10 UT things to watch for in 2010

-The QB shuffle

Although UT head coach Tim Beckman announced sophomore Austin Dantin as the starting quarterback for the 2010-11 season, he has also kept the door open for others announcing that “you will see all the quarterbacks in the [Arizona] game.” It will be very interesting to see how Beckman handles the situation, not only on Friday, but for the rest of the season. It’s good to make Arizona prepare for all four, which makes Beckman’s decision to announce playing them all a good move. Realistically, I would expect the majority of the snaps to go to Dantin, unless he struggles and UT chooses to go with the senior Alex Pettee against the Wildcats while mixing in freshman Terrance Owens. If Dantin plays well, it seems unlikely they would bring in anyone other than sophomore David Pasquale on occasion to run the ball. Otherwise Toledo is just playing with fire messing with the team chemistry.

-Page’s next chapter

After a historic rookie campaign for his hometown team, sophomore Eric Page has a new role on the Rockets. Last year he was a compliment to wide receiver Stephen Williams on offense, but this year he is the centerpiece of the young Toledo squad. Page’s speed and elusiveness are tremendous, but defenses will key exclusively on him and force the UT running game and other receivers to beat them. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rockets try and get creative with getting Page the ball this season, even if it means more Wildcat formations.

-Who replaces Williams?

With Stephen Williams off to the Arizona Cardinals, the Rockets must find another receiver to take the pressure off of Eric Page. Junior Kenny Stafford has the experience but has yet to stand out in the Rockets offense. Freshman James Green has the talent and size, but has yet to play his way into the starting lineup. Ahead of Green is sophomore Julian Bellinger, who grabbed just one reception last year, but has the speed to break open on the fly route like Williams used to do. However, the best candidate is tight end Danny Noble, who looks poised for a breakout season. Noble has good speed for his size and the best hands on the team after Page. By season’s end, Noble should be a fixture in the Rockets offense.

-Will Rockets Bear Down for Arizona?

Although Toledo hasn’t played particularly well the past few years, UT is still dangerous at the Glass Bowl. In fact, the Rockets have a 5-1 record against BCS schools at home since 2001, including wins over Minnesota (2001), No. 9 Pittsburgh (2003), Kansas (2006), Iowa State (2007), and Colorado (2009). Their lone loss came to Purdue in 2007. Toledo will have momentum on their side with a full crowd for a nationally-televised contest, but will have to play their best game to stop a very underrated Wildcats team, which return nine offensive starters including quarterback Nick Foles.

-Morgan makes run at MAC’s top rusher

Morgan Williams has always had the potential; he’s just always been buried on the depth chart. This year the explosive junior running back will look to get his chance to make a name for himself as the Rockets top rusher. Williams showed off his potential as a freshman, setting the school’s freshman rushing record with 1,010 yards (6.0 ypc) and six touchdowns. He even set the UT single game rushing record racking up 330 yards with three touchdowns in a 42-14 win over Miami (OH). Williams’ numbers weren’t as flashy in 2009, rushing for just 444 yards and two scores on the season, but the 5-11, 197 pound back still averaged a solid six yards per carry for the second straight season. If Williams stays healthy and Toledo doesn’t fall in love with throwing the ball, he should surpass 1,000 yards for the second time in his career.

-Can Beckman fix the defense?

When Beckman came to Toledo last year, his expertise lied on the defensive side of the ball with 19 years of coaching some form of defensive unit. Beckman took over a defense that had given up 39 and 31 ppg the previous two seasons and couldn’t improve on those numbers. Last year’s squad ranked 116th out of 120 teams in the nation giving up 37.67 points per game and 95th in the country allowing over 407 yards per contest. As more and more of Beckman’s own recruits come in, the pressure will begin to mount if he can’t turn around that side of the ball and have some success. With players like Archie Donald, Desmond Marrow, T.J. Fatinikun and Jermaine Robinson, the Rockets have the pieces in place to have a successful defensive unit.

-Ballard replaces a UT star

When four time 1st team All-MAC “star” safety Barry Church left Toledo, it left a gaping hole in the Rockets defense. Getting the first crack to fill the “star” (safety-linebacker hybrid) position will be junior Isaiah Ballard, a hometown Toledo kid from Rogers High School. Ballard is certainly athletic enough to replace Church, possessing the highest vertical jump (35.5) and second-fastest 40-time (4.37) on the roster, and excelled on special teams last year winning the unit’s MVP award. It will be a tough order for him to match Church’s instincts and play-making ability, but Ballard should fill in admirably in his first season starting for the Rockets.

-Can Marrow stabilize the secondary?

In 2008, senior Desmond Marrow was on the verge of becoming a star. The cornerback had solidified himself as the top corner on the team and was an integral part of the Rockets 13-10 victory at Michigan. Marrow frustrated UM’s top wide receiver Greg Matthews, holding him to just 19 yards on five catches and even drawing a personal foul penalty. He was the best corner at the Big House that day. Just seven days later, Marrow tore his ACL and meniscus covering his only kick of the season to begin Toledo’s game against Northern Illinois. Friday’s game against Arizona will be Marrow’s first official game since his injury nearly two years ago on Oct. 18, 2008. From all accounts, Marrow is definitely back to 100 percent for the Rockets, being described by Beckman as one of the best players in the offseason. He was all over the field during the Spring Game dishing out jarring hits and even grabbing an interception. If Marrow can be the shutdown corner that he looked like he was turning into in 2008, Toledo’s defense will be much improved from a season ago.