Sept. 6, 1999

Toledo, OH - A 35-12 loss to Syracuse was put in its proper perspective near the very end of Toledo's home opener.

Late in the game, the very few fans left of a sellout Glass Bowl crowd of 27,900 were brought to an anxious silence as UT medical personnel treated Rocket defensive end DeJuan Goulde on the sidelines. Goulde, who was having problems breathing due to bronchial spasms, was eventually taken to Toledo Hospital for observations and tests. In the meantime, the officials ended the game with 1:28 left on the clock.

UT team doctor Roger Kruse told reporters after the game that Goulde was fine and would probably play in the Rockets' next game, Sept. 18 at Ball State.

That was one bit of good news for Toledo coach Gary Pinkel, who lost freshman wide receiver Manny Johnson with a broken collarbone and junior tailback Chester Taylor with an ankle sprain.

Despite the final score, the day began with some promise for the Rockets. Toledo's defense stopped Syracuse without a first down on its first two possesions, and recovered a fumble on SU's 30-yard line on its third. However, Toledo failed to move the ball and missed a 48-yard field goal.

The Orangemen then scored on their next four possessions, giving the visitors a comfortable 28-0 lead that held up. Toledo scores came in the second half on a Todd France 40-yard field goal, and 11-yard TD run by Antwon McCray and a safety.

Thanks to a bye next week, Toledo will have more than two weeks to prpeare for their next game, their MAC opener at Ball State on Sept. 18.

ROCKET NOTES

Rocket Defensive End DeJuan Goulde Released From Hospital

Defensive end DeJuan Goulde, who collapsed at the end of the Rockets' 35-12 loss to Syracuse on Thursday night, was released from Toledo Hospital on Friday afternoon. Goulde, a junior from Euclid, OH, suffered an attack of bronchial spasms with 1:28 left to play in the game and was treated by the Rocket medical staff on the sidelines. Goulde was then taken to Toledo Hospital for observation and tests. Officials suspended the game at that point and declared the results final. According to team physician Roger Kruse, Goulde had been suffering from a a bronciahl infection before the game but was cleared to play. Goulde started and recorded 10 tackles during the game. Head Coach Gary Pinkel said on Monday that he expected Goulde would be participating in full practices by the middle of this week. He added that he expected that Goulde would be ready to play in Toledo's next game, Sept. 18 at Ball State.

Wide Receiver Johnson Out: Taylor Could Return For Ball State

Two Rocket starters suffered significant injuries in the Syracuse game. Freshman wide receiver Manny Johnson (River Rouge, MI) suffered a fractured collarbone and will be out six to eight weeks, according to UT Head Athletic Trainer Dave Huffstetler. Junior tailback Chester Taylor suffered an ankle sprain. Pinkel said on Monday that Taylor might begin practicing by this weekend.

Pinkel: Back to Work for Players, Coaches

Following the Syracuse defeat, Toledo Coach Gary Pinkel identified a number of areas in which the team must improve. "We have a challenge to prove we are a better football team than we showed," said Pinkel. "We have lots of areas to work on. Obviously, we have to improve on offense. We've got to be able to run the ball better. We've got to do a better job in our passing attack. "On defense, we had a bad quarter (28 points allowed in second quarter). We had 31 missed tackles, which is far too many. We've got to get better leverage on the running back." Pinkel and the Rockets have the advantage of a bye week to iron out the wrinkles. After an off-Saturday on Sept. 11, the Rockets travel to Ball State on Sept. 18.

Lamar Lives Up to Billing

Senior linebacker Jason Lamar, a Butkus Award nominee, lived up to expectations with one of the most productive games of his career. Lamar had 14 tackles vs. Syracuse, including one tackle for loss, the second-highest total in his career. Lamar's career day came last year vs. Central Florida when he recorded 19 tackles.

Scoreboard Video Screen Makes its Glass Bowl Debut

A new scoreboard video screen at the University of Toledo's Glass Bowl made its debut in UT's home opener on Sept. 2. The video screen, built by Ad Art Electronic Sign Company of Stockton, CA, is 20 feet by 16 feet and is capable of showing live game action, replays, statistics, highlights, graphics, advertising and special messages. In addition, the video screen will have the capability for live cut-ins from other football games around the country. "We feel the new video screen will create a better atmosphere in the Glass Bowl," said Karabin. "It gives us a modern venue for the typical sports fan who wants replays and maybe an occasional cut into another game." The video screen, which cost over $500,000, is part of a complete renovation of the scoreboard. The new scoreboard will also feature back-lit and rotating advertisements, which will makeit more than 59 feet tall and 53 feet wide.

Computer Ratings

In the latest Sagarin computer rankings, Toledo is No. 70 and Ball State is No. 114.

Freshmen Making an Impact on Rockets' Offense

On Monday, Aug. 30, Coach Gary Pinkel released the first two-deeps since before August two-a-days. The most notable changes came from a number of freshmen-both redshirt and true freshman-who have worked their way into the lineup. On offense, Pinkel has eight freshmen on the first- or second-string. On defense, there are two freshmen in the two-deeps. The true freshmen in the lineup are three wide recievers, Jason Freeman, Carl Ford and Miquel Irvin. All are listed on the second-string.

Lamar a Butkus Award Nominee

Toledo senior Jason Lamar has been nominated for the 1999 Butkus Award which annually honors the nation's top linebacker. The list of the 65 nominees was released by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando today. "This is a great for Jason," said Toledo coach Gary Pinkel. "Now the media will be analyzing his statistics and how he plays. He has a tremendous responsibility to live up to this nomination." Lamar, who played his high school football at Ypsilanti (MI) High School, had 119 tackles and made first-team All-MAC as a junior in 1998. He is one of only two players from the Mid-American Conference to be nominated for the Butkus Award. The other nominee is Dustin Cohen of Miami. A selection committee of 28 media members from around the nation picked the 65 nominees. The committee will trim the list down to 10 semi-finalists on Oct. 21 and three finalists on Nov. 11. The winner will be announced on Friday, Dec. 10 at the 15th annual Butkus Award Gala in Orlando.

UT Going For Sixth Straight Winning Season

The Rockets will take aim on their sixth consecutive winning season in 1999. Since a 4-7 season in 1993, Toledo has reeled off five straight winning seasons, compiling a 40-16-2 (.707) mark in that period. UT's record over the past four seasons is even more impressive at 34-12-1 (.734).

Rockets, Marshall to Play on ESPN

For the first time since 1987, a regular season Mid-American Conference game will be on national TV. And like that game 12 years ago, the Rockets will be a featured team. The Toledo-Marshall game, originally scheduled for Oct. 16 at Marshall, has been moved to Thursday, Oct. 14 at 8:00 p.m. so that it can be televised by ESPN The game will still be played in Huntington. Calling the action for ESPN will be Mike Terrico, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit.

Central Michigan Game to be on Fox Sports Regional TV In addition to the ESPN game, Toledo will also be on Fox Sports Regional this season when they travel to Central Michigan on Nov. 6. The game time for that contest has been moved to noon. The regional Fox Sports stations carrying the game in the Toledo area include Fox Sports-Detroit and Fox Sports-Ohio.

Rockets Have Seven Home Games in 1999

The scheduling goal for most Mid-American Conference schools is to try to get six home games on the slate. Toledo has done that one better-the Rockets have seven home games in 1999. It is the first time since 1948 that Toledo has had as many as seven home games. The 1948 UT squad went 4-3 at the Glass Bowl and 6-4 overall. Toledo's non-conference home games are vs. Syracuse on Sept. 2, NCAA I-AA champion Massachussets on Sept. 25, and Louisiana Tech on Oct. 30.

He's Back...Again

When Mike Lenix says he is a senior he means it. The offensive lineman is entering his seventh season in a Rocket uniform. Lenix came to UT from Toledo Waite High School back in 1993 and sat out that season as a redshirt. Over the 1994 and 1995 seasons, Lenix suffered from illness and injuries and never played football. It wasn't until 1996 that Lenix saw his first action, playing in one game. So in his fourth year on campus, Lenix officially became a "freshman." Lenix, who turned 24 in June, has played in 24 consecutive games and is expected to be a valuable part of the offensive line this season. However, Lenix's bumpy ride through the world of college football continued when he sat out practice last spring due to back surgery. Pinkel is No. 1

The Rockets' 24-12 win over Temple on Sept. 5, 1998, gave Gary Pinkel 51 wins at UT and made him the winningest coach in the 78-year history of Toledo football. Pinkel enters the 1999 season with an eight-year record of 57-31-3.

1999 Co-Captains Named

Senior co-captains for the 1999 season are cornerback Jameel Turner, linebacker Keith Travis, offensive lineman Colin Westrich and tight end Mike Bilik.

Welcome Back

The departure of secondary coach Phil Parker to Iowa in the off-season had a ripple effect on the Rocket coaching staff. Matt Eberflus, who had been coaching the outside linebackers since 1994, moved to the secondary. New assistant coach David Walkosky will now coach the outside linebackers. Walkosky, a safety for the Rockets from 1987-90, has been the defensive coordinator at Tennessee-Martin for the past two seasons.