Ailing knee forces Toledo's Singer to sit
11/7/2012
The University of Toledo football team emerged from a few days off more banged off than when it began.
Free safety Mark Singer did not participate in Tuesday’s game against Ball State due to what the university’s media relations department called a sore knee.
It was not immediately known when Singer, who played the entire game 10 days ago at Buffalo, sustained the injury.
Singer, who missed all of last season with a torn labrum, had started every contest this season and was fifth on the team with 41 tackles.
His absence meant Toledo was without three seniors, including ends T.J. Fatinikun and Christian Smith, who missed their fifth straight game after suffering season-ending injuries.
Starting in Singer’s place was Ross Madison, who made his first start of the year and third overall. Madison was beaten in the end zone on the first drive of the game when Jamill Smith pulled in a six-yard catch from Keith Wenning.
NEW WRINKLES: The Rockets apparently spent the time off incorporating some wrinkles to the offense. On the first drive, a jumbo package involving reserve linemen Sam Cherry and Chase Nelson helped pick up a first down. A few plays later, two blockers — fullback Zac Rosenbauer and tight end Cordale Scott — lined up in the backfield as a convoy for David Fluellen.
KICKERS: Tuesday’s matchup featured two of the top kickers in the country in UT’s Jeremiah Detmer and BSU’s Steven Schott.
Schott’s 20 field goals entering the evening were most in the nation, and two more than the second-highest total of Detmer and two others. Detmer (18 of 23), who had converted 11 in a row before the game, needed three more field goals to tie the program record set in 1992 by Rusty Hanna.
Detmer and Schott each made a field goal in the first half from within 30 yards.
INJURED PLAYER: BSU tight end David Schneider was carted off the field midway through the first quarter with an apparent leg injury. Trainers mobilized Schneider’s left leg and fit it into an air cast. Schneider, a junior reserve, has five catches.
MERSHMAN: No longer with Ball State is Bowling Green graduate Aaron Mershman, whose career was cut short due to a concussion syndrome. Mershman, who would have been a redshirt junior, played tight end and quarterback for the Cardinals. The decision to truncate his career was made after spring ball.
SHORT YARDS: UT senior cornerback Byron Best recorded his first interception when quarterback Keith Wenning overthrew a deep ball in the first half. ... Bernard Reedy’s 24-yard touchdown catch moved him into ninth place in scoring at the school. ... David Fluellen eclipsed 100 rushing yards for the sixth straight game. ... Representatives from the following bowl games were on hand: Famous Idaho Potato, GoDaddy.com, and the Little Caesars Pizza.