Scouting Report

After two crowd pleasing games at UB Stadium, the Bulls look to continue their competitive play Saturday night against one of the MAC's finest teams, the Toledo Rockets. UB will travel to the Glass Bowl in Toledo for the first match up between the two teams since Buffalo joined the MAC.

Toledo (5-3, 3-1 MAC) is looking to bounce back after a disappointing 38-14 loss to Ball State last week. The loss dropped the Rockets into a tie with nationally ranked Northern Illinois and just a game behind nationally ranked Bowling Green for the MAC West title. Toledo will try to fire on all cylinders as this game presents a must win situation if they are looking to repeat as MAC West Champions. Toledo head coach Tom Amstutz is well aware of the team's situation.

"We understand where we are now - there is no room for error if we want to have a chance to win the West Division," said Amstutz.

The Bulls (1-8, 1-4 MAC) come into the game with high spirits after snapping the longest active losing streak in Division I-A at 18 with last week's 26-17 victory over the Ohio Bobcats.

The Rockets, however, are a much better team with many more weapons than the Bobcats possessed. The Bulls must match the intensity they have shown the last two weeks if they are to pull out back-to-back victories.

Offense

Buffalo's defense will be put to the test with the balanced Toledo attack. The Rockets are very effective both through the air and on the ground. Amstutz uses an option-style running game to complement an aggressive passing attack. As a team, Toledo amasses an amazing 450.2 yards a game.

Sophomore Quarterback Bruce Gradkowski is the leader of the potent Rockets offense. He is responsible for a total of 2,392 yards of total offense and 299 yards a game. Gradkowski is having a remarkable season especially through the air. This year, the sophomore is completing 69.4 percent of his passes for 2,065 yards passing and 16 touchdowns. In addition, Gradkowski is also the Rockets second leading rusher carrying for 327 yards at 5.7 yards per carry clip.

To complement the stellar play of its quarterback, Toledo also has two primary rushers. Trinity Dawson and Astin Martin both have crossed the goal line for six touchdowns each. The Rockets' major threat in the backfield is Dawson. Dawson has rushed for a team-leading 595 yards on 127 carries for a 4.7 average. Astin is Toledo's third rushing option after Dawson and Gradkowski. Astin only has 66 attempts but averages 4.3 yards per carry to go along with 285 yards and six touchdowns.

Toledo also possesses one of the MAC's best receivers in Lance Moore. Moore has averaged 88 yards receiving over the first eight games. Moore and Gradkowski have connected 70 times for 704 yards and three touchdowns. UB will not be able to put all their attention towards Moore, however, as Gradkowski has another weapon over the middle. Rockets' tight end Andrew Clarke is especially effective when near the goal line. He has five touchdowns to lead the team on 26 catches.

Defense

The prominence the Rockets show on the offensive side of the ball is not reciprocated on the defensive side of the ball. Toledo has an average defense that plays well enough to put their offense in a position to win.

Toledo's defensive unit is anchored by leading tackler linebacker Brock Dodrill. Dodrill has a total of 86 tackles (51 solo) as well as a fumble recovery and two tackles for losses. When running the football, the Bulls will have to locate Dodrill and be sure to put a blocker on the strong tackling linebacker.

The strength of the Rockets' defense is in its secondary. Toledo has two solid defensive backs in Patrick Body and Brandon Hefflin. Hefflin is a two way defensive back that plays the run just as well as the pass. Hefflin has made 47 tackles while leading the team with four interceptions. His partner in crime, Body, is a more traditional cover corner back. Body has 26 tackles to complement his three takeaways thus far this season. The duo accounts for seven of the team's nine interceptions.

The Bulls will not see much of a pass rush from the Toledo defense. The team has only recorded 10 sacks all season. The one significant pass rusher that the Rockets have is Chaz Williams. Williams is the team leader in sacks with three.

Summary

With the recent improvement seen in UB's play, this game has become more frightening for the title contending Rockets. However, Toledo is a MAC team on par with Marshall. The Bulls played valiantly to a 26-16 loss against Marshall two weeks ago. UB will need a similar performance to keep this game competitive.

Toledo's high-powered offense will make this feat very hard for Buffalo. If the Rockets get out to an early lead by using the pass, they have the running game to make that lead stand. The Bulls need to continue their defensive improvement shown in the previous two match ups to keep the game within reach.

A victory will be a tough task to accomplish this weekend in front of the Toledo home crowd, but a close, competitive game against another MAC power will prove that Buffalo is ready to make some noise in their remaining games.