FalconBlog--Triumphs and Trials in the BGSU Falcon Nation

Brandon Presser...non-Turner portion

Coach did talk about some other things, based on the official transcript on the bgsu website.

What is the depth chart at QB right now?

"Freddie Barnes and Anthony Turner will compete this spring. Tony Hunter is a walk-on kid in the program that will be involved in the competition. Anthony Turner was a projected starter but he has to earn that spot. He will get some healthy competition from Freddie, Tony and the two young men that we signed who are coming in August. I am looking forward to it because any time you have some new faces it is exciting."

My note: I know they seem high on Freddie Barnes (he was twice scout team MVP, and its my impresion that kind of thing is pretty big). I believe AT will win the job, but I could be wrong. Either way, the competition will be good. My opinion is that AT is going to be an All-MAC QB when all is said and done.

Do you like your schedule next year?

"Yes. I think it is very challenging. I haven't seen it for sure yet. All I know is who we are playing, not necessarily when and where. Wisconsin is still there. We dropped Boise and are going to play them next year."

It is challenging. He doesn't mention OSU, or the extra road game, which can't have been a positive, although if its against Temple, that might be easier than playing against Boise at home. Suffice it to say this: with Wisconsin on the schedule, @ OSU, and @Toledo, and a road game against @Florida International (those long trips are always tough), this young team doesn't have it easy.

Are you expecting headaches in the spring due to the new starters?

"It's fun. Any time there is some uncertainty it creates a little bit of anxiety and anytime there is change it creates fear. I look at it as an exciting time. We can see the Sebo Center going up and it is fun watching the steel being placed and it is just a good time to be at Bowling Green."

OK.

As a coach, how much do you get out of spring practice?

"We will get a lot out of them this spring because there is so much uncertainty at the positions. Generally what you try to accomplish during spring football is if you have a veteran team coming back then you solidify a couple positions and you get to work with guys as far as schemes on both sides of the ball. This spring will be different. We have to learn to block and tackle. It is about going back to basics. With Omar Jacobs obviously we were further along at quarterback then the guys we have now because they do not have that kind of experience. Defensively we will have four returning starters so it is a very fundamentally orientated spring. The blocking and tackling is something we are going to work on and stress."

We have to learn to block and tackle. That's an accurate statement. Especially tackle. Last year's "veteran" team could have used the same thing.

What are some things that you dread?

"I would like to end spring football by playing somebody beside us. I am an advocate of that. That would be fun. By the end of spring ball the guys are a little feisty and want to wack somebody else and you have to fight through that a little bit. It is tough to practice without any football gear on. We practice three times in helmets."

Its an interesting idea. Why not have a closed scrimmage? They do it in basketball.

How much do you hammer home how your season ended?

"After Omar got hurt we lost a few games and then rallied. We beat Kent and Miami on the road and that was a huge win. We almost got it done against the Rockets. To get that game to double-overtime and have a chance to win, there is a lot of positives from that. But obviously the overall record of 6-5 was a disappointment. We talk about that because we see ourselves as being a championship caliber program and again we were a play away from being in the championship last season. There is a lot of positives and I don't dwell too much on the negatives aside from the fact that we want to be better than 6-5 but that team put themselves in a position to play for a championship and just fell a play short. I have had coaches all over the country who have seen that game say "I love the way your team played. They flew around the field. They hit and were aggressive." We just came up a bit short."

"I am telling this team this is a new time now. This is a new group of guys, a really new group of guys, and it is their time to shine. We have been working since January in our off-season winter conditioning. That has been very upbeat, positive and the kids have been focused that way. We are going into phase two, the second quarter we call it, with spring football and we are excited to crank it up tomorrow."

Most Falcon fans will think this underplays how this team should have performed last year, even without Omar, but as much as that feels good, you can't live in the past. What's done is done.

Do you remind them that two goals were not met last year?

"We have set the goals [the MAC Championship and playing in the post-season] here at Bowling Green and we are just going to strive to meet those. That is the standard we have here. We play for championships and want to play in bowl games."

I think everyone would agree with that. We're very young. If we can win the division this year, we're in for a great few years at BGSU.

What about the new facility?

"It is huge. It is definitely something that is needed. It will be a beautiful building. We have been sorely in need of a new facility and this will get us to even par with some of our competitors and it is great that Bob Sebo is stepping up like he is. We have a lot of donors that have stepped up. In fact a former player, Mike Weger just made a donation a few weeks ago. He is just one of many that are a part of this project. It is moving right along and we are excited to be in it in less than a year."

I highly doubt this building will do as much as people think it will. Not that it wasn't needed.

There has been some shifting on the depth chart in the offensive line and is Deaudre Perry back?

"For Drew Nystrom, he is on the left side where he will protect the quarterback, and he is the most experienced tackle that we have. That was a pretty obvious move. Brandon Curtis will be given a chance to play. I think he has a chance to compete to start on the offensive side of the ball. Deaudre is back from a medical condition that he had towards the end of last season. We continue to monitor him and make sure that he is ok and he will be participating in spring drills.

All interesting. Perry back is critical to a very young d-backfield. Lets hope he can last the season. Brandon Curtis moving from NG to C is odd---seems like we had some depth on the line, and lacked it on the D-line.

How important will it be for the defense to have Coach Lovett through the spring?

"It is huge. He has been around these kids through an entire season and this is his first spring. This will be an opportunity without so much pressure to get the defense ready. I know he is excited about that and I am too. John is a proven football coach with a great football mind. Hopefully these young guys will step up through these spring practices and in fall camp. We have time in fall camp to continue to develop our defense and we will continue to do that."

Well, this was the defense for the defense last year---that Coach Lovett didn't have enough time to work with the guys. As with everything, in the end you won't be able to hide from the results.