Rockets hope to capitalize on wealth at defensive line

Amid the anarchy of players tagging in and out of last week's game was an exhausted coach.

Eli Rasheed was tapping out.

No longer will the stream of defensive linemen at University of Toledo be given freedom to check into the game at their discretion, this mandate coming down after the Rockets were caught with only 10 players on the field in a win at Wyoming.

"We're going to control the rotation a little bit better," Rasheed, their position coach, said this week.

Nine linemen saw action in each of the first two games, flowing in and out all day to offer respite against Arizona's heat and Wyoming's altitude. If they spotted a weary teammate, they signaled him off the field. Other than Rasheed now presiding over the packages, nothing is changing, as a strong reliance on substitutions continues to be a staple of Toledo's line.

Possessing such a deep reservoir of game-ready linemen is generally unseen in the Mid-American Conference, with programs from premier leagues leaving a scarcity of skilled, big-bodied recruits.

"Not to take any credit away from them, but I haven't heard of it," tackle Elijah Jones said.

"I don't believe they can, but it's possible."

Critical to winning this Saturday's rivalry game is exploiting a beleaguered Bowling Green offensive line. After his team's win over Idaho last week, Falcons coach Dave Clawson blasted that unit, calling them "very undisciplined" and at times "almost dysfunctional."

Toledo is dealing with its own problems after defensive tackle Danny Farr suffered a knee injury last week when a teammate rolled into the back of his leg.

Farr, a senior who leads the team with three tackles for loss, could miss extended time and possibly the rest of the season.

Expected to be counted extensively are the two Joneses -- Elijah, who picked off the first pass of his life against Wyoming, and Orion, a three-star recruit from Tulsa.

Also tasked with patching up the leak are Phil Lewis, whom Rasheed praised as "outstanding" through two games and the versatile Ben Pike, who returned to tackle after transitioning to end in preseason.

Eight linemen have recorded a tackle behind the line-of-scrimmage and four have registered a sack.

"All of those guys can play," end T.J. Fatinikun said.

Statistically, the defense has struggled in Toledo's 1-1 start, ranking No. 97 nationally against the run and No. 120 against the pass.

Add that up and you have a ranking of 122nd in total defense -- cushioned from the bottom by just two spots.

Toledo's 50 plays allowed of 10 yards or more is worst.

Elijah Jones calls those numbers "misleading," noting the Rockets have given up three touchdowns in each game, a respectable number.

"We've had a few issues with containment," end T.J. Fatinikun said. "We've played a couple of good quarterbacks. "As far as understanding our passing lanes and stuff like that, we'll get better."

NOTES: About 1500 tickets for the game remained unsold as of Thursday morning. ... The MAC office said it will not discipline Toledo safety Jermaine Robinson for the hit that knocked Wyoming quarterback Brett Smith out of the game.

Contact Ryan Autullo at: rautullo@theblade.com, 419-724-6160 or on Twitter @AutulloBlade.