Ohio Bobcats @ Toledo Rockets: 5 Things Learned

Defense wins championships. I read that somewhere. Ohio’s defense is really good. Toledo’s offense is really good, too. An old adage was proven correct last night in the Glass Bowl. The Bobcat defense gave up yards, but buckled down when it mattered and was able to keep the Rockets below 30. The only team to do so in 2016. Along with what we already knew, we learned a few things, too.

1. The Rockets defense struggles against good backs, and Dorian Brown is a good back. 212 yards and touchdown, not a bad night. His teammate, Papi White, had 54 yards on only 5 carries. Anytime a back averages over 10 yards a carry, that’s a good thing. Unless, of course, you are the struggling Rockets defense.
2. Old school Midwestern football in the elements is still a thing. Being able to run up and down the field and sling the football all over the place is nice. When the weather drops below 50, and it starts raining/sleeting/snowing, all the sudden the fingers don’t work as well, and the hits start hurting more. Teams that pride themselves on tough defense and tough running, like Ohio, tend thrive in that environment.
3. In spite of the loss, Logan Woodside is having a phenomenal season. 32-46 for 438 yards and 3 TDs. That’s a monster game. It could have been bigger but there were some drops early on. Woodside broke Bruce Gradkowski’s school record for Touchdowns in a single season, and he has 4 games left on the schedule. Since he has thrown for at least 3 TDs in every game, it’s safe to say he will probably pad that record a bit. And he is only a Junior.
4. OU’s path to the East crown just got a whole lot easier. While the Bobcats were pulling of a huge upset over the Rockets, Buffalo was doing the same to Akron. That put OU up a game in the race for the east. With Buffalo, CMU, and Akron left on the schedule, it’s likely a win at Akron would give them the crown. Akron still has to play Toledo and Bowling Green before the match up, so the Bobcats could clinch before the regular season finale.
5. Every game is now a “must win” game if the Rockets want a crack at the West Crown. Before the Black Friday game against the Rockets, WMU has Ball State, Kent State and Buffalo. I don’t see them dropping one of those games. Or any of those teams being within 3 scores going into the 4th quarter.