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| The slide began with this helmet |
It is not good. This is a cautionary tale about how quickly things can change. Only a couple years ago they were threatening to make a BCS game, and now they are back to being back where--frankly--most of their football history has been spent. They are 1-8 and 0-5 in the MAC. They did lose close games to OU and NIU, but you know you are picking the bones clean when you talk about 2 close losses.
How many seniors and juniors on the two-deep?
This is a very, very young team. They have only 14 juniors and seniors on the depth chart. In contrast, there are 17 true sophomores and 6 true freshman.
Who are their statistical leaders?
Anthony Melichiori is #16 in the nation in punting.
Nate Holley (Whitmer) is the #3 tackler in the nation.
(Note...from here on down we are using conference only stats, except where noted.)
What is their turnover ratio?
They are +1 and 6 over 5. which is about 1 turnover per game going in and out.
Offense:
How is their QB play?
Not good at all. Colin Reardon has been starting all year, was outside the top 10 in passing efficiency in the MAC. He was replaced by Nathan Strock in the UT game and the team did get some points. KSU has said that Strock will start Wednesday but Reardon will play, which is probably the best case for Falcon fans. It is very hard to win without strong QB play.
What is their scoring and yards per play?
Can they run the ball?
They are 11th at 3.9 yards per carry, though 13th in yards per game.
Do they pass the ball?
They are 11th in pass efficiency. That comes from 56% completions, 5 TDs over 6 INT, and 9.5 yards per completion, all of which are poor. It looks like a pretty safe (bubble screen, etc) style passing offense, which makes 56% completions really poor.
How is their run/pass balance?
They run on only 38% of their sack-adjusted plays, which is a very pass friendly offense.
Do they convert on 3rd Down?
No...they are 122nd in the nation in this category. In MAC games they are making only 24% of their conversions. The next lowest team is making 31%.
Do they score in the red zone?
Kent has 5 MAC games and 12 red zone trips. Those trips have yielded only 5 TDs and they average 3.3 points per red zone trip, which is also as low as I can remember seeing.
Do they protect the quarterback?
They do, although this could also be play calling. They have allowed only 5 sacks.
Much like Akron, the story on defense is much better, though their defense is not as good on paper as Akron's is. In fact, taken in total, they are probably in the middle of MAC defenses.
They are 4th is scoring defense and 7th in yards per play allowed.
Do they defend the run effectively?
They are all right, tied for 7th in yards per carry allowed.
This is not a clear call. The easy answer is yes, but there are caveats. They are 3rd in the MAC in yards allowed passing, but teams tend to run on them. They allow 58% completions, which is 8th in the MAC, have only 1 INT. They only 12.6 yards per completion, which is worse than average as well.
Do they get off the field on 3rd down?
So. You might be asking yourself how a team can be #4 in scoring defense and #7 in yards per play allowed. Usually, the answer is that they excel on 3rd down and red zones. In this case, it is just going to have to remain a mystery. They are tied for 6th (with BG) in 3rd down conversions.
Do they defend in the red zone?
No. They have only 1 red zone stop and that is on a missed FG. They have allowed 11 TDs in 16 trips and the 5.5 points per trip is not good.
Do they pressure the QB?
They have 1 sack in MAC play this year.
Special Teams:
Punting?
They are first in the MAC in punting and second in net punting. The difference is the touchbacks, which are a 20-yard hit to your net. He has 3 and the other leading punters actually have none. He was blocked once.
Punt Return?
6 yard per return, 17 long, no TDs. Nothing huge.
Placekicking?
Melchiori is also their FG kicker. He is 10 of 16 for a 43 yard long.
Kickoff?
They are 8th in the MAC, with a starting point of the 25. No TDs.
Nothing here on the Kent website.
Everything should point to BG here. Should not be much of a crowd advantage, but it is still home field. For all the struggles BG has had this year, they did prove last year they could win big games. This is a game that Falcons clearly should win and we can start to buy our tickets for Ford Field. Anything else and you can expect an uproar in the Falcon Nation.
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