Friday, October 19, 2018

25 Questions that go Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty


What is their body of work?

So OU was set to be one of the better teams in the MAC, if not a competitor to win the conference.  They have underachieved.  They struggled to beat Howard, beat Kent by 1 and lost to @NIU by 3.  At 3-3/1-1, they haven't had a terrible year, just not the one they were expecting. And they can't afford another loss as they try and chase Buffalo.

How many seniors and juniors on the two-deep?

They have 26 which is a pretty typical number.

Who are their statistical leaders?

Louie Zervos #10 in FG%.
Nathan Rourke #11 in passing yards per completion, #13 in yards per pass attempt and #17 in rushing per carry.
Michael Farkas #11 in punting.

What is their turnover ratio?

They are even.

Offense:

How is their QB play?

So Nathan Rourke is their QB.  He's considered one of the best, if not the best, in the MAC.  And he is #3 in passing efficiency in the MAC.  He's a classic Frank Solich duel threat guy, so he's also the #9 rusher in the MAC.  He's at the helm of a very powerful offense.

What is their scoring and yards per play?

They are strong.  They are #3 in scoring in the MAC (still using all games) and #1 in yards per play at 6.6.  The second is #18 in the nation.

Can they run the ball?

Long the Solich calling card, they are only #5 in rushing yards per game, though tied for second in yards per rush at 4.6.  They struggled to run against Kent (3.4) and NIU (1.6), though NIU leads the MAC in run defense.  BG remains last and will face essentially the same issue they faced against WMU, which is lack of depth and fatigue.  AJ Oulette is still at OU, but isn't have a great year.

Do they pass the ball?

As a team, OU leads the MAC in passing efficiency, but Rourke is #3.  He's completing 61% of his passes at 15.3 per completion, which is highly efficient.  He has 9 TDs over 4 INT.  Papi White is the #3 WR in the MAC.

How is their run/pass balance?


They run on 55% of their plays, which is run heavy in today's game.

Do they convert on 3rd Down?

They are at 42% which is #3 in the MAC.

Did they score in the red zone?

They are very good at 5.2 points per trip.

Did they protect the quarterback?

Not that well, given that Rourke is so mobile.  They give up sacks on 6.8% of pass plays.

Defense:

Topline: Scoring and yards per play.

Normally, OU is very solid on D.  This year, not so much.  They give up 34 per game and 6.8 per play, neither of which is a great number.  BG gives up 7 a play, for comparison.

Do they defend the run effectively?

They are 9th, allowing 4.7 per carry.  (Just for comparison, BG allows 6.4 per rush and the next worst is 4.9)

Can they be passed on?

They can.  They are 11th in pass efficiency defense, allowing 64% completions, 13.5 per completion and 15 TDs over 6 picks.  That's rough.

Did they get off the field on 3rd down?

Noooo.  They allow 52%.  It's the worst in the MAC and the 3rd worst in the country.

Do they defend in the red zone?

Not bad, at 4.9 per trip.

Did they pressure the QB?

They are OK at 4.7% per trip.

Special Teams:

Punting?

2nd in MAC at 40.3 per attempt, net.  No blocks.

Punt Return?

They are 4-22, which is not bad. Papi White is the returner and he's very good.

Placekicking?

So, Zervos continues to kick here, well into his second decade. 

Kickoff?

Opponents start on the 25.

Kickoff Return?

They start on their 28 which is decent.  They have 1 return TD.




Miscellaneous, Intangibles?

I suspect this is the last thing OU hoped to be facing this week.  The reports from practice are that BG is pumped and practicing with high energy.  Rather than waiting to see if the Coach would be fired, they have instead been liberated and, in a sense, might be playing a little freer than they were before.  This will be very much like the WMU game in that BG is playing a team they can score against but who they can probably not stop consistently for the entire game.  BG nearly tied that game against WMU. 

Now, that was at home and this is on the road.  And OU needs a win.  BG has struggled with running QBs, which certainly is a factor.

Anyway, if BG can continue to pop some big plays and score points, I don't think they are out of this one.  I would definitely take the 17 points, if I liked to gamble.  Which I don't.

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