Exorcising UT defense Tuke's role

Sometimes a lot of input is valuable. Sometimes it isn't. Maybe too much information can become disinformation.

It's as good an explanation as any for the defensive struggles the last few seasons by the University of Toledo's football team.

The new coordinator, Tom Matukewicz, will be one voice that, he hopes, will lead the Rocket defense out of the wilderness.

"Talking with the players, there were multiple voices and just maybe some confusion," said coach Tuke. "So my job is to be one voice and get everybody on the same page."

Former head coach Tim Beckman employed co-coordinators and was himself a defensive coach. Lots of voices.

Beckman, to his credit, reinvigorated UT's flagging football fortunes, going 21-16 overall and 17-7 in the Mid-American Conference over three seasons before jumping to the University of Illinois. His successor, former offensive coordinator Matt Campbell, capped off last season with a Military Bowl win over Air Force.

It was a thriller -- 42-41 was the final score. -- and it was pretty typical of the recent Rockets, a lot of offense and a lot of nail biting.

A new voice, one voice, on defense was essential as Campbell assembled his staff. He brought Matukewicz on board from league rival Northern Illinois, where he was coaching linebackers.

"Having played Toledo a lot and knowing coach Campbell's offense, if we can just hold people this can be a pretty good situation," Tuke said. "Toledo was in the top 10 in the nation in takeaways and turnover margin last season, and there's probably no other stat, other than scoring defense, that's more important. So we have to keep that going.

"On the flip side, there were a lot of missed tackles. So we worked hard in the spring to fix that."

Matukewicz is a big believer in base defense, getting pressure from his line, and being selective with blitz packages in favorable down-and-distance situations. "We will be in base defense and we will be really good at it," he said.

Reacting more than attacking may sound simple -- maybe too simple in this age of high-tech offenses -- but it has worked before.

When he arrived at Northern Illinois as ex-coach Jerry Kill's defensive run game coordinator, Tuke inherited a unit that surrendered 30.8 points a game. In the first season, the Huskies improved to 18 ppg. Last year, the Rockets gave up 31.7 points on average.

"There are a lot of similarities," he said. "There's a great opportunity here."

Matukewicz was seeking an opportunity. When Kill left for the Minnesota job at the tail end of the 2010 season, Tuke was NIU's interim head coach for a 40-17 Humanitarian Bowl win over Fresno State. Players pushed for him to get the job permanently, but a new athletic director went a different route.

"There's no ill will," said Matukewicz, who remained on Dave Doeren's staff for one year in a noncoordinator role. "I was thankful for the opportunity to lead the team in a bowl game. There was no guarantee beyond that. Now, this is the next step for me professionally."

He had a big say in the formation of a defensive staff that returns only one coach, defensive line tutor Eli Rasheed. D.K. McDonald (cornerbacks) and Bryce Saia (safeties) are the newcomers.

"I love these coaches," Tuke said. "It has to be right in the staff room before it's right on the field, before a team can produce championships. And that's our intention."

The right words. From one voice.

Contact Blade sports columnist Dave Hackenberg at: dhack@theblade.com or 419-724-6398.