White smoke, a QB emerges, and other news

 Here we go.  T minus 6 games to the start of the season.  Let's catch a few things up before game prep begins.

1. Pete Thamel has just reported that Jay Kastantin will be BG's starting QB Saturday against Tarleton State.  The battle was between Kastantin and Austin Novosad, who transferred over from Oregon and was a 4-star recruit out of HS in Texas.  I think the assumption was that Novosad would win the job, but you heard some not so good things and then the matchup continued and then today Kastantin won the job.

(Remember the time Shilz and Matt Johnson battled in camp, Schilz got the lost and last about two series?)

He represents a different model of QB than BG has traditionally gotten in the portal era, where the Falcons have taken P4 QBs who lost their jobs or never had one.  Kastantin was highly productive in DII at Assumption, and is moving up.

There is a lot to like here:

• Appeared in 22 career games over three seasons (2023-25) at NCAA DII Assumption
• Accumulated 3,658 career passing yards on 299-of-515 passing during his Assumption career
• Threw for 28 career touchdowns
• Also has rushed for 710 career yards and nine touchdowns
• In 2025 was named Most Valuable Player in the Northeast-10 Conference and first-team All NE10
• Completed 138 of 223 passes (61.9%) during the MVP season
• Led the conference in: Passing yards: 1,974; Passing touchdowns: 19; Passing yards per game: 219.3
• Added significant production on the ground:100 carries for 530 yards (5.3 yards per rush); 5 rushing touchdowns
• Recorded a 159.9 passing efficiency rating, ranking 18th in all of NCAA Division II

That rushing part is probably important and @thetalontribune feels might have been decisive. 

BG is looking to be run focused on offense.  I talked to one FB at the season ticket event who said he was ready to hit someone else's players in the A-gap.  If so, having a QB who can tuck it and run can be very effective.  In fact, it starts to look like the offense OU ran the last few years.

BG has 6 QBs in the QB room, so hopefully won't have the issues we had last year.

2.  Eddie George is selling bourbon. (Other versions has the NY removed from the hat).  He is working for the Ohio Liquor Authority.

3.  Scotty Miller was released by the Bears.  We'll see if he gets picked up, but either way he's a big success story for us.  Emerging from wreckage of the program's worst years, he caught 99 NFL passes and wears a Super Bowl Ring.

4.  So we all watched Tarleton State last night, where they were -21 over Prairie View A&M and won by 19.  They had some big horses on offense and scored 49 points.  They are #5 in the nation in FCS--that was the pre-season ranking.  As of today, FanDuel has BG at a 2.5 favorite.  ESPN makes it a 55% chance to win.

Not quite what you expect from your FCS game.  If BG does win, though, it's a decent W.  And important.  A loss and BG could easily open 0-5.

5.  Preview coming later.  I can just say this...being back at the Doyt makes me happy.  One way or the other.