25 Questions that go, "Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty."

What is their body of work?

This is the golden age of Bobcat football.  In the 20 years before Frank Solich arrived, they had 2 winning seasons.  They had not won the MAC since 1968.  They were simply terrible, most of the time. Starting in 2009, they had 13 straight non-losing seasons.  When Frank left, Tim Albin had a rough year last year but this year they are back.  They are 8-3/6-1. 

Their losses are @Penn State, @Iowa State and @Kent. They have won 6 straight since the Kent game.

OU has won 5 of the last 6 against BG, with BG winning last year 21-10.

How experienced are they?

They have 29 juniors and above on the roster, which is a good amount.

Who are their nationally ranked players?

Kurtis Rourke #8 in completion percentage, #8 in passing efficiency, #9 in passing yards, #11 in total offense, #7 in yards per attempt.

Sam Wilgusz is #6 in receiving TDs.

James Bostic is #10 in yards per reception.

What is their turnover ratio? 

They are +9, which is the hallmark of a team exceeding expectations.

Offense

How is their QB play? (MAC Only from here on in)

Well, Kurtis Rourke is the top QB in the MAC.

Kurtis Rourke also left the previous game injured and while no one knows if he will play, a lot of people in Athens have their doubts.

So, if Rourke plays, he's the best in the MAC.  You can see his rankings above.

The backup is CJ Harris, a R-SO from West Bloomfield. They did finish the win over Ball State with Harris in the game--it was 15-15 from their on in.  He doesn't have the numbers, he's 5 of 12 for the year passing.

There's no way around it.  With Harris, their chances of winning are way less--but they could still do it.

What is their scoring and yards per play

OU is #2 in scoring and #1 in yards per play.

Can they run the ball?

They are #3 in the MAC in yards per rush.

Do they pass the ball?

They lead the MAC in passing efficiency.,.with Rourke.

How is their run/pass balance?

They have a very strong run identity, with runs on 54% of their plays.

Do they convert on 3rd Down?

They are #3 in the MAC at 51%.

Do they score in the red zone?

They are OK at 4.8 points per trip. 

Do they protect the quarterback?

Yes they do. Sacks on 4.4% of pass attempts.  Big challenge for the BG pass rush.

Defense:

Topline: Scoring and yards per play

They are #2 in scoring defense and #10 in yards per play.  This is an incredible gap.

Do they defend the run effectively?

They are ok.  They are #6 in yards per rush against.

Can they be passed on?

They are 8th in defensive pass efficiency.  They allow 64% completions.

Do they get off the field on 3rd down?

Yes.  They are #6 at 36.8

Do they defend in the red zone?

They are decent at 4.9 points per posssession.

Do they pressure the QB?

Not bad, sacks on 6.7% of opponent attempts.

Special Teams:

Punting?

They are 9th in net punting. No TDs allowed and no blocks.

Punt Return?

They get 3 yards a return and no blocks.

Placekicking? 

All games, he's pretty good.  18 of 21 overall, 16 of 17 inside 40.  Long of 55.

Kickoff? 

Opponents start on the 25. No TDs.

Kickoff Return?

They start on the 24, 1 TD.

Intangible Miscellany

So, OU is a good team and this is a big game.  Dave Briggs had a nice story today about the tie breakers if BG wins...because Buffalo will probably play one fewer game.  He was in full irritation mode, this time drawing out the neck veins of MAC Commission Jon Steinbrecher.

OU is a 6.5 point favorite.  Honestly, when you look at the numbers, this is a team riding a great QB and a huge turnover differential.  If Rourke doesn't play or is limited and BG takes care of the ball, and executes like it did last week, this game can be highly competitive.  This is not a great defensive team and if BG can execute on offense, we have a shot at being in this game.

And then we can worry about the tie breakers.

It won't be easy.  You come off a rivalry game with high emotions and a big finish, and now you head on the road again against a good team and you have to pull that kind of effort up again.  It will largely be a test of leadership to get the focus back.  With the win, BG hits 6-2 in MAC play, something none of us thought was possible.

So thrilling to be anticipating a game in November.  And to have a chance to win the division title, after all that.  LFG.