BG loses to Kent. Sun Rises Next Day.

Hey everybody, look.  The sun came up.

No doubt, it was a tough day on the football field.  But we've had way worse days in the last few years.  I'm surprised at the cataclysmic vibes from the Falcon Nation.  I know you will never admit this, but this is not the Kent team from the last two years. I'm not claiming they are great or that we should have lost, but it's not as humiliating as people (including Todd Walker) seem to think it is.  Strip away the 3 P4 losses, and they are competing.

As for Coach George...last year we were 7-6.  We lost the core of that team. Our Coach left in the middle of Spring practice, and we found a guy who has brought energy to the program.  Will he succeed?  That's an open question. Of course it is. But I'm surprised at the lack of patience, especially from those of you who defended Loeffler.

I do detect an undercurrent of Loeffler supporters who are jealous of how quickly George was accepted...as opposed to Loeffler, who never really won the hearts of the Falcon fans. It reminds me of when Lloyd Carr left Michigan and his supporters sniped away at the new regime.

As for those of you who are "done," Maybe there is a fan portal. I say best wishes. I'm here for the long haul.  This is my team.

All that is not to deny that it was a very disappointing loss.  Yes, we were a touchdown favorite.  If it was known that we were down to our third-string QB with zero FBS snaps, I doubt it would have been that high, especially on the road.  Seriously...how many games do you win under that scenario?

Even so, it started pretty well.  The defense got a 3-and-out.  People have been screaming that BG needed to throw upfield to open up the run game, and they were working that plan.  Jyrin Johnson bailed May out when he out-fought double coverage for a 20-yard gain.  May threw a great 13-yard pass to Jacob Harris for the TD, capping off a nine-play drive.  BG up 7-0.

Kent drove the ball to midfield and punted.  BG misplayed the punt, but drove the ball from their own 3 to midfield to flip the field. The teams traded punts and then Kent put together a nice drive before a false start and a negative play set them back, and they kicked a field goal to make it 7-3.

I neglected to mention that Cam Pettaway was also out.  RB has been a position where we are just average.  Austyn Dendy played in this one, and on this drive he was highly productive.  He was at Missouri for one year, 3-star recruit.  BG drove 11 plays, 75 yards, aided by 2 Kent 15-yard penalties, and Dendy scored to make it 14-3 with :33 left in the 2nd and BG getting the ball to start the 3rd.

Which BG scored on.  It was as good a drive as BG has had all year.  May scrambles for a first down.  Hits Garcia for 18 and Johnson for 29. McMillian and Dendy chipped away with the running, and then May scored, and it was 21-3.

And here, the laughter turned to sadness.

Kent had the ball and drove into BG territory.  As noted in my preview, Kent relies on getting Wolford over the top for their offense.  And they did, for a 30-yard TD where he just beat our guy.  Not a blown assignment.  21-10 BG.

BG got a holding penalty on the kickoff return, started on their own, and went three and out.  Henderson shanked the punt, Kent started on the 45 of BG, and scored again on the next play on a run.  21-17.

BG gets another penalty on KOR and starts on their own 10.  The offense rallies (contrary to what you might be reading), Dendy for 16, May for 28. They drive 65 yards to the Kent 25.  It's 4-2, first play of the 4th.  A lot of people point to this play.  I agreed at the time...they sent Kleather out...he's been great...and this time he missed.  It happens.  Without the penalty, that drive ends at the 10.  Of course, you go for it, you might put the game away.

Kent has the ball. BG's defense is still competing.  Branch-Haynes nailed a big sack and the Flashes had to punt. 

Still 10:18 to play.  BG made one first down and then sent May out on his own for a pass play...he was hit and fumbled.  BG recovered but it was an 11-yard loss and then Henderson shanked another punt.

Kent had the ball, 6:49 to play.  Wolford gets over the top against for 37 and two plays later Kent has the lead, 24-21.

With 3:15 left to play, BG drives to the Kent 48.  The Flashes are pressuring everything, and they sack May, and BG turns it over on downs and BG was finished.

Later in the half, to finish with a tragic twist, May suffered a non-contact injury that had him leave in an air cast, probably ending his football career.

Honestly, though, he did as well or better than our other QBs did.  As we noted in the preview, Kent can be passed on, and he did OK. 

If anything, BG lost this game on special teams (two shanked punts, two KO penalties and one missed FG) and the defense allowing three big plays--the two Wolford catches and Garcia's big TD run.  A third factor was Kent pressuring May with blitzes--tough for a new QB to handle, and we didn't always protect him.

But we needed to go downfield.  Everybody said so.

BG ran the ball effectively.  The backs had 36 carries for 171 yards.  That's 4.8 per carry.  Not overwhelming, but solid.

The defense?  Take the Garcia run out and Kent had 77 rushing yards. Take the passes to Wolford out, and it was under 100 yards passing. 

The problem is that all of the 8 plays I cited above happened in 21 minutes of play.

It was a very disappointing loss and clearly a game we should have won.  It's not the armageddon some think.  We are way too early to decide whether this coaching staff can get it done.