Falcons Win #7, Beat Buffalo on Road

The Falcons came out yesterday in Buffalo, against a team playing for a MAC East title, and simply handled that team. It was probably our best performance of the season, and shows us as a team that is playing really well last night.

I'm proud of our team and our program.

As far as game flow, we scored on our first drive, and then they scored 10 points to end the first quarter ahead. We tied it early on with a FG, and then began to dominate. Tyler hit Freddie in the flat, and he went 44 yards down the sideline for a TD. About 4:00 later, Tyler caught their safeties cheating up and went over the top to Chris Wright who was WIIIIIDDDEEE OPPPPPEEEEEN for an 83 yard TD. We're up 24-10 at halftime.

Buffalo gets the ball to start the second half. We get good kickoff coverage and hold them to the 20. After a three and out (including a sack) and a lousy punt, we're in business again. We run the AT-throwback to Tyler play, it works for a 25 yard TD, and its 31-10.

Buffalo fought back, getting their big play guys involved. They scored a TD about two minutes later, and then were at our 6 looking to make it 31-24. Here, BG came up with another goal line stand. They ran Starks twice in a row, and our defense held him to 5 yards. Then, on third down from the 1, the QB tried to run and got tackled on the 3. Buffalo opted to go for it on fourth, and Drew Willy hit Roosevelt, his best receiver on a slant, but Glen Stanley, emerging as a big play force on D, planted the receiver and that was that.

Ballgame. Not just a win, but an emphatic win, and a strong win where we really beat someone.

From nearly every perspective, it was the kind of performance we needed. For example:

• No, the defense wasn't dominating. But, during the first half, we ran a period of 3-4 straight stops, and held Starks to 137 yards, but that included one 63 yard run. On a carry for carry basis, we kept him from dominating the game. And they only scored once after the first quarter....and they only had 17 first downs. The defense did enough for us to win the game.
• How about next year when John Haneline and Glen Stanley will both be at LB for us?
  
• Tyler was as strong as he usually is. 20-29, 2 TDS, no INT, 248 yards, and 2 sacks. Note that we aren't forcing him to throw 45 times anymore, but he is accurate, moving the ball. He also hit a long ball for the first time this year, that I recall.
• All hail Anthony Turner! Perhaps the best discovery of our three game winning streak, Anthony Turner is becoming a dominant player with the ball in his hands. Yesterday, he ran 22 times for 97 yards (4.4 average), threw a TD pass, caught four passes and laid a killer block (according to the Blade) on Freddie's TD. His ability to run the ball allowed us to cut Tyler's throws back, and to have some diversity in our offense. (Willie is not effective due to injury, Macon didn't get any carries, and Bullock only carried twice). If we didn't have AT, I think it is safe to say we're in deep trouble.
• Freddie caught ten passes for 113 yards and a TD.
• No turnovers.
• 11:33 TOP in the fourth quarter.

All in all, an accomplished performance by a team that is really playing well. Now, we need to beat the Rockets, and head to a bowl game. (All the talk seems to be that we are probably in a bowl game now, but the program needs to head there with a win over the Rockets on our field).

A lot of doubts and anxiety have been expressed over this program over the past couple of years. But, for the first time, I am convinced we are on the road back. And, with most of our players back, we should be positioned to win the MAC next year.

Roll along....