Look at the NCAA total offense stats each season, and a familiar name is often near the top: Toledo.
The same can be said for UT’s defense in 2018 and 2019, except they were found at the bottom, hindering the progress of Jason Candle’s program.
The Rockets dealt with a bevy of injuries during both seasons, most notably at the quarterback position, but a defense that gave up yards and points like Oprah gifts cars wasn’t sustainable.
Along came former Mount Union head coach Vince Kehres and his 95-6 record, two national championships, and stout defensive pedigree. In his first season as Toledo’s defensive coordinator, the Rockets improved from 123rd (475.7 yards per game) to 36th (362.2 yards) in total defense, 121st (218.4 yards) to 25th (129.2 yards) in rushing defense, 106th (257.3 yards) to 64th (233.0 yards) in passing defense, and 101st (32.2 points) to 36th (24.3 points) in scoring defense.
In Kehres’ debut, Toledo held Bowling Green to three points, the lowest output by an FBS opponent against Toledo in 15 years.
“What we ultimately decided was that we had to have high expectations,” Kehres said. “How would we ever exceed mediocre expectations if we set mediocre expectations as the standard, even though in my mind I thought, ‘How will we ever go from 123rd in the country to the top 10?’ That seemed unrealistic.
“But we set these standards very high, and we ended up achieving some of our goals. Setting lofty goals and having high expectations set the tone. That expectation trickled down from coaches to players, and the improvement was there.”
All the Rockets do is return the entire two-deep, including four All-Mid-American Conference honorees: safety Tycen Anderson, safety Nate Bauer, linebacker Jamal Hines, and tackle Desjuan Johnson.
Anderson was UT’s second-leading tackler; Bauer led the team in interceptions; Hines had the most quarterback hurries, tied for the most forced fumbles and fumble recoveries, and had the second-most sacks and tackles for loss; and Johnson led the Rockets in sacks and tackles for loss.
Kehres encountered a group of players who were hopeful. They thought change could be good and that a positive showing was just around the corner. They just needed a vision. Kehres provided that plan. Once it got rolling, it was contagious.
“We fly around,” Anderson said. “We like to have fun. We have a coaching staff that puts together great game plans and puts us in the right spot to make plays, and that’s what we go out there and do. We have a lot of older guys and a mixture of young guys, and we all count on one another.”
The arrivals of Kehres and co-defensive coordinator Craig Kuligowski ushered in a different vibe.
The defense displayed more energy. They pressured offenses from different directions. They mixed in packages that confused opponents.
It added up to a unit that was good enough to anchor a MAC championship team. And that was in Year 1 amid a global pandemic. Toledo didn’t have spring practice, the summer was disjointed, and the season featured six patchy games. With a normal spring and summer, Toledo’s defense could surge to the top of the conference in a 12-game season.
“We’re starting to create and get what we want,” Candle said. “We wanted the thought process and belief to be that we could win a championship on defense and go win football games if the offense didn’t do what they were supposed to do. I don’t know if that’s always been a luxury here, and we aren’t crowning anyone as being elite. We’re still a work in progress. But it’s been fun to see those guys have a solid belief that they can be really good and move the dial one step ahead.”
Elite is the exact word Kehres used to illustrate the future of Toledo’s defense. He wants the Rockets to be the best of the best, an annual top-10 unit. Kehres accepts the challenge and trusts that UT can reside in that neighborhood.
In 2020, Toledo averaged 6.1 tackles for loss per game, 2.0 sacks, 1.1 interceptions, and 4.3 pass breakups, improvements in each category compared to the previous season — 5.7 tackles for loss, 1.2 sacks, 0.6 interceptions, and 3.9 pass breakups.
“It’s almost like we played an NFL preseason,” Kehres said. “We had a chance to dabble with some different defensive schemes and saw what players did well. We have a better handle on how to take the players that we have and put them in position to be successful. The players have a sense of that, too. You can feel the energy in the room.”
Cornell Ford saw it up close. The current cornerbacks coach spent last season as a defensive volunteer, observing practices and taking mental notes. Despite what the previous two seasons revealed on paper, Ford found a defense brimming with skill.
Once the abbreviated season kicked off, it became evident that the defense wouldn’t be an overwhelming weakness — or a weakness at all. Suddenly, the pieces meshed together to form a complete team.
“One of the reasons why I was so excited to come back was because I thought last year was a special group,” Ford said. “Just seeing it from the outside when I first got here, I thought, man, this could be a really good group. We fell just short, and I think that could help us for this year. I think they have that kind of talent and potential.”
The project starts with coaches, a defensive staff that’s keen on their connection. Kuligowski and Ford worked together for more than a decade. Kehres coached safeties coach Ross Watson in high school. Defensive line coach Larry Black was a graduate assistant at Toledo.
On his first day at UT, Kehres remembers watching film with Kuligowski and the conversation quickly shifting to family and life experiences. The football facility has been one happy family room ever since.
“We enjoy being around each other,” Kehres said. “It doesn’t feel like work. The players sense that we’re all on the same page. Our mantra as a defense is 11 as 1. If we’re going to be any good, we have to be together and unified. The players see that from the staff, and it matriculates on the field.”
First Published March 24, 2021, 8:43 p.m.
