years healthy plus improved coached team to last season ,makes your 4 pick wrong.
Amstutz has alot on the line.
Look for a big year from this team.
I'm with Nick on this one.
until we find a defensive front seven with any kind of talent, our offense will only carry us so far. If we go 5-7 again, Toledo Tom, better be shown the door.
utpotts Wrote:until we find a defensive front seven with any kind of talent, our offense will only carry us so far. If we go 5-7 again, Toledo Tom, better be shown the door.
Quote:Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
- Oddball (Kelly's Heroes - 1970)
RangerRocket Wrote:utpotts Wrote:until we find a defensive front seven with any kind of talent, our offense will only carry us so far. If we go 5-7 again, Toledo Tom, better be shown the door.
Quote:Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
- Oddball (Kelly's Heroes - 1970)
"Always look on the bright side of life!...
...And this will help things turn out for the best."...
- Monty Python
I would ask on what basis EMU and NIU are evaluated on being "improved." How do we know that, and if they are improved then why not Toledo as well?
Also, it seems too early to even be mentioning Morgan Williams in a season preview. True, we all have high hopes. But, I haven't heard any official news on him getting qualified. And, if he does, he will be a freshman who hasn't demonstrated a thing, and that after a year off. He could be the next Chester Taylor or the next Webster Jackson, it's just too early to tell. Whereas Dejuane Collins has a great ypc as a backup and has demonstrated that he can do some damage.
There are some question marks on both sides of the ball and special teams, though. No doubt about it. Let's just hope we don't get beat up too bad at Arizona. If we can get through that without losing any starters the season will remain interesting.
I understand having some doubts about our defense. We don't know if the players coming back who didn't play last year will be 100%. I do believe, however, that the four who will be playing their last season will leave it all on the field. And those little Freshmen who got pushed around and fooled last season are a year older, a year stronger/bigger, and a year smarter. Out of 119 teams we were near the bottom last year defensively. Conservatively, we should improve to at least 75 in that category. As bad as MAC teams have been defensively, that would put us in the top half of the MAC. In the last 5 years we've lost 5 home games; in the last 8 we've lost 6. Four of those home losses occurred in the last 2 seasons and we were riddled with injuries/replacing qb's. You can go back just about as far as you like and we average about 1 home loss per season. Consider who we have at home this season and keep in mind that there should be some deviation back toward the mean. It won't shock me if we're right in the thick of it this year.
I think Nick is dead on with this analysis.
Our run defense and pressure on the quarterback has been poor the last several years.
We will score points, I just have to wait and see if we can stop anyone.
The EMU game will give us a good indication of where we are as a team. We have not played well on the road under Stutz as of late.
Quote:Toledo's Strengths:
Barry Church is one of the top safeties in the country. With the size of an outside linebacker and speed of a DB, Church is the backbone of the entire defense and has 163 career tackles and 7 INTs on his resume as a two-year starter (started as a true freshman).
The receiving corps led by Stephen Williams and Nick Moore have the potential to be two of the MAC’s best receivers this year. Williams had six 100-yard receiving games in ’07 while Moore added 60 receptions and 8 TDs.
When healthy, QB Aaron Opelt is one of the top signal callers in the league. Opelt has the knack to run when the pocket breaks down and has improved as a passer over the past two seasons.
Chris Hedden has significantly improved every unit he has been a part of since joining Amstutz’s staff in 2001. Now promoted to offensive coordinator, look for the Rocket offensive arsenal to be even more potent than last year’s 33 point per game output.
Morgan Williams was rated as the #29 RB in the nation by Rivals.com two years ago. He rushed for nearly 5,200 yards during his prep career and accounted for 68 TDs at powerhouse Canton McKinley HS. If eligible this season, Williams will dominate the MAC.
Incoming freshmen receivers Phil Barnett, Kenny Stafford and Sam Gaymon bring more size, speed and ability to an already solid receiving corps
None of that sounds like a 4th place in the West division team to me.
owen Wrote:Quote:Toledo's Strengths:
Barry Church is one of the top safeties in the country. With the size of an outside linebacker and speed of a DB, Church is the backbone of the entire defense and has 163 career tackles and 7 INTs on his resume as a two-year starter (started as a true freshman).
The receiving corps led by Stephen Williams and Nick Moore have the potential to be two of the MAC’s best receivers this year. Williams had six 100-yard receiving games in ’07 while Moore added 60 receptions and 8 TDs.
When healthy, QB Aaron Opelt is one of the top signal callers in the league. Opelt has the knack to run when the pocket breaks down and has improved as a passer over the past two seasons.
Chris Hedden has significantly improved every unit he has been a part of since joining Amstutz’s staff in 2001. Now promoted to offensive coordinator, look for the Rocket offensive arsenal to be even more potent than last year’s 33 point per game output.
Morgan Williams was rated as the #29 RB in the nation by Rivals.com two years ago. He rushed for nearly 5,200 yards during his prep career and accounted for 68 TDs at powerhouse Canton McKinley HS. If eligible this season, Williams will dominate the MAC.
Incoming freshmen receivers Phil Barnett, Kenny Stafford and Sam Gaymon bring more size, speed and ability to an already solid receiving corps
None of that sounds like a 4th place in the West division team to me.
I agree...we have some real talent on this team. If there were 11 Barry Churchs on defense.....we'd be great. However, Barry needs some help on "D" and that is what has killed us these past two years. Heck, "D" has been lacking since 2001.
Quote:Toledo’s defense has gotten worse each of the last three years under DC Tim Rose. In 2005 UT gave up 22 points per game, in 2006 it was 28 and last season it jumped to 39 points per contest. Have the MAC coach’s figured out his schemes and will there be significant improvement on that side of the ball in 2008?
I actually think coach rose is a good DC.
He did his best with a bad situation last season. Given the personnel he can get the job done.
CMU won the MAC last year ranking last in Total Defense,Passing Defense, and next to last in Scoring Defense.The big difference between UT and CMU was the ability to defend against the run,an injured Opelt missing almost 16 quarters,and the 5-6 players missing from UT's defense.In '08, UT will have the most explosive offense in the MAC and the Defense will be much improved.Throw in the possibility of Morgan Williams playing(which Vandelay says Williams will run through the MAC) and the JUCO's,the Rockets will be right in the thick of the MAC West race-just watch.
owen Wrote:Quote:Toledo’s defense has gotten worse each of the last three years under DC Tim Rose. In 2005 UT gave up 22 points per game, in 2006 it was 28 and last season it jumped to 39 points per contest. Have the MAC coach’s figured out his schemes and will there be significant improvement on that side of the ball in 2008?
I actually think coach rose is a good DC.
He did his best with a bad situation last season. Given the personnel he can get the job done.
Lupfer will make a big difference.
Boca Rocket Wrote:....Throw in the possibility of Morgan Williams playing(which Vandelay says Williams will run through the MAC)...
Or better yet, through the Buckeye "D".
(Fingers-crossed... knocking on wood)