Falcon Football Verbal #11

The Falcons have their 11th reported verbal.  His name is Tim McAuliffe of Lemont IL, and he's an O-lineman, our 3rd of the class so far.  He is currently a G and had offers from UT, Ball State, WKU and WMU.

ESPN gives him two stars and says this....

ESPN describes McAuliffe as a "a tough customer who finishes with the nasty attitude we like to see when evaluating offensive linemen."

He's 6'2", 270. In this Chicago Tribune story (which says he is one of the best O-lineman in Illinois), his HS Coach says:

"Tim plays with an edge," Lemont coach Eric Michaelsen said. "If he were taller, every school would be recruiting him."

The article also says he is expected to move to C in college and that he has a linemate who has committed to LSU.

Welcome to the Falcons, Tim.

25 Questions that Vandalize

 What is their body of work?

There's no other way to look at it except to say that Idaho has struggled on the football field.  They had a nice year in 09 when they beat BG in the Humanitarian Bowl (8-5) but that is their only winning season in the last 10.  They also lost their first game to FCS Eastern Washington, albeit a good FCS team.

How many seniors and juniors on the two-deep?

27 which is a pretty good number.  However, by Phil Steele's formula, they are one of the 10 least experienced teams in FBS.

Who are their statistical leaders?

Not too many big statistical leaders which you would expect since they are 2-11 over the past two seasons.  This could be a very good punting game---their punter, Bobby Cowan, was 11th in the nation last season.

What is their turnover ratio?

They were -7 last year and -3 last week.

Offense:

How is their QB Play?

Nooooobody knows.  Their QB is Dominique Blackman who is one of those modern, big-body QBs at 6'5" 254.  He started a Washington, ended up at a junior college and now is at Idaho.  He did not play for unspecified reasons in their opening game, so this will be his D1 debut.

What is their scoring and yards per play?

They were 92nd last year at 20 points per game, something they obviously hope Blackman turns around.  They had 4.5 yards per play last season, which is not good.

Can they run the ball?

You'd think they'd be better at this--they have a major program transfer at RB, but they were 102nd last year and had 3.5 yards per carry.  They averaged 2.6 last week.

Do they pass the ball?

They were 93rd last year in passing efficiency.  Remembering that Akey had a pretty pass happy offense during the H-Bowl, we might think he wants to throw the ball more.  This is an unknown really, until we see what Blackman does.

How is their run/pass balance?

They ran on 48% of their plays last year.  It was 46% last week even with the QB situation.

Do they convert on 3rd Down?

They were 2-15 last week.

Do they score in the red zone?

This, like most of the things on their offense pretty much is an open question.

Do they protect the quarterback?

They were sacked 2 times in 37 attempts last week, with is 5.4%.

Defense:

Topline: Scoring and yards per play.

They allowed 32 PPG game last year and return 7 starters from that team.  They allowed 5.9 yards per play.

Do they defend the run effectively?

They allowed 4.2 yards per carry last year, which is pretty average.  EW had 3.8 yards per carry.

Could they be passed on?

They were 99th in pass efficiency defense last year.  They gave up 64% completions last year with 11.8 yards per reception, which is not a good combination.  EW did not hit a high percentage but they did end up with 240 passing yards on only 12 completions.

Do they get off the field on 3rd down?

They allowed E-Was to go 7 of 15 last week.

Do they defend in the red zone?

They gave up 4 RZ possessions (about normal) and all of them scored, 2 FG and 2 TD last week.

Do they pressure the QB?

No sacks last week on 30 passing attempts.

Special Teams:

Punting?

As mentioned, Cowan is a top flight punter.  He punted 9 times last week for only 36 yards per kick.

Punt Return?

They didn't have a return last week.  However, Justin Veltung is expected to do their returns and he is among their best players (starts at WR).

Placekicking?

Not to go black humor on you, but even in losing to E. Washington they were able to do something BG couldn't, which was make a FG, a 27 yarder.  He's a good kicker who hit a 55 yarder last year.

Kickoff?

Both of his kickoffs were touchbacks last week.

Kickoff Return?

We really don't have any idea because ALL 5 of E. Washington's kickoffs were touchbacks.  They use their top RB on kickoff returns, so you'd have to think he'd be decent.

Miscellaneous: Overall atmospherics and intangibles.

On paper, obviously, this doesn't look too good for Idaho.  They are a struggling program who had a tough loss last week.  Also, it is sounding like a big crowd at the Doyt Saturday and our guys should be feeling confident after last week's effort.  BG won the game last year handily.  Things to worry about are a QB we have never seen and a team that might want to prove that they are not as bad as they were last week and last year.  They have nothing to lose out there Saturday and might come in to have something to prove.

The Blackman thing makes me pretty nervous.  Having said that, I'm hoping to see the Falcons flex their muscles a little on Saturday with a nice home win to get people coming back.

Return Blog Swap with GoVandals.net

Yesterday we had the answers from GoVandals.net to our questions about their team. If you're curious, I answered his questions about BG---interesting to see what they see when they look at our program.  Check it ou.

MAC Blogger Roundtable, week 2

1.) Week one in the books for the MAC. A fairly major upset, several close calls, and several bloodbaths. What was your biggest surprise and your biggest disappointment across the conference landscape?

I'd say the biggest surprise is the MAC nearly surpassing its BCS wins from last year on the first week.  At a minimum, NIU and UT had real shots to win and BG was in the game last at Florida and of course OU won in Happy Valley.  The biggest disappointment was probably NIU getting Iowa on a neutral field and nearly having them polished off before losing.

2.) For your own team, how has your week one performance changed your opinion and/or perspective about what to expect from your squad as the year rolls on?

As it relates to the Falcons, we were optimistic before and we are a little more so right now.  Certainly there are still large areas that need improvement, but having said that we did play a strong and tough game on the offensive line and the defensive line, and that was one of the things the team really needed this year.  It was an encouraging start.

3.) Outside of the MAC, what was your favorite moment from opening weekend and why?

So, if I am talking outside of the MAC, I can't include the wrong-way Kent State manuever that happened in the Towson game, which was downright hilarious.  Out of pure malevolence I'll take the pasting that Marshall took at the hands of WVU, their in-state nemesis.

To which I say.

Ha.
Ha.

Blog Swap with Go Vandals.net

So, last year we had the chance to do a blog swap with Pat from GoVandals.net.  They do an excellent job covering the Idaho landscape and I'd highly recommend going over there and taking a look.  With the game coming up in a couple of days, I thought we'd try it again this year.  Here are Pat's answers to my questions and when he posts my answers to his questions, I'll put a link up here as well.

1. I'd say the thing we're most interested in is your first game against Eastern Washington. I know your QB didn't play. Was that the whole problem? How well do you think that game reflects what you think of this year's Idaho team.

Having our starting quarterback, Dominique Blackman, miss the season opener last week was a huge disappointment for Idaho fans. Was his suspension the only reason Idaho lost last week? No. It was a major reason, but there were a number of issues all around offensively. Idaho broke in three new starters on the OL last Thursday, including two redshirt freshmen at left tackle and left guard. Idaho has a solid stable of wide receivers, but this group also includes several getting their first collegiate experience. The runningback position has talent, but the group is largely unproven with just one athlete, starter Ryan Bass, with any experience at the Division 1A level. Plus, the entire offensive coaching staff was overhauled this off-season, with three new position coaches (OL, WR, and RB), as well as a new offensive coordinator, Jason Gesser, getting his first break as an OC. Add to all of this the fact that Blackman was suspended for the game and projected backup Taylor Davis had been demoted to third string, which led Idaho to start senior Logan Bushnell who had played sparingly in 3 previous seasons, and you've got a tremendous amount of change to overcome. Idaho certainly has the pieces to have a potent offensive attack, but how well this unit comes together over the course of the next few weeks, and how effective Blackman is as a leader and field general at managing the game, remains to be seen.

2. From what I see, Dominique Blackman is expected to play in BG on Saturday. What can we expect from the transfer who once was headed to Washington.

Based on spring and fall camp, Blackman - a lefty - brings a strong arm to the Vandal passing attack and a competitive personality on the field. He has a good grip of what the Idaho coaching staff wants the offense to do, and he is a pretty good leader on the field. Those are the traits that helped him win the starting job this fall. Consistency was been the biggest hurdle he had to overcome in winning the position, and he has made significant improvement here. There is no doubt that Blackman (6-5, 254) has a strong arm and can make plays. The question is can the junior signal caller do it consistently, and can he play with patience and poise? More importantly, can he be the catalyst to open up the Idaho playbook so the offense can play more aggressively and less predictably?

3. What else can we expect on offense? Has Ryan Bass lived up to expectations? What other weapons are there? How has the line play been.

This week right guard A.J. Jones, a senior who started most of last season and missed last week’s game against EWU, may be back on the Vandal offensive line, giving the right side of the Idaho line at least one year of starting experience across the board. The left side, with two redshirt freshmen, has the most ground to make up. Reps will help this group gel. The potential is there to be pretty good, but playing time is what will help this group develop. The running game showed glimpses of punch during spring and fall camps, and the potential is there. Bass led Idaho's rushing attack last week in a mostly one dimensional attack. If the passing game gets untracked this week, there is potential for Idaho to be able to mix it up. New bruising tailback James Baker (6-1, 228) gives Idaho a nice 1-2 punch out of the backfield. There are some weapons at wide receiver in seniors Justing Veltung and Mike Scott and newcomers Najee Lovett and Jahrie Level, and at tightend with juniors Mike LaGrone and Clayton Homme. But if the offensive line can't stop the Falcons, then these play makers won't see much action headed their way.

4. You got excellent production out of LBs Tuala and Scheidt in your first game. LBs were expected to be a strength--how do you handicap your D-line and backfield?

From a pure numbers and experience standpoint, the Idaho defense should be pretty solid all the way around. The game last week was 13-3 halfway into the fourth quarter, and that is with a Vandal offense that was largely ineffective for the game. The two-deeps all around are solid, from front to back. Senior Gary Walker is the seasoned veteran at safety, while senior cornerback Aaron Grymes is the defensive captain. Up front it's hard to remember a time when there was this much size and experience, with Vincent Keener (6-4, 263) at strongside DE, junior Quayshawne Buckley (6-3, 303) at DT, sophomore Jesse Davis (6-6, 286) at NG, and sophomore Maxx Forde (6-4, 261) gets the nod at rush end (senior standout Benson Mayowa, a 3-year starter at rush end, may be unavailable this week). The rotation at each position is solid and 2-3 deep all the way across. And as you said, the linebackers performed about as well as advertised with a nice rotation last week. We will find out how good this unit is as the season progresses, but defensively Idaho should be competitive this fall -- unless of course the offense continues to struggle with 3-and-outs, turnovers, and poor field position.

5. Idaho is enduring what is BG's biggest nightmare--watching a conference dissolve right underneath you. Is there a future for Idaho in FBS and if so, what do you think it is?

Yes, from our vantage point there is a future for Idaho at the FBS level -- it just isn't going to be easy to attain. Conference realignment most likely isn't done, especially with the Big XII sitting at ten teams and with serious money at stake for the BCS conferences to expand their footprint. With so much potential realignment still on the table, it is in Idaho's best interest to keep focused on FBS. But at some point, to really make it work at this level, the University of Idaho has to make a more profound commitment to athletics, both in the form of its gameday facilities, and how it supports and embraces its athletics programs as an institution. In the last 12 years Idaho has invested approximately $50 million in its infrastructure (from new practice fields, new locker rooms, and a new weightroom - replacing horrendously inadequate facilities - to a complete modernization of the Kibbie Dome and installation of luxury seating to enhance revenue). Next up, though, are bigger investments which include (in the current plan) a new Events Center for basketball and a seating expansion of the football stadium. These are going to be key investments for Idaho moving forward to demonstrate the school's commitment to compete at a higher level. The costs for these facilities are not trivial, but for decades Idaho has avoided building them altogether, whether it was putting a roof on the football stadium back in the 1970s and moving basketball in there rather than building a new basketball arena that the school needed then, or renting Martin Stadium from neighboring Washington State in the late 1990s and early 2000s for "home" football games rather than expanding the Kibbie Dome or building a new stadium to meet then-NCAA seating requirements. Idaho as an institution has historically always found ways to avoid building these things, and until this year Idaho refused to move on any of these needs. But with so much now at stake, there appears to be some momentum from the University of Idaho to expand. Barring an immediate change in the conference landscape, the Vandals are preparing to compete as a football independent in 2013 and 2014, with the intention of ultimately landing in an FBS conference. From our perspective Idaho can't just go independent and call it good. In addition to indy, Idaho must also take serious steps toward building these new facilities (i.e. launching a public campaign to raise the funds to build one or both of these planned facilities) to finally demonstrate their seriousness about expanding the program and competing at this level.

Clawson Presser--Not One Ounce Edition

Coach Clawson held his weekly presser.  There were really only two pieces of news.

1.   Tyler Tate is going to kick FGs for us next week and then we'll see what happens from there.

2.  Coach Clawson is now doing the presser standing at a podium as opposed to sitting at a table.  Which we are not crazy about.

There was a lot of talk about special teams at the presser.  Coach feels it was our best unit last year and everyone was back and next thing you know there are mishandled kicks, fumbles, shanked punts, missed blocked punts, missed FGs, etc.  So, that was disappointing.

Somebody asked whether Coach secretly liked the Samuel penalty because it showed we wouldn't back down, establishing the questioner as the clubhouse leader for the dumb question of the year contest.

Coach said "not one ounce" of him liked it.

He said we tackled pretty well, but missed three tackles in space and they all cost us.  He says either the player was real good or "we aren't as good as we thought we were."  Let's hope it is the former, because we aren't going to see any (or very many) players like that in the future.

Finally, he was asked about preparing for a QB you haven't seen play.  (Idaho's QB sat out last week and he's a transfer) so we don't really know what to expect.  Coach said you prepare for the scheme and go from there.  "Prepare for the unexpected," he said.

Finally, there was talk of Idaho losing to Eastern Washington.  Luckily for BG, we have FBS's leading FCS-maven as our Coach, and he said that Eastern Washington won the FCS two years ago and last year almost won at WA.  He said they are good this year.  (They are in the top 10 of Phil Steele's FCS Power Poll and in the top dozen in the FCS Poll).

And that, as they say, as that.

No one asked him about the "storm trooper" uniforms, which have been creating huge excitement among Uniform Pundits.

BGSU Football Preview Video....

To answer the question, I will be THERE! And I hope you are too.

I assume if you read here you attend home games, though I know I have some readers who have moved far away.  Just in case, note this....a $5 off parking voucher is being offered and can be clicked here.