End zone: Toledo 10-18

10/18/2012

A number of adjectives come to mind when describing last Saturday's win. It was unexpected, with winless Eastern Michigan waging a nailbiting affair. It was discomforting, as a see-saw third quarter induced stiffness in the neck. It also was unacceptable, and this point goes beyond what transpired in front of a rain-drenched crowd at Rynearson Stadium.

What has happened to defenses in college football? Long ago are the days when fans did a double-take as a score of 63-35 scrolled across the TV screen. The proliferation of up-tempo, spread offenses has made the sport more entertaining, but let's not blur the lines between entertaining and quality. Heck, Jersey Shore is entertaining.

One solution: Hire more defensive coordinators to be head coaches. Only two of the MAC's 12 teams are led by someone who rose in the defensive ranks. Another: Devote more practice time to tackling. Coaches are more concerned with preventing injuries on Tuesday than limiting touchdowns on Saturday.

It's increasingly likely that Toledo's road to the MAC title game will go through Northern Illinois, a team that allowed three points Saturday. That opportunity, to come one month from now, is a long ways away for a team whose defense couldn't get off the field against Eastern Michigan.

For all things Rockets, follow Ryan's UT blog, Rocket Docket.