2008 Toledo Rockets

[Colonel_Reb]

Here are the likely white starters for 2008.


Offense


QB Aaron Opelt


WR Tim Cortazzo


LT Mike VanDerMuelen


LG Jared Dewalt


C Buster Garrett


RG Kevin Kowalski


RT Chris Meenan





Defense


LB Keith Forestal


DE Sean Wlliamson

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Tom Anstutz to step down as head caoch at the end of the 2008 season.

Toledo, OH (Sports Network) - University of Toledo head football coach Tom Amstutz announced on Monday that he will step down from the post effective at the end of the 2008 season.


Amstutz is set take a position with the school as director of special projects for the alumni relations office, which is slated to begin in January.


"I felt the time was right for me to announce that I will be passing the torch at the end of the season and moving on to some new challenges," Amstutz said. "I love the University of Toledo and have enjoyed my eight seasons as head football coach."


The 53-year-old has led the Rockets to a 2-6 record this season -- which includes a 13-10 victory at Michigan on October 11. Toledo has not posted a winning record since going 9-3 in 2005, and has finished the last two seasons with identical 5-7 marks.


"Tom Amstutz has been one of the most successful football coaches in the history of Toledo football, and he leaves behind a legacy of tremendous accomplishments on the field," noted athletic director Mike O'Brien.


A 1977 graduate from Toledo, Amstutz was named the school's 24th head football coach on December 12, 2000. In his first season in 2001, he guided the team to a MAC championship and a Motor City Bowl victory and a final ranking in the top 25.


Toledo also won the MAC championship in 2004 and appeared in two more bowl games: the Motor City Bowl in 2004 and the GMAC Bowl in 2005.


In all, Amstutz has compiled a 57-38 record with the school. After an open date this Saturday, his tenure will end with contests against Akron, Western Michigan, Miami-Ohio and Bowling Green.


[url]http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetw ork&page=cfoot/news/news.aspx?id=4188904 [/url]

 

[Colonel_Reb]

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<div>DETROIT (AP) - Two Detroit-area businessmen were charged with
paying and giving gifts to basketball and football players at the
University of Toledo to take part in a point-shaving scheme, according
to a federal indictment filed Wednesday.</div>
Six former Toledo players also were accused of taking part in the
alleged scheme by either affecting the outcomes in games or giving the
two businessmen information so that they could place wagers on the
games.

The FBI began investigating point shaving at Toledo four years
ago. They said the scheme began in the fall of 2004 and continued until
2006.

Ghazi Manni, 52, of Sterling Heights and Mitchell Karam,
76, of Troy were charged with conspiracy to influence sporting contests
by bribery.

The pair bet about $407,000 on Toledo basketball games between November 2005 and December 2006, according to the indictment.

The six players also were charged with conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery.

The
indictment charges three former football players: Adam Cuomo, 31,
Harvey "Scooter" McDougle Jr., 24, and Quinton Broussard, 25. Also
charged were former basketball players Keith Triplett, 29, Anton
Currie, 25, and Kashif Payne, 24.

Until now, only three former players at the school had been linked to the allegations.

Former
basketball player Sammy Villegas was charged last June with shaving
points in games during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. He has not
entered a plea, but he is scheduled to be sentenced in June.

Charges against McDougle were dropped earlier as the investigation continued. McDougle has denied involvement.

Documents
unsealed last month in federal court accused Cuomo of recruiting his
teammates and basketball players at the school to take part in the
alleged scheme.

Cuomo told investigators he gave information
about upcoming games to the Detroit gambler and that he introduced
numerous athletes to meet with the gambler, according to documents
filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit.

Messages seeking comment were left Wednesday with Manni's attorney, Neil Fink, and with the university.

Manni has repeatedly said that he knew many football and basketball players at the school, but they did not fix any games.

Triplett
said two years ago that he knew Manni, but was never asked to shave
points. Triplett's attorney, Ray Richards, said Wednesday the former
Toledo player is innocent.

"At this point I have not read (the)
indictment so I really don't have too much information," Richards said.
Triplett is currently playing overseas, he said.

Athletic
officials at Toledo have allowed federal authorities to take the lead
on the investigation. No current players are thought to be involved in
the allegations.

The football and basketball coaches who were at
Toledo when authorities say the scheme took place are now gone.
Athletic officials have said their departures were not tied to the
gambling allegations.

Manni and Karam also were charged Wednesday
along with a former jockey in a separate, 19-count indictment accusing
them of fixing races at a Tampa, Fla., horse track and elsewhere. [url]http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/9493372/Former-Toledo-pla yers-indicted-for-point-shaving?FSO2&amp;ATT=MA [/url]Edited by: Colonel_Reb