Driven by disappointing overall numbers in the 2019 season, University of Toledo senior safety Tycen Anderson said there is one feeling the defense is trying to avoid.
Satisfaction.
“No matter how good we play, no matter how many interceptions we cause, we never can get satisfied,” said Anderson, a St. John’s Jesuit graduate. “When we get satisfied, that's when things go downhill. So, we always have to have our foot on the gas at all times. When we get up 7, our job is to try to get the ball back to our offense to get up 14.”
This change in attitude is to be expected.
Last year, Toledo’s defense allowed 475.7 yards per game, ranking last place in the Mid-American Conference and 123rd out of 130 FBS teams. Their 257.3 passing yards allowed per game also ranked the worst in the MAC and 106th nationally. Scoring defense at 32.2 points put them at 10th in the conference and 103rd nationally.
“As a defense we have a lot to prove,” defensive end Jamal Hines said. “Last year, it didn't go the best for us, but this whole offseason we all grouped together, we can't have another season like last season. We have to come out with a bang and make sure we keep our foot on the gas for the whole four quarters.”
To accompany the change in attitude of the players, there was a staff shakeup this offseason as head coach Jason Candle parted ways with defensive coordinator Brian George and linebackers coach Mike Ward, and opted to bring in Vince Kehres, the former head coach at NCAA Division III national powerhouse Mount Union, and Craig Kuligowski, a Toledo alum who is best known for his coaching stops at Missouri, Miami, and Alabama.
“The one thing about Vince is there is a genuine love for the game of football, and there is a passion to constantly try to get better,” Candle said recently. “Coach Kul's track record is exceptional, obviously. He's been at some marquee places and coached some really great players. He brings a wealth of knowledge from that side of it. I think those two together with Ross Watson and Hank Poteat and Larry Black, their familiarity with our players, what we have and what we're trying to do as we move forward and what we're trying to do from a recruiting standpoint. So, I think it’s been a great match, it's been a great fit, and all five of those guys have a lot of input in what we're doing.”
Both Kehres and Kuligowski said they have clicked with one another since each arrived in Toledo, but both also have their own input and ideas of what it will take to turn a defense that struggled in 2019 into one that can thrive in 2020.
For Kehres, one of the biggest keys to turning the defense around is going to come from momentum and an ability to respond to adversity.
“I want to see enthusiasm, I want to see some passion, I want to see that momentum begin to change,” he said. “That requires gaining some confidence. It's small wins. We need to get in, have a game, and hopefully have some success in the game that we can build on and have some momentum going forward.
“But at the same time, you have to prepare them. There's going to be adversity, too. It's great when things are going well that we have momentum, but what happens when our opponent drives down and scores on the opening series? Or what happens when they they hit a 60-yard play? How are we going to respond to that?”
For Kuligowski, maybe the most important and first order of business was getting to know the players’ strengths and weaknesses.
“The No. 1 thing is to put the players in a position where they can succeed,” he said. “And the second thing is to come up with a system and put those guys in the right places so that they can operate successfully and we as a unit can operate successfully.”
When it comes to how things will look different this year on the field, one of the biggest differences is going to be an increased number of defensive personnel groups in order to give the Rockets more versatility.
Anderson equated it to a chess match.
“That was one of the things we struggled with in recent years,” he said. “We didn't have those different packages to match the offensive play calls. That would ultimately put us in a bind. This year, we are playing a lot smarter, and we are putting guys in the right positions to make plays. If teams come out in 13 personnel [one running back, three tight ends] with a bunch of big people on the field, we have to match their muscle with muscle.”
The defense is going to look different in both scheme and attitude come Nov. 4 when Toledo opens up the season by hosting Bowling Green.
But on the whole, those exact changes when it comes to scheme will likely largely remain a mystery until then in order to not relinquish any competitive advantage.
But what’s clear is the players haven’t been resistant to change. Largely due to the disappointment they experienced last season with the team’s defensive numbers, they are eager to learn, according to Kuligowski.
“If we came in here and were taking over an extremely successful defense, and we said, ‘Hey look, I know this is what you did in the past, but we're going to do things differently,’ I'm sure they would have been resistant to change, because everyone is comfortable with stuff that works, and I've seen that happen before in the past,” he said. “But these kids are like, ‘Yes, we want to be successful. What do we need to do? Coach me and coach me hard and get me right.’”
First Published October 22, 2020, 3:42 p.m.
