Military Bowl: Toledo vs. Air Force
By Ty Duffy
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Toledo Rockets [SRS 31]
Best Wins: Temple (47), Western Michigan (65), Miami of Ohio (84)
Losses: Boise State (8), at Ohio State (34), Northern Illinois (55), at Syracuse (81)
Famous Alum: Fredric J. Baur, inventor of the Pringles Can.
More impressive than Toledo’s wins were its losses. Toledo should have beaten Syracuse and nearly upset Ohio State in the horseshoe. A heartbreaking 63-60 loss to Northern Illinois kept them out of the MAC title game.
Tim Beckman left for Illinois, though offensive coordinator Matt Campbell and his explosive MACtion offense remain. The Rockets raise the tempo with a no huddle and spread the field to run. Senior tailback tandem Adonis Thomas and Morgan Williams shared the load, combining for more than 1,600 yards and 22 touchdowns. They also gash teams with their quick passing game. Wideout Eric Page, coming off his third-straight 1,100-yard season, can be absolutely lethal. Though, the true stars are on the offensive line.
Air Force Falcons [SRS 63]
Best Wins: Navy (69)
Losses: Boise State (8), Notre Dame (17) TCU (18), San Diego St. (60), Wyoming (78)
Famous Alum: Gregg Popovich
Air Force beat two FCS teams and went 1-5 against teams ranked in the SRS Top 100. Surely, this was a season to celebrate. The Falcons run a formidable triple option, No. 3 in the nation at 5.75 yards per carry. The rub is they let teams run almost equally well against them, allowing more than five yards per carry. They will struggle against Toledo, who can stretch them, overpower them, tire them and force them to make plays in space. Their best defense against the Rockets’ offense may be to keep them on the field.
For Recreational Purposes: Toledo (-3.5)
[Photo via Getty]