Leap Day........Special Day in the Falcon Nation

I don't want you to think that I know all of our coach's birthdays, because, you know, that's kind of creepy or something. But its easy to remember Coach Brandon's.....because its on Leap Day! We can only celebrate it every four years....He's 52 today (you know its a multiple of four), or he's 13, depending how you look at it.

Quiet Week

Its a quiet week in the Falcon Nation, my home town (oh, sorry, that's another show). Anyway, with hoops off until Senior/no-Senior day at Anderson Arena with the best team in the MAC visiting, and the season in mop up mode, there hasn't been much to talk about.

The football schedule was supposed to be released today, but was not, spawning a huge amount of conspiracy theories, given that BG fans feel they got hosed the last time this happened. Let's assume not, until we actually hear.

Falcons Win Bracket Buster

The Falcons won their bracket buster match up 81-65 yesterday with a welcome victory over the Detroit Titans. It was a road win (Callahan can be a tough place to play, but they had an Anderson-like 1,000 fans in attendance), although against a 7-20 whose top 2 players are out. We'll take it.

It was never especially tight. We led the game's last 32 minutes without interruption. We ballooned our lead to double digits midway through the second half, and that was how it rolled.

We only turned the ball over eight times, which is nice, and shot 48%. Moten had 18 and Jakubowski 17. Chris Knight had a double double. We outrebounded them 45-32.

We now get a nice break until Saturday when Kent comes to AA. We are now 12-14 with three games left. A .500 is virtually impossible. It would be nice to win one more regular season game heading into the MAC tourney, and it would be sweet for us to gather up the kind of performance we do from time to time and get a win at the Gund as a springboard for next season.

As for the MAC, there were 11 bracket buster games yesterday, and we won six of them. 2 stand out particularly, as OU beat a good George Mason team in Athens, and Kent went on the road and beat #23 St. Mary's by 8. Very impressive win for Kent, which has yet another powerhouse team in what is becoming a storied run in the history of MAC basketball.

Akron finally lost their home winning streak, losing to a very good VCU team at the JAR. Miami played Valpo to OT on the road before losing. UT lost at home to Delaware.

Some of our teams were more in the bracket bruiser, rather than the bracket buster. How bad is Youngstown State to lose to Buffalo by 13?

Of all the things you did not think you would see.....

Well, I think when Dan Dakich exited stage left from Anderson Arena last March, one thing we didn't expect to see was him coaching Indiana--even on an interim basis--the very next year. It looked even more unlikely when he didn't land a coaching job at all, and went to Indiana as the Director of Basketball Operations. But, he found himself on the bench, and then found himself the only guy who wasn't tainted by the scandal, and he'll coach the Hoosiers for the rest of the season.

My initial reaction was that this was a great opportunity for him, but we know learn that six of the players skipped his first practice. If he can put the team back together, and make any kind of run, I think he at least positions himself to return to head coaching next year. But, if the team splinters, perhaps not.

Nonetheless, the sight of DD prowling the Big 10 sidelines this winter has got to shock any Falcon fan, no matter how bizarre the circumstances.

I'm rooting for him.

Hoopsters Lose Again

The long slog through February continues for the hoopsters, who are really struggling to break through right now. They lost at OU 69-48 on Tuesday, after being tied at halftime. Not too much to say really. We just don't have the horses to beat a pretty good team like OU on the road.

Since we won the road game at Ball State, we have lost 5 out of 6, with our only win being over the Rockets. Candidly, with four games left on the schedule and three on the road, things are looking like a tough end to the season. And the home game is Kent. We could win at Buffalo, they aren't very good.

We're 11-14 now, so to finish .500, we'd have to win out, which places another losing season in our record.

Some things are showing progress, and I am hopeful for the program. But, right now, I think we are a team that people can figure out how to beat, and we lack consistent scoring from anyone on the team. This was going to be a hard year....with Samarco, Marschall and Hamblett now gone off what was already a team that didn't win very many games last year.

Let's stay behind our Falcons, and root for the day the House Roars Again.

Ryan's MAC Power Rankings

Ryan has his power rankings for the MAC in his Blog....can't say I disagree too much. We are 8 and falling, while UT is nine, but has three homes games left coming down the stretch. We're in the middle the pack for the MAC, so maybe a decent draw and at least one win in the tourney.

Falcons Lose to Zips at Anderson 65-56

We lost a game at Anderson yesterday to a pretty good basketball team in the Akron Zips--a team that ripped us at their place. There were 2,000 in Anderson, as the crowds slowly inch back up, but Akron did end up getting the win.

We played a pretty tough game. Early in the second half, Akron was up 10, but then we went on a 10-0 run and tied the game with 13:56 left. A tight game then ensued for the next ten minutes or so, and BG actually held a one point lead with 2:31 left. With 1:12 left we were down one needing a stop, when we got a Moten foul on Nick Dials while he was trying a three. Dials nailed all three free throws to take a four point lead inside of a minute, and it was over from there.

That's what winning teams do.

We seemed to fall into some bad habits. We committed 20 fouls and 18 turnovers, and shot only 50% from the free throw line. We were 3-16 from 3-point range.

We stayed in the game by getting some good results on the defensive end, as Akron shot only 38% for the game. And, we had a nice day on the boards, winning the rebounding battle. But, we had enough problems that we opened the door for the Zips, and they closed the deal, like good teams do.

We lack a consistent scorer. Moten came up with 15 points, and Miller and Knight were in double figures. We played real small most of the game, as Larson and Polk together only managed 37 minutes.

Next up is OU in Athens, a really tough assignment.

Falcon Roundup

Things have been quiet on the blogging front if not the Falcon front, and I have, like many, been sharing in sorrow for our conference brethren at NIU. What a nightmare.

Here is some Falcon news....

We lost to Eastern on the road Wednesday in hoops. It seemed like a typical MAC road game. We committed too many fouls and let them shoot too many open 3s, and the beat us. Today we play Akron at Anderson--our first rematch of the season. They are a really good team that drilled us at the JAR, but its a good test for our guys. We have Akron, OU, kent and Miami coming home (along with more winnable games against Buffalo and Detroit), so the schedule is rough coming down the home stretch. But, its a work in progress.

Former Buffalo Football Coach Jim Hofher will coach our QBs. He has a long pedigree developing QBs, and this is a good hire for us. I'm not sure how long he will stay, but we needed someone like him to replace Mick McCall who was a great coach for our QBs. I'm looking forward to seeing Tyler develop under his tutelage. With our coaching turnover, he might even figure he's got a shot to be coordinator relatively soon. I don't worry about the fact that he didn't succeed at Buffalo--I think he might have just coached there a little soon.

Six Dead Now in DeKalb

Pray for the grieving....

Prayers Go Out

My heart and prayers--and, I am sure, those of the entire Falcon Nation--go out to our brethren at NIU. Let us hope that loss of life is kept to a minimum, and those who are left can live in peace.

Brandon Gets Raise, Three Year Extension

Old news, but last week while I was out, Coach Brandon was rewarded with a three-year contract extension worth about $200K per year. That puts him under contract for the next four seasons at BGSU. Most fans expected (without reason) a two year extension, but I think there is reason to think that for what we pay a coach, we might have quite a bargain in a guy who can coach and seems to want to be here.

So, unless he leaves to coach elsewhere, he will coach here until the end of the 2011 season, at a minimum. No idea what the buyout is in his contract, but those don't always seem to hold much water.

I have agonized over the coaching as much as anyone here, but he's really only had one disappointing year, and that was 2006.

Let us head to the MAC title.

Falcons Beat Toledo

That makes it three in a row over the Rockets (football, men's hoops and women's hoops.) Just sayin!

Anyway, it was a nice win over a team that has lost 15 in a row on the road. A +10 run in the last five minutes of the first half put us up 12, and then we were up 15 early in the second half. Predictably, though, the Rockets began to rally, and had it down to 2 with 9:45 left. Our assistant coaches in the post game told us that Coach Orr challenged the team at that point to hold the lead, and between 8:10 and 2:34 we scored 10 straight points to put the game away.

Really, it was very encouraging. The Rockets are not very good, but they were hot and they were pressuring us, and we held our composure, D'd up big time, and made the plays we needed to win the game.

And, lo and behold, look who made 8 of the 10 points as we were pulling away--Otis Polk, then who has badly struggled shooting, even very close to the basket. His monster dunk got the crowd going, but he made free throws, and made big plays all through this period. Just the kind of production we needed, just when we needed it....Go Otis!!

• Otis LU
• Jakubowski 2 FT
• Otis DUNK
• Otis 2 FTs
• Otis transition layup.

Other games notes:

Although only 2,400, it was our biggest crowd in a long time.
Miller went 21/11 for a double-double. He is finishes better near the basket than anyone on the team.
Chris Knight had 10 points, though he still is not consistently scoring. You can see the player in him.
Otis blocked four shots, too.
We shot 54%, UT shot 35%. They won the battle of 3's 9 to 4, and that kept them in the game. (UT is the worst team in the MAC from the field).
We hit 76.5% of our free throws, improving our odds greatly.
We had 40 points in the paint. UT had 14 (Are you kidding me?)

So, a nice win over our rivals for the Falcons, we are now 11-11 and 6-4. Next up is @EMU, a winnable game if we play well.

Falcons win!

Tip off at aa with rockets.

And 1--Falcons Add Mr. Football

Mr. Football from Ohio, QB Bart Tanski of Mentor is coming to BG. As a walk in. He turned down some FCS/I-AA schollies to walk on at BG. Yes, its right. He's only 6'2" and has fallen victim to the tape measure school of scouting. On the other hand, maybe he IS too short.

Either way, I'm glad we are the ones who are going to find out. (info from azz.com).

Falcon Recruiting Class

First, I have some sad news. Terrell Prior is not coming to Bowling Green. We will solider on.

No, seriously, the class has been announced. We added 18 players....

In fact, the same 18 the Blade had earlier this week.

So, with no surprises, here is the rundown....

Andrew Beam, QB, 6-4, 230, Escalon, California (Escalon) (San Joaquin Delta)
Junior College: Spent two years at San Joaquin Junior College where he earned first team All-Conference honors his second season. High School: Is a 2006 graduate of Escalon High ... coached by Mark Lourerio ... in his two years as a starting quarterback the team went 23-4 ... his senior season he completed 72% of his passes for 1800 yards and 20 touchdowns ... earned second team All-State and first team All-District his senior season ... also lettered in basketball ... team captain. Personal: Full name -- Andrew Benjamin Beam ... born Dec. 11, 1987 ... son of Ben and Terri Beam ... has two sisters and a brother ... plans to major in education.

Jonathan Davis, DB, 5-11, 170, Ravenna, Ohio (Ravenna)
High School: Will graduate from Ravenna High School this May ... coached by Jim Lunardi ... was the Ravens 2007 Offensive Player of the Year ... a first team All-Portage Trail Conference (PTC) his senior season ... was team captain ... earned four letters in track. Personal: Full name -- Jonathan Michael Davis ... born Sept. 10, 1989 ... son of Michael Coney and Stacy Davis ... father played football for the Miami University RedHawks ... undecided in a major.

Winston Etheridge, DL, 6-2, 254, Cleveland, Ohio (Glenville)
High School: Will graduate from Glenville High School this June ... coached by Ted Ginn Sr. ... earned four letters. Personal: Full name -- Winston Tilman Etheridge III ... born April 6, 1989 ... son of Winston Etheridge and Deidra Mumford ... has two sisters ... plans to major in electrical technology.

Tim German, OL, 6-5, 300, Newark, Ohio (Licking Valley)
High School: Will graduate from Licking Valley High School in May ... was a two-time All-Ohio member (2006-07) ... led his team to a state runner-up finish his senior season ...team captain ... coached by Randy Baughman. Personal: Full name -- Timothy Daniel German ... born Sept. 21, 1989 ... son of Robert and Mary German ... has two brothers ... currently undecided in a major.

DeMark Jenkins, WR, 6-3, 202, Gary, Indiana (West Side)
High School: Will graduate from West Side High School in June ... coached by Eugene Johnson ... team captain ... named All-State Honorable Mention in 2007 ... earned All-Conference in 2007 ... also lettered in baseball and basketball. Personal: Full name -- DeMark Lee Jenkins ... born on June 6, 1989 ... son of Donald Jenkins and Debbie Thurman ... has four sisters ... undecided in a major.

Robert Lorenzi, DB, 5-9, 170, Concord, California (Clayton Valley) (Laney)
Junior College: Spent two seasons at Laney College ... had 14 interceptions in two seasons ... earned first team All-Conference in 2007. High School: Is a 2006 graduate of Clayton Valley High School ... earned first team All-Conference (BVAL) in his senior season. Personal: Full name -- Robert Ray Lorenzi ... born July 10, 1988 ... son of Ricco Lorenzi and Sylvia Lindstrom ... is currently undecided in a major.

Casey McHugh, OL, 6-6, 275, San Francisco, California (Archbishop Riordan) (City College of San Francisco)
Junior College: Spent two seasons at the City College of San Francisco ... earned honorable mention all-league in his sophomore season. High School: Is a 2006 graduate of Archbishop Riordan High School ... earned two letters for head coach Frank Oross ... was a team captain ... earned first team All-League (WCAL) his senior season ... was named the team's Most Outstanding Lineman his senior campaign ... also lettered in track. Personal: Full name -- Casey Michael McHugh ... born Aug. 26, 1987 ... son of Michael and Renee McHugh ... has one sister ... is majoring in film studies.

Keith Morgan, DB, 6-0, 195, Bellefontaine, Ohio (Bellefontaine)
High School: Will graduate from Bellfontaine High School in June ... was named the Central Buckeye Conference (CBC) MVP his senior season, scoring 23 touchdowns ... also earned first team All-Ohio honors his senior campaign ... as a junior he had 17 scores and chipped in with five interceptions, earning first team honors on the CBC and All-District squads ... also lettered in track ... team captain ... coached by Jason Brown. Personal: Full name -- Keith Antoine Morgan ... born Dec. 24, 1989 ... son of Brian and Cheriesse Morgan ... has three brothers and one sister ... currently undecided in a major.

Aaron Pankratz, QB, 6-6, 220, Sagamore Hills, Ohio (Nordonia)
High School: Will graduate from Nordonia High School this May ... coached by Jason Hall ... as a senior threw for 2,200 yards and 27 touchdowns ... was the North East Ohio Conference (NEOC) River Division Offensive MVP ... First Team NEOC ... Akron Beacon Journal first team All-Conference ... Cable 9 Player of the Year ... also led his team to an 11-2 overall record and a first place finish in the NEOC as a senior ... was team captain ... also earned two letters in basketball. Personal: Full name -- Aaron Robert Pankratz ... born Feb. 1, 1990 ... son of Robert and Jodi Pankratz ... has one brother ... undecided in a major.

Gerald Phillips, K, 6-1, 195, Green Springs, Ohio (Clyde)
High School: Will graduate from Clyde High School in June ... kicked for head coach Marc Gibson ... team went 38-10 in his four years as the team's kicker ... senior season made seven-of-ten field goals and 49 of 55 extra points ...first team All-Ohio ... was first team All-Sandusky Bay Conference ... was also first team All-Toledo Blade and Northwest District ... team captain. Personal: Full name -- Gerald Jeffrey Phillips ... born Dec. 1, 1989 ... son of Jeff Phillips and Peggy Lieske ... has one brother ... majoring in computer science.

Marquese Quiles, DB, 6-0, 170, Sugar Hill, Georgia (North Gwinnett)
High School: Will graduate from North Gwinnett High School in May ... team went 24-4 his last two seasons ... had seven interceptions his senior season ... blocked 10 kicks in his junior and senior season ... named to the 2007 Gwinnett Touchdown Club All-Star Team ... also lettered in track and wrestling. Personal: Full name -- Marquese James Quiles ... born Aug. 8, 1990 ... son of William and Barbara Quiles ... has two brothers ...currently undecided in a major.

Lane Robilotto, DB, 6-1, 176, Painesville, Ohio (Riverside)
High School: Graduated from Riverside High School in December ... is currently enrolled at BGSU ... earned All-State honors his senior season, recording 50 tackles and five interceptions ... had seven interceptions as a junior, once again, earning All-State honors ... also lettered in basketball ... team captain ... coached by Matt Jordan and Ryan Wolfe. Personal: Full name -- Lane Rapheal Robilotto ... born Feb. 24, 1990 ... son of Rich and Tracey Robilotto ... father played hockey at Clarkson University ... has one sister ... plans to major in international business.

Charles Robinson, OL, 6-6, 340, Middletown, Ohio (Middletown)
High School: Will graduate from Middletown High School in June ... earned All-State honors in both his junior and senior seasons ... offensive team MVP in 2007 ... also lettered in basketball and track ... coached by Dick Martin and Ron Johnson ... team captain. Personal: Full name -- Charles Gregory Robinson ... born Aug. 11, 1989 ... son of Lenny Robinson and Beth Marchant ... has one brother ... undecided in a major.

Adrien Spencer, DB, 6-0, 175, Fort Wayne, Indiana (Bishop Luers)
High School: Will graduate from Bishop Luers in May ... 2007 first team All-State, All-Area and All-Conference (SAC) ... had 27 receptions for 430 yards and nine touchdowns ... also had 60 tackles and four interceptions as a senior helped lead his team to a state championship ... also lettered in basketball. Personal: Full name -- Adrien Isiah Spencer ... born Feb. 2, 1990 ... son of Parnell and Tonia Spencer ... has two brothers and one sister ... brother Anthony plays for the Dallas Cowboys ... undecided in a major.

Marc Stevens, OL, 6-5, 300, Mansfield, Ohio (Lexington)
High School: Will graduate from Lexington High School in June ... as a senior was named NorthWest District co-Lineman of the Year ... earned first team honors in District and Conference ... earned second team All-Ohio honors ...team captained ... coached by BJ Payne ... also lettered in track. Personal: Full name -- Marc Christopher Stevens ... born Sept. 20, 1989 ... son of Robert and Melanie Stevens ... has two sisters ...majoring in electronics and computer technology.

Anthony Stover, LB, 6-2, 200, Akron, Ohio (Northwest)
High School: Will graduate from Northwest High School in May ... as a senior the Indians went 12-1 overall and 10-0 in the Northeastern Buckeye Conference ... coached by Vic Whiting ... was a first team All-Ohio member ... was named Northeastern Buckeye Conference MVP ... was the A.P. Division III All-Ohio Defensive Player of the Year ... team captain ... also lettered in track. Personal: Full name -- Anthony Wayne Stover ...born Oct. 13, 1989 ... son of Terrie Higbee ... has one brother and one sister ... undecided in a major.

Nicholas Tuminello, DE, 6-4, 225, Boardman, Ohio (Boardman)
High School: Will graduate from Boardman High School in June ... earned first team All-Conference (Federal League) his senior season ... was a participant of the 2008 Ohio North/South All-Star Team ...team captain ... coached by D.J. Ogilvie ... also lettered in basketball. Personal: Full name -- Nicholas J. Tuminello ... born Jan. 23, 1990 ... son of James and Debra Tuminello ... has three brothers ... brother Chris played at Toledo (1998-2003) ... brother Kevin played at Georgia Tech (2003-07) ... father played football at Southwestern State and Slippery Rock ... is currently undecided in a major.

Blaec Walker, OL, 6-5, 315, Middletown, Ohio (Middletown)
High School: Will graduate from Middletown High School in June ... earned three letters for head coach Ron Johnson ... earned first team All-State and second team All-American his senior season ... earned All-Conference honors for two seasons ... team captain ... also lettered in track and wrestling. Personal: Full name -- Blaec Edward Walker ... born Feb. 28, 1990 ... son of Darrell Walker and Davetta Wilkinson ... dad played baseball at Eastern Michigan and Wright State ... relative of Dan Wilkinson, the NFL's first overall draft pick in 1994 ... has one brother and one sister ... undecided in a major.

Falcon Tidbits

We're playing Detroit in the Bracket Buster. Woohoo. Really, its pretty stupid. What was cool about the Bracket Buster was we usually got to play someone different--even if it was Morehead State. But, we've had home and homes with Detroit a bunch of times.

And, of course, signing day is tomorrow. I don't think you will see much news here, since the class seems locked. But, we'll take a look at the releases as they come out.

Men's Basketball Struggles on Road

It is not terribly surprising to see that we struggled on the road against WMU, a good team that is very tough in their arena. They shot out to a 7-0 lead and then finished the half on a 7--0 run, lead by 13, and the game never got closer than that again.

For today, its nothing more than the story of a superior team beating us on their floor.

When you score 50 points, it is tough to win. Can't get much more clear than that. This team has had scorers step up from time to time, but never consistently. 40% FG shooting and only 63% from the line combined with 14 turnovers and 2-13 from 3, and you simply have too many unproductive trips down the floor.

Not much to dwell on here. We're 5-3, and have a real chance to win home games against CMU and UT this week, and be 7-3 in the MAC. At that point, we'd head back into the East, and things get somewhat tougher. I think that Coach Orr is getting as much as anyone could out of these players, and I look forward to seeing him work with more talent in coming years.

Football Recruiting via the Blade.....

Ryan at the Blade has an excellent article on football recruiting. As you know, the coaches can't comment on specific players, but they talk to Ryan about recruiting Ohio, since this is an Ohio heavy class. Also, clearly we are looking to restock on the O-line. Many Falcon fans think this came a year late, since you have to replace linemen far into the future, because they almost always redshirt.

With that in mind, note this from a recruiting expert:

"BG always does a really good job, though they might not get the credit that's due," said Jeremy Crabtree, national recruiting editor for Rivals.com. "They continue to turn out high quality kids and develop players. They know what they're doing. They have a style of play they go after, and it's paying off."

They know what they're doing? Ya think? I think this is an excellent point. We never seemed to rank high on the ratings, but the team remains competitive.

Finally, much as people will pretend they care about who the O-line is, we all know that most fans are fixated on QB. The article says that JUCO Andrew Beam has been told he can compete with Tyler Sheehan for starting QB.

Here's the list the Blade ran today:

• Winston Etheridge, DE, 6-3, 245, Cleveland Glenville
• Tim German, OL, 6-5, 300, Newark Licking Valley
• DeMark Jenkins, WR, 6-2, 190, Gary (Ind.) West Side
• Keith Morgan, DB, 6-1, 195, Bellefontaine
• Aaron Pankratz, QB, 6-6, 220, Macedonia Nordonia
• Jerry Phillips, K, 6-2, 200, Clyde
• *Lane Robilotto, DB, 6-1, 180, Painesville Riverside
• Chip Robinson, OL, 6-7, 340, Middletown
• Marc Stevens, OL, 6-6, 295, Lexington
• Blaec Walker, OL, 6-5, 315, Middletown
• John Davis, DB, 5-10, 170, Ravenna
• Andrew Beam, QB, 6-4, 230, Stockton (Calif.) San Joaquin Delta CC
• *Casey McHugh, OL, 6-6, 274, City College of San Francisco
• Nick Tuminello, DE, 6-4, 220, Youngstown Boardman
• Adrien Spencer, DB, 5-11, 180, Fort Wayne (Ind.) Bishop Luers
• *Robert Lorenzi, DB, 5-9, 190, Concord (Calif.) Laney JC
• Marquese Quiles, DB, 5-11, 159, Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett
• Tony Stover, LB, 6-3, 200, Akron Northwest

*Enrolled at BGSU for spring semester

Broncos Today

We have a tough contest against West leading WMU tonight. Having said that, its another chance for our team to prove itself.

We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. Its a game by game proposition.

Having said that....

• We are 8-26 in the MAC for the last two seasons.
• This year, we are currently without three of last year's four top scorers.
• We're 5-2 in the MAC.

JUCO QB Reported to be in Fold

Azz.com is reporting that JUCO QB Andrew Beam, who was a teammate of Jermiah Kelly, a WR for BG last year, has signed to play here, to replace Anthony Glaud as the backup QB to Sheehan. For more info, check this post here....