FalconBlog--Triumphs and Trials in the BGSU Falcon Nation

Rockets beat Falcons

I don't know what to say. More will come in the coming weeks, which will almost certainly be Falcon-free, unless Kent pulls an absolute shocker tomorrow. The Rocket game itself was a great football game--one of those tight games where nearly every play had game-changing consequences. In the end, the Rockets were the better team, and deserved to win the game.

Two factors overrode the entire thing. First, you cannot let the Rockets rush for 284 yards. If they establish that kind of running game, their deadly play action pass game will absolutely be there--you cannot defend it, and you cannot stop it. You will pay if the offense executes, and Bruce is a winner. So, the same run defense that killed us all year killed us again on Tuesday.

Second, our offense just wasn't where it needed to be--and not for a lack of talent. In fact, we may never have had so much talent on that side of the ball in our history. A bunch of things played into that, but before people start talking about scoring 31 points in regulation, etc, let me say why it mattered. It mattered because to win the game, we needed a drive in the last minute to get at least into FG range. It mattered because sticking the ball back into the end zone after the blocked punt might have set us on a course to a rout. It mattered because our defense got tired because our offense couldn't stay on the field.

A winning team takes that drive in the fourth quarter and wins the game on its home field. Why didn't we? First, I am afraid that Omar is a technician, and not a general. If Josh Harris is our QB, he carries the team on his back down the field. If Bruce Gradkowski is our QB, he carries the team down the field if he has to.

Even more disturbing is the overall tenor of the offense. Poor execution. Omar all over the place in the fourth quarter, and with more than enough time to throw. He did all he could to throw a pick, and the Rockets merely failed to oblige. Beyond that, notice the incredibly aggressive and creative offense the Rockets run. They just do not let up, and they find more ways to move the ball than any team I have seen (note they have a new OC...and note that our team used to have that reputation, too). That throwback screen to the TE in the fourth quarter worked as well this year as it did last year. The winning TD was a great use of play action and misdirection to get a guy open in the end zone.

Note that they did NOT do what I fear we would have done---throw a dink pass five yards upfield and hope you can run for the first down.

I'm disappointed, not so much for the Rocket game, but for how the whole season appears to have ended. We'll review it all shortly, once we know its over, but the Rockets continue to have a better program than we have, and that doesn't have to be. We can brag about our accomplishments, but the Meyer/Brandon era continues to have provided one (and almost certainly to stay one) division title, and no MAC Championships.

Up until this year, we were exciting and flashy also-rans. This year we were underachieving, uninteresting, and uninspired also-rans.