The University of Toledo football team was picked to win the Mid-American Conference’s West Division and the 2015 Marathon MAC Championship Game in voting by members of the league’s media contingent.
The annual preseason poll was released today at the conference’s 2015 Football Media Day held at Ford Field in Detroit.
The Rockets received 11 first-place votes and a total of 121 points in the annual poll, just one point ahead of second-place Western Michigan, which had eight first-place votes. Defending MAC West Champion Northern Illinois (113 points) was picked third, with Ball State (66), Central Michigan (56) and Eastern Michigan (28) rounding out the West.
Bowling Green was picked to repeat as MAC East Division Champion, with Ohio and Akron tied for second place.
Toledo Head Coach Matt Campbell welcomes back 46 letter winners and 15 starters from last year’s team that went 9-4 overall, 7-1 in conference play. The Rockets shared the West Division title and chalked up an impressive 63-44 win over Arkansas State in the GoDaddy Bowl.
The Rockets offense will be paced by junior running back Kareem Hunt, who rushed for 1,631 yards and 16 touchdowns in 10 games last season. Wide receivers Corey Jones, with 842 yards and five touchdowns and Alonzo Russell, with 770 yards receiving and eight touchdowns, provide the Rockets with additional threats at the skill positions.
Defensively, Toledo returns eight starters, including defensive end Trent Voss, who had 77 tackles and 15 tackles for loss in 2014, and a pair of All-MAC tackles, senior Orion Jones and junior Treyvon Hester.
The Rockets will open the season at home vs. Stony Brook Thursday, Sept. 3, and then travel to Southeastern Conference opponent Arkansas Saturday, Sept. 12.
