Arizona @ Toledo

Arizona @ Toledo

8:00 PM

Arizona returns eight starters on offense and four on defense. The Wildcats finished 8-5 straight up and 6-5-1 against the spread in 2009, but they were clubbed 33-0 by Nebraska at the Holiday Bowl. Junior quarterback Nick Foles, a transfer from Michigan St., turned out to be a serious find as the replacement for Arizona’s all-time leading passer, Willie Tuitama. Foles posted a 19/9 touchdown-to-interception ratio in the first 10 starts of his career. Foles is one of eight starters returning on offense, including just about all of his skill players with the exception of WR Delashaun Dean, who has transferred after making 42 catches in 2009. But Juron Criner (45 receptions for 582 yards and nine TDs) and David Roberts (43 catches) are back, in addition to William ‘Bug’ Wright (23 catches). The backfield has plenty of experience as well. Nic Grigsby will be the featured back after he missed five games last year with an injury. Grigsby was averaging 7.2 yards per carry before getting banged up in ’09. In 21 career starts, he has netted 1,857 rushing yards. Keola Antolin will get his share of touches behind Grigsby, too. Antolin rushed for more than 600 yards and had four TDs last season. If Stoops has a concern about this team, it’s on the defensive side of the ball. However, we should note that defense is his area of coaching expertise. But this until returns just four starters and will be without eight of its 11 leading tacklers from last year.

The Rockets Head coach Tim Beckman made it official earlier this week when he announced that sophomore Austin Dantin will take the snaps. Dantin played in seven games, starting three, as a true freshman in 2009 completing 66.4 percent of his passes for 962 yards and four TDs. Sophomore WR Eric Page, a candidate for the Fred Bilitnikoff Award (nation's best receiver) (82 receptions in 2009) and junior RB Morgan Williams (444 yards) will be key for an offense that ranked first in the MAC in total offense in 2009 and thirteenth in the nation. Arizona returns ten starters from an offense that rushed for over 2,000 yards/19 TDs and threw for more than 3,000/20 TDs. However the man calling the plays has taken his playbook to Louisiana Tech and with Mike Stoops co-offensive coordinators this year, I expect it to take some time to knock the dust off this offense. It also doesn't help that the Wildcats defense is lacking replacing seven starters, including all three linebackers and is very young in the secondary. There are always potential surprises in an opener and I like the home dog in this one. Doesn't hurt that the Rockets have won five of their past six home games against BCS opponents. A visit to the Glass Bowl won’t be easy for the Wildcats. Of the last six BCS schools to visit Toledo, only one has come out with a victory. The Rockets return All-American freshman receiver Eric Page, who led all first year players in the NCAA with 82 receptions and 1159 yards. Toledo has thrived when hosting BCS schools since 2001. In fact, the Rockets have won five of six games outright with the lone loss coming to Purdue in 2007. They demolished Colorado by a 54-38 count on ESPN in a Friday game last year that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicated. They also knocked off Kansas in double overtime back in ’06. I remember because I was on the Jayhawks plus 4 ½, only to suffer a chafe loss after a pair of extra sessions. Tim Beckman’s first team at Toledo went 5-7 both SU and ATS, losing four of their last five games both SU and ATS. As a home underdog on Beckman’s watch, the Rockets twice won outright against Colorado and Northern Illinois. Toledo bring back six starters on each side of the ball. QB Aaron Opelt has run out of eligibility and sophomore Austin Dantin beat out Alex Pettee for the starting job in August. Dantin made three starts as a true freshman, completing 79-of-119 attempts (66.4%) for 962 yards with four touchdown passes and four interceptions. He is a product of Tallahassee Leon High School, the same program that produced former NFL players like Tony Lomack, Brad Culpepper, Terry Mickens, Clifford Charlton and Tamarick Vanover. Dantin might have the best WR in the MAC in Eric Page, a sophomore who had more receptions and receiving yards that any other freshman wideout last season. Page hauled in 82 receptions for 1,159 yards and seven touchdowns. Morgan Williams will get the bulk of the work on the ground for Toledo. Williams was a third-team All-MAC selection as a redshirt freshman in ’08, rushing for more than 1,000 yards and averaging 6.0 YPC. However, injuries slowed him down last year when he got just a pair of starts and 74 carries. Williams is hoping to return to the form he showed in ’in 08. Arizona does have the talent to win this game by more than two touchdowns. However, Page will most likely play the entire game regardless of the score. This will no doubt play a key factor in a possible backdoor cover, if the game is an early blowout. BTW, the Wildcats' defense was hammered in their training camp scrimmages.

Toledo Rockets +17 (bought ½ point)

Great info. GL..

Thanx Everyone and BOLO tonight!!! 

AJB....I think they'll be plenty of points scored but my calculations have it right at the posted number. Think it's supposed to be kinda windy too. I'm staying away from the total bro.

its just funny, it certainly seemed like the op was posting this as his own writeup, thats a big no no around here

Its pretty obvious that it was cut and pasted, just google it.

anyways, good luck tonight, looks like the wind will be in play tonight for sure.