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Record: 9-2, 6-2 MAC (Conference champion)
Coach: Tom Amstutz (first season)
Key players: RB Chester Taylor (1,430 yards, 20 TDs), QB Tavares Bolden (68.7 percent completions, 2,331 yards), LB Tom Ward (129 tackles, 8 for loss)
Season summary: After getting left out of the postseason despite a 10-1 record last year and despite losing head coach Gary Pinkel to Missouri, the veteran Rockets put together another banner campaign, capping it with their first MAC championship game win, 41-36 over Marshall at their home stadium. Toledo made a statement to open the season, routing Minnesota 38-7 and won five in a row before falling to Ball State. A blowout loss to Bowling Green after they'd already clinched their division was the only other blemish.
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Team Page
Stats
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Roster
Record: 7-4, 5-2 Conference USA (3rd in league)
Coach: Rick Minter (eighth season)
Key players: QB Gino Guidugli (2,573 yards, 16 TDs), WR/PR LaDaris Vann (1,231 all-purpose yards), DE Antwan Peek (11.5 sacks, 18.5 tackles for loss)
Season summary: The Bearcats lost their starting quarterback, Adam Hoover, in the first game. No matter. Enter Guidugli, a last-minute Cincy signee came on to earn C-USA Freshman of the Year honors. The Bearcats overcame close out-of-conference defeats by Purdue (19-14) and Miami of Ohio (21-14) to win their first three conference games before slipping up against Louisville and East Carolina, the latter a 28-26 heartbreaker. But they rebounded for a crucial 36-34 victory over East Carolina to seal their return trip to Detroit.
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