Sopher's Soapbox: Rockets Bowling?

After a 2-5 start it is hard to believe that the Rockets could go bowling this year, but a three game win streak has Rocket fans thinking bowl game.

Three weeks ago, we as Rocket fans were just praying for the season to end. The record stood at 2-5 and we had just got beaten by the Buffalo Bulls, yes the same Bulls program that went 2-10 last year.

And then the Rockets won three in a row. Optimistic thoughts are slowly creeping back into my head.

We seriously have a chance at a bowl game. As scary as that sounds and as odd as this season has turned out, it would really mean a lot for the players, coaches, and fan base for Toledo to get an invitation somewhere, anywhere in December.

But there are still two more games left this season. And Tuesday night will certainly need a Herculean effort to escape Muncie with a victory.

It’s amazing how the pessimism has turned into optimism. It’s amazing how a team suddenly woke up and scored 165 points in the past three games. No Division I school can come close to that. This Rocket offense is one of the hottest in the country.

Aaron Opelt is officially the starting quarterback and he has earned it. Tough kid, good passer, shows lot’s of poise, and will pick apart a defense if given time. He’s got the targets in Stephen Williams and Nick Moore, the most lethal duo I have seen here since 1998. Plus, he can always get the ball to tailbacks Dajuane Collins or Jalen Parmalee who are both playmakers. Add in the fact that the offensive line has done its job all season long, remarkable given the injuries and shuffling around of players to different positions, and it gives me the chills thinking about how good this offense could get.

Heck, not even Ohio State’s defense could shut them down. I really mean that.

But with the offense figured out, the focus has to shift to the defense where improvement has been made but not certainly enough to sustain a championship tradition.

The defensive line has problems and that happens when your senior end can’t play for the whole season. They lack size and experience. They have talent but it is slow to develop. With guys moving around, there has been little time to gel as a unit and perhaps that is a part of the reason why there seems to be little production coming from the front four. On the bright side, individually we have seen rays of brightness from young guys such as Skylaar Constant, Alex Johnson, Joe Underwood, and Maurice Hill.

Because the Rockets play a 4-2-5 defense, a lot has been expected from Keith Forestal and, especially, Greg Hay. Overall, Hay has been outstanding given that he even was moved to safety during those weeks when the Rockets were pulling guys out of classrooms to fill certain positions. I do think that Toledo needs more size from its inside linebackers because we don’t get a whole lot of push at the line of scrimmage. On top of that, they need a certain attitude that I haven’t seen since the days of Tom Ward and David Gardner. When someone ran up the middle against those guys, they certainly felt it.

Still, the defense is making strides. The do tackle better, recognize routes quicker, plug up gaps faster, and overall move to the football with much greater speed and determination. Every week this unit gets better and I expect them to finish strong for the last two games.

Finally, we have the two best safeties in the MAC in Barry Church and Lester Richmond. If Tyrell Herbert gets cleared to return next season, I wouldn’t know what to think.

Although the Glass Bowl has more resembled a ghost town in 2007, this team deserves recognition. Granted, no one is thrilled being 5-5, barely clinging on to any hope of postseason play. But thinking back a month earlier and seeing how this team has not quit, it is not unreasonable to believe that the Rockets may indeed turn 2007 around into a memorable season.