Toledo Football: Rockets look for bounce-back season in 2020

Bryant Koback will carry load as Rockets look for answers at QB

Toldeo’s offense ranked among the best in the nation in 2019 as they finished 36th in total offense averaging 434.1 yards per game.

The Rockets offense thrived in large part due to the outstanding play of running back Bryant Koback. He started in his college career in the SEC at Kentucky before transferring to Toledo for the 2018 season. After rushing for 917 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2018, Koback was even better in 2019 rushing for 1,187 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns along with two touchdown receptions.

Koback wasn’t the only star in Toledo’s backfield.

Shakif Seymour, who will be a senior in 2020, ran for 761 yards and five touchdowns while making 16 catches for 124 yards and a score. In all, the Rockets rushing attack finished 18th in the nation and second in the MAC (Buffalo) as they averaged 225.3 yards per game on the ground.

Koback and Seymour will again carry the load in 2020 as the Rockets will be looking for answers at quarterback. Four different players appeared under center for Toledo last season and three out of four will be returning in Eli Peters, Carter Bradley and DeQuan Finn.

Peters is considered the favorite to earn the starting job entering his senior season. In five games last season he threw for 828 yards with six touchdowns and just three interceptions. He was by far the most accurate passer of the Rockets returners as he completed 59 percent while Finn’s was 50 percent and Bradley’s was 46 percent.

Whoever is under center will have plenty of quality options to throw to including seniors Bryce Mitchell who made 35 catches for a team-high 679 yards and four touchdowns and Danzel McKinley-Lewis, who led the team with 36 catches for 616 yards and a touchdown.

If someone emerges at quarterback, Toledo’s offense should again rank among the best in the MAC with nearly all their key skill position players back in 2020.