Sweet Victory #4: The Special Teams

I think when the numbers shake out, they will show BG had a pretty good day with special teams.  There were no game breaking plays, but solid performance.

• There were 3 touchbacks on kickoffs and one stopped inside the 20, out of 6 total kicks.
• We killed a punt on the 2.
• Overall, BG had 41 yards net per punt.
• BG hit its only FG.

Meanwhile, Akron had 3 plays that really cost them.

The first came in the 2nd Q when the Zips were 4-10 on the BG 36.  The Zips lined up to go for it and BG called time.  You kind of suspect a pooch punt in that situation, but we were not taking any chances.  The timeout lasts approximately as long as a chemistry final, and by the time BG gets back to play, Akron lines up in the same formation.  Now, it seems to me that the advantage of the pooch punt is the element of surprise, which was gone.  Me, I put my punter back there.  Akron goes ahead with the pooch and dude kicks it sideways for one net yard.  Might as well have really gone for it.

It was an important play.  Instead of pinning BG deep, the Falcons started on their own 35 and drove for their first TD.

The second one came with BG up 3 and Akron punting from its own 38.  Akron only punted 22 yards on that play and BG started on its 40 and scored on the Matt Johnson-shovel pass to Greene.

The final one was early in the 4th with Akron on the one inch line.  They are down 10, so they decide to go for the FG.  It is possibly the shortest field goal in the history of football.  There has been no shorter one.  And the Doyt-Stein curse struck again.  Robert Stein clanked the upright for an unbelievable miss to leave the Zips with no points.

So BG played solid special teams and Akron had three critical errors.  They did make a difference.