Triple Tri Blog

Our sister site, LetsGoRockets.com - is having a biggest fan contest -- the prize ? Google Wave Invites for their biggest fan.

Interested ? Hop over to LGR and let them know you're a UT Rockets fan and why you deserve a Google Wave invite.

The competition ends at noon tomorrow, with 2 comments selected as winners. Be sure to get your comments submitted by then.

Go Rockets.

Wondering what's happening with the Toledo Rockets ? Then look no further than our sister site, LetsGoRockets.com.

We've mentioned LGR in the past, but it's been a while so we wanted to make sure that everyone knows where to go for their fix of Rocket gospel.

Looking for stats ? They're on LGR.

Looking for schedules and scores ? They're on LGR.

Looking for opponent insight and Q&As with opponent blogs, including the Miami Herald? They're on LGR.

Looking for dedication and passion about a resurgent Toledo football program ? That's on LGR too.

Looking for great prices on laptops ? I'd hit up TigerDirect.com for that, but when you're done over there, I'd hop over to LGR to read this week's Coop Scoop so you know exactly what the Rockets are up against this weekend and the key to their success week in and week out.

If you're looking for any info on the Toledo Rockets football program, do yourself a favor and point your browser to LetsGoRockets.com. You'll be glad you did.

Go Rockets.

Just a quick note that there will be a bit of tailgating and then a few more familiar voices over the dog pound to cheer on the HOME team today! Bad day to have a red truck, but plenty of blue and gold faithful seen already around town!

GO ROCKETS!

(Image Credit: L8N---thanks!)

I somehow knew MAG had a hand in this.

Nice work!

I found this over at LetsGoRockets. (What a fantastic site).

The authors here at Midnight Blue and Gold spent a game or two watching Pinkel pull out miracle wins and fantastic trick plays. I wasn’t a student at the University yet, but I did make the trip north to visit a friend who helped provide the music at the games during Pinkel’s last season and I must say that hearing that cannon shoot off 10 times in one game, now seems like a distant memory. Pinkel was a great coach and and even better person and gave the community something to be proud of. Here’s to you Gary Pinkel, and to the rest of the 2009 Hall of Fame class. Thank you all for representing the University and the city of Toledo with class.

I couldn't have said it any better myself really, and hope the guys over there keep posting. Such insightful people. That being said, hop over to the site and leave those guys some comments.

Former Toledo Rocket great, Bruce Gradkowski was picked up by the Browns a few weeks back (as JPH recently posted). Sunday, the Browns final game of a disappointing season, Gradkowski will be the starting QB. We're extremely proud and excited for Bruce, having half the Tri attend school at Toledo while Bruce dominated the MAC, setting school record after school record.

Go Bruce!! Go Browns!!

Toledo hired Tim Beckman as head coach Thursday, selecting the Oklahoma State defensive coordinator to take over its football program.

Beckman, a native of Ohio, has spent the past two seasons at Oklahoma State, where his 14th-ranked Cowboys (9-3) gave up 27 points per game this season in the Big 12.

They held Texas to a season-low 28 points but gave up 61 to Oklahoma last week.

"I didn't always have this gray hair," Beckman said. "It just came about in the last couple of months."

Before going to Oklahoma State, Beckman coached defensive backs at Ohio State for two years and spent six seasons as defensive coordinator at Bowling Green, Toledo's rival in the Mid-American Conference.

I didn't see this one coming - and I'm pretty surprised by this. Good luck to Beckman and the Rockets --- I'm still stunned... more to come later, I'm sure.

Update (JPH): Done.

Update (JPH): More from ABC. There is a press conference at 10 AM... rumored that he's out after the seasons and taking a position in the Alumni office.

Tom Amstutz has taken Toledo to four bowl games in eight seasons as the Rockets head coach, but the man affectionately known as "Toledo Tom" will be stepping down as the school's coach in a Monday morning press conference, sources have confirmed.

Amstutz, who is in year four of a five-year deal, will announce his future plans at a joint press conference with Toledo athletic director Mike O'Brien, according to a source inside the program. The 53-year-old former Toledo offensive lineman is being re-assigned within the school's athletic department, sources say.

Holy Mackerel. I didn't expect to see it all come to fruition so fast. As a Toledo football fan, I want to see good football in the Glass Bowl and Tom hasn't been getting in done. I respect what he has done for and with our program, but it's time for change... and it looks like it's coming later today....

Go Rockets.

Congrats to the Rockets on winning the Pontiac Game Changing Performance award for week 7. Keep an eye out at the end of the year, for the voting for the play of the year.

The vote was extremely close. Toledo received 26% of the votes. Two other nominated plays received 25%, while the fourth play received 24%.

The University of Toledo will receive a $5,000 contribution from Pontiac to its general scholarship fund. Additionally, the winning play will be nominated for the Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the Year award and the chance to win a $100,000 general scholarship contribution from Pontiac.

Congrats - and Go Rockets!

I'll take a wild swing here, that I'm not the only Triple Tri-er who misses feeling this way about Toledo football. Whether its beating Marshall in the Glass Bowl to win the MAC, taking Kansas into a thrilling overtime victory, pulling Pittsburgh apart at the seams for an unlikely win, or smashing BGSU that gives you goosebumps and is the focus of your great Toledo football memories --- I'm willing to bet, you'd like to feel like this again.

Hat tip to PhotoDan for the awesome pictures - be sure to check them all out, and leave some love.

Toledo's historic victory over Michigan at the Big House on Oct. 11--as well as the play by senior free safety Tyrrell Herbert that ignited the win-- has caught the attention of the national media. In perhaps the biggest upset in the history of Toledo football, the Rockets stunned Michigan with a 13-10 victory in the Big House, marking the first time a MAC team has defeated the Wolverines. Herbert returned an interception for a 100-yard touchdown in the first quarter, propelling the Rockets to victory and earning Toledo a Pontiac Game Changing Performance nomination.

Take the time to vote for the Rockets for the Pontiac Game Changing Performance Award

First, it was Appalachian State.
Now, it's Toledo.

Toledo Rocket's Barry Church celebrates after defeating the University of Michigan.

by Andrew Weber

Enjoy it while it lasts, Rocket fans... back to the grind on Saturday in the thick of MAC clashes.