Sweet Victory #9: Recap

When BG walked onto the field in Muncie last night, it was a lot more difficult situation than it appeared to be.  The place was practically empty...thank God BSU has a band...announced crowd was 5,201.  So, place is empty, nothing really to play for, coming off a big loss with a big game coming up.  This is just one of those thngs.

Digression.  I remember in 2010 watching BG finish the season at home against WMU in similar weather and WMU just bludgeoning us.  Long day, so high five to the true BSU fans in their seats last night.

So, you want to get out of Muncie with a win you don't have to sweat over.  And BG got that done, beating Ball State 48-10 to head to a Ford Field on a positive note.  BG is 3-1 for November and the Falcons showed they could win a game after clinching the division.

It wasn't the most powerful or outstanding victory we have had all year.  But it was an easy win that was really never in doubt and that is what BG needed and got.

BG won the opening toss and took the ball, as they usually do.  However, BG went 3 and out and punted.  Ball State two long third downs and were on the march when their true FR QB threw a pick to Dernard Turner and BG was in business, scoring on a third down pass from Matt Johnson to Hunter Folkersma.  Conversion was missed, 6-0.

BG's defense played much better from then on, getting nice pressure on the QB and forcing him into tough situations.  BG started on their own 2, and went the length of the field in 11 plays, featuring a 34-yard reverse to Ronnie Moore to get the ball into scoring position.  BG was up 13-0.  BG's defense got 2 more stops before BG scored again and it was 20-0.

BG drove to the Ball State 16 before failing to convert on 4th down and Ball State had a chance to score before halftime.  It had looked like 27-0 but might possibly end up 20-7 in one of those momentum changes you get in football.  Ball State was moving the ball pretty easily on the run, was inside the 40 with less than 2 minutes left (they were really bleeding clock) when Alphonso Mack got the game's 3rd pick and ran it back to the Cardinal 39.

BG took over with 1:17 on the clock and scored :50 later to finish off the Cardinals.

The second half was just the job of finishing it.  Travis Greene had a SportsCenter run for a TD along the way.  Then, in the final seconds, BG was on its own 5 and looking to run the clock out.  They handed the ball to Matt Domer and I just don't get the idea anyone on Ball State's team was too interested in doing anything and he sprinted 95 yards for the game's last score.

Anyway, BG got done what they had to get done.  Even with 48 points, this is not the offense BG was putting up earlier in the year.  Johnson had a good completion percentage, but BG averaged only 9.2 yards per completion, which is well below what we were getting earlier in the year.  Maybe the competition is tougher, maybe it is the wind and the weather.  Who knows, but BG has mostly been taking the sideline routes and screen passes of late.

Perhaps being indoors in Detroit will open things up.  The hope is that we aren't facing some kind of scheme that we can't out do.

Oh, yeah.  Speaking of Detroit...you know by now that NIU lost at home to OU.  Didn't expect that to happen...so that means that if UT wins on Friday, BG will get a rematch with the Rockets.  We haven't been able to beat them on their field or ours, so maybe a neutral field will be what the doctor ordered.