The International Centre for Special Teams Research

Welcome back to the latest edition of the International Centre for Special Teams Research.  If you want to see how all this started, you can read the originating post here, but here is the basic idea: it isn't the small yardage differences that you are really worried about.

If you typically have 35 net yards on a punt, you don't really care if it is 31 or 39. What matters is when it is 20 or 50, or when a game changing  (or influencing) play (touchdown, turnover, block) occurs. I established a broad range of typical results.  These are worth no points because they are what you expect a MAC team to do.  Positive plays are worth points (from 1 to 6) and negative plays are worth negative points (-1 to -6).

It was our beset special teams game since the Missouri game, and in terms of positive plays, it was our best game.  BG had two blocked punts, which were essential to the Falcons winning the game.  At the same time, BG had an roughing the kicker penalty and a fumbled punt, which balances out the positive plays.  However, some key kickoff and punt plays were enough to give BG a +13 for the game.

So, let's take a look at the particulars

Bowling Green Positive (+13)

UB Kickoff returned to BG 42 (+1)

BG punt inside Buffalo 20 (+1)

BG blocked punt (+3)

BG Kick off touchback (+1)

BG kickoff returned to UB 19 (+1)

UB Kickoff returned to BG 37 (+1)

BG punt inside UB 20 (+1)

BG blocked punt (+3)

BG Kickoff returned to UB 15 (+1)

Bowling Green Negative (-9)

BG Roughing the kicker (-3)

UB Kickoff returned to BG 18 (-1)

BG misses XP (-1)

BG punt 18 yard net (-1)

BG Punt fumbled and lost (-3)

Bowling Green Neutral

BG Kickoff returned to UB 20

BG XP

UB Kickoff returned for 41 yard net

BG 34 yard FG

BG kickoff returned to UB 26

UB Kickoff returned to BG 25

BG Punt 39 yard net

BG Xp

BG xp

BG kickoff returned to UB 26

Buffalo has had special teams troubles all year, and this one was no exception. To an extent, even recovering the Geter fumble is a little bit of a gift and a 2-XP is almost not special teams.  Meanwhile, in addition to the blocked punts, Buffalo had a parade of ordinary plays that they did not get done.

Buffalo Positive (+6)

UB Kickoff returned to BG 18 (+1)

UB recovers BG fumbled punt (+3)

UB 2-XP (+1)

UB Punt 46 yard net (+1)

Buffalo Negative (-12)

UB Kickoff returned to BG 42 (-1)

Blocked Punt (-3)

BG Kickoff returned to UB 19 (-1)

UB Kickoff returned to BG 37 (-1)

BG punt 54 yard net with penalty on UB (-1)

Blocked punt (-3)

Bg kickoff returned to UB 8 with penalty (-1)

UB punt 17 yard net after penalty (-1)

Buffalo Neutral

BG kickoff returned to UB 20

UB Xp

UB Xp

UB xp

UB kickoff returned for 41 yard net

BG kickoff returned to UB 26

UB Kickoff returned to BG 25

UB Punt 39 yard net

UB punt 37 yard net

BG Kickoff returned to UB 26

On the season, BG had only its second plus game of the year.  BG had its highest positive points, though a -9 is pretty bad as you look back at the season.

Positive	Negative	Net
Troy	+3	-5	-2
Missouri	+10	-5	+5
Marshall	+2	-6	-4
Boise	0	-4	-4
OU	+8	-12	-4
Kent	+7	-11	-4
BSU	+6	-9	-3
CMU	+2	-5	-3
@UB	+13	-9	+4
Total	+51	-66	-15

When looking at opponent's plays, this is the second time a team has had a negative score when playing Bowling Green.

	Positive	Negative	Net
Troy	+7	-2	+5
Missouri	+8	-8	0
Marshall	+7	-3	+4
Boise	+5	-7	-2
Ohio U	+13	-9	+4
Kent	+13	-3	+10
BSU	+7	-3	+4
CMU	+7	-1	+6
UB	+6	-12	--6
Total	+73	-48	+25