Toledo Football: Can Rockets make MAC West a 3-team race?

Can the offense remain potent?

Toledo did not have an issue scoring points last season. The Rockets led the MAC in scoring (40.2 points per game) and were second to Ohio in total offense (443.8 yards) despite having to play two quarterbacks.

The Rockets lost starting quarterback Mitchell Guadagni to broken collarbone and Eli Peters had to step in. Guadagni threw for 1,053 yards and 13 touchdowns in seven games while Peters stepped in and threw for 1,837 yards and 18 touchdowns in 11 games. Currently both are locked in a competition for the starting job. Whoever gets the job needs to improve on their completion percentage — both quarterbacks completed less than 60 percent of their passes last season.

Whether Guadagni or Peters starts this season, they will be throwing to new starting receivers. Both Cody Thompson and Gary, Ind., native Jon’Vea Johnson and their 19 touchdown receptions are gone. The Rockets have to hope that Desmond Phillips can step up and be a No. 1 target, and other less experienced receivers are up to the task.

Toledo’s offense will lean heavily on a running attack that finished second in the conference to the Ohio Bobcats. That might not be a bad thing, either. They return all three of their leading rushers from last season, and if Guadagni wins the job he’ll add even more to the run game as a dual-threat quarterback.

With AJ Ouellette gone from Ohio, Toledo might just have the best rushing attack in the MAC, and they are going to need it this season.