Take The Flag Down

So I wonder how the Dino-Babers-is-the-worst-coach-ever crowd is faring today?

Very disappointing day.  Bowling Green played a really solid first half and was down 21-16.  The Falcons had largely controlled the OU running game and I felt like the corners were playing really well.  BG's defense had a couple nice turnovers, though the offense had also turned the ball over twice, including one soul-crushing pick 6 from deep in its own zone when either Morgen or Guyton or possibly both did the wrong thing.  BG was running very effectively, however.

The second half was another story.  OU made adjustments.  They went to a double TE look and went to read option and pitch option plays.  On defense, they moved their safety up into the box and dared us to take advantage of the 1-1 opportunities that created.  (The pitch option stuff started in the 2Q.  This is common in the redzone for them and has been for years.  Rourke is in the top five in the nation in rushing touchdowns).

What were the results of those changes?

• OU outscored BG 27-14 in the second half to send the Falcons to 1-6.
• BG crashed heavy from the outside twice in a three-play span allowing Rourke 75 and 29 yard runs.  (The first is bad enough, but you go to the bench and then come out and do the same thing again?)
• OU passed three times in the second half.
• What was BG's counter-adjustment to OU bringing in 2 TEs and running the ball?  This was apparently unanticipated. After the game, Coach says we were undersized at the point.
• On offense, BG tried to exploit those 1-1 matchups with numerous long routes which found WRs open deep but with the ball overthrown.  Precisely zero completed.
• BG's plan B to attacking a full box was to continue to try long throws over the top.  Apparently, there is no other way to do it.  In fact, Coach said as much.

Look, Solich is a good coach.  He did what good coaches do and what we used to do when Clawson was here.  We had apparently no other plan, rather than doing things you have seen won't work and then shrugging after the game.

I know that you can say that the players have to make plays.  That's what coach says.  You know, though, part of coaching is to see players get better.  You'd like to see a player get more accurate throwing the long ball.  You'd like to not see the defense not run themselves out of position time and again in every game. 

Coach says we don't tackle the QB.  Literally been a problem all season.  Players have to make plays but aren't coaches supposed to be teaching?

You know the position group that was most improved yesterday?  CB.  The only position coached by a Babers holdover.

We are going to need to figure it out.  Our running game is going to face full boxes the whole way in.  Maybe Doege helps that.  Not sure if that long ball is his game, though.  And other teams are going to go to 2 TEs and run us over, too.

Meanwhile, Miami without Ragland lost to Kent and suddenly the one win we do have goes from looking pretty good to looking like less than that, especially since we nearly lost the game anyway.

We're a snap off the butt of a lineman from being 0-7.

Look, this was an uphill assignment, as noted in my preview.  I felt in the first half like we were finally getting some traction and then the second half just showed the same problems again.  We hoped for incremental improvement this year.  It is clearly not going to come on the record.  Whether it comes in the margins remains to be seen.  It has not been seen yet.  Not sure we are worse than last year but we aren't better.

I know we are recruiting well, but that's just part of the game.  I am looking for any evidence we can do any of the other things we need to do to be successful.