Football Review....Special Teams...

So, our final review of Falcon football for the year is special teams.  We've looked at the offense and we have looked at the defense, so we have been from the valley to the mountain.  Now, we looked at the special teams, which are somewhere in the middle, closer to the valley, but in the middle.

First, using our ICSTR measures, it was a very unusual year.  BG was +13 for the year with +14 in the OU game alone.  BG was in positive territory for 7 of the games, but they were usually just slightly in positive territory.  It was the second worst year in the Clawson era, by this measure, eclipsed only by the +1 in 2009.  Last year, BG was +26.

The odd thing was the opposition.  BG's opposition earned a net 44 positive points, which is more positive points than our opponents have had in the three Clawson years combined.  Remember that our scoring system is not zero sum.  Some special teams plays are good without a bad play being made on the other side.  For example, a punt that is downed on the 10 yard line does not reflect on the receiving team.  Nor does a made 45 yard FG.

Only Idaho, OU and San Jose State had negative games against BG.  Idaho and San Jose State were only -1.

Suffice it to say.  BG's special teams were not awful but we were not close to our competition.

Le'ts look some more.

For example, punting.  Brian Schmeidebusch was just great his first year and probably only good this year.  In '11, his punts were rarely returned and rarely touchbacks.  This year, BG won the net punting battle by only 1.2 yards and our net was about five yards lower than it was the year before.  BG punting 15 times more, so overall numbers are tough to compare.  In fact, if you take touchbacks compared to punts inside the 20, BG's % was almost the same as last year.

Here's the key.  BG had 24 inside 20 and 12 TBs.  Our opponents had 25 inside the 20 and 4 touchbacks.

So, not bad for BG per se, but not nearly as effective as the opposition.

How about field goals?  Look, we all had a lot of frustration about this, but I think it is going in the right direction.  BG used two kickers, Steven Stein and Tyler Tate.  Stein was 2-7 on FGs with a long of 26.  Tyler Tate, not surprisingly, won the job and I think that he will be a good kicker.  He was 7 of 10, which is pretty good, with a long of 42.  He was 6-8 inside 40 yards (80% is the rough conference norm) and if he can get his effective range up into the mid-high 40s, he will be fine.

Our opponents made 14 out of 16 with 5 over 40 and one over 50.

Kickoffs were actually pretty even.  BG had an average of 37.5 net on kickoffs while our opponents were 37.1.  The average is hampered a little bit by kicks Stein made.  Anthony Farinella had an average of 58 yards on each kick, 8 touchbacks and 3 OB.  Our coverage was good.  We allowed no TDs and no return longer than 38 yards, while BG had a long return of 52 yards.

The NCAA took a shot at taking kickoffs out of the game this year...Not sure the impact was as big as they imagined.

BG had a relative strong PR game.  Boo Boo had a TD, Burbrink averaged almost 9 yards a return and our opponents averaged only 5.6 yards per return.

BG had 3 punts and one FG blocked and blocked 2 punts.

So, again, no huge smoking gun but overall we were not as good as our opponents on special teams.  I do think that our coverage units have improved right along with the defense--which you would expect--and that Schmeidbusch is a good punter and Tate will be a solid kicker for us.  I would expect this unit to improve next year.

Iggle Preview

So, the Falcons next take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles in their first home game since MSU left town....BG has lost 5 straight, going 0-for-the-road-trip.

EMU is in similar straights.  Since their shocking win over Purdue, they have lost six straight D1 games, with their only win during that period coming against Siena Heights.  Which brings up a point.  The Eagles have gone way to the extreme in scheduling.  Most teams figure they should play one non-D1 team and usually dip into the NCAA's DII for an opponent.  The Eagles have dipped three times into the non-D1 pool except ALL THREE of those opponents have been from the NAIA and not even the NCAA.

So, when you know they are 7-8, they are 4-8 against D1 competition.  Furthermore, of their four wins, three were against teams with RPI of 296 or below, with their only quality win being that game against Purdue.

They do have some quality losses--UM, Kentucky, UMass and Syracuse, for example.  

They opened up the MAC season with a loss to Ball State in YPSI.  Their RPI is 209 and their kenpom.com is 304.

The first thing you notice is that on a per game basis, EMU has trouble scoring the ball.  They play at the same pace BG does, more or less, so that's not it.  The are 330th in points per game.  They are only scoring at .9 points per possession, which is 315th in D1 and means that the winner of tomorrow's game could end up scoring in the 30s.  

I kid.

How goes that happen?  Well, they are 323rd in Effective FG% and in free throw rate.  They turn the ball over a lot, too (23% of possessions) which is 10th in the MAC.  They are slightly above average in offensive rebounding (and they get a lot of practice).

So, this is a team that really, really struggles on the offensive end.

How is it, you ask, that they are not winless...or worse?

They are pretty good on defense.  They allow .98 points per possession which is just a tick better than average.  The Effective FG% is also a tick above average.  They do a nice job on turnovers (4th in the MAC---BG is first in not making turnovers, so that will be a good test).  They keep teams off the line pretty well (3rd in MAC) but they allow 37% of offensive rebounds against, which is not very good.

College Basketball Stats

Individually, their leading scorer is Derek Thompson at 11 PPG (shooting 38% from the field and 37% from 3).  They have Arkansas transfer Glenn Bryant at 10 (shooting 39% and 17% on 29 freaking attempts from 3) and Wyoming transfer Daylen Harris at 9 PPG (he is shooting 43%)..  They play a very even rotation, and no player plays more than 29 minutes, which somewhat impacts those scoring totals.

Da'Shonte Riley, 7'0" and Syracuse transfer, leads the team with 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.  Harrison and Bryant also contribute on the boards.  Their leading assist man is Jalen Ross who has 3.2 assists and 2.3 turnovers per game.  He is a freshman.

So, that's the story on the Eagles.  Let me say this.  After this road trip, BG really needs to win this game.  I know expectations were not very high for this team--and hence perhaps not that much is at stake--but if this team has any pretensions of getting the 8th place finish it would take to host a home game, they are going to need to win at home.

Luckily, BG has tended to play well at the Stroh, but that's going to have to pan out in a victory or it is going to be a rainy night in Lyndhurst.

MAC Non-Conference Scorecard

Each year, we take a few minutes before (or, this year, just after) conference play starts to review and see how the MAC performed in non-conference play.  The answer is that it is good, if not great for the conference so far this year.

The good news is that the MAC is the 13th ranked conference using RPI...within a couple of years ago the MAC was 19th, but they have been slowly working that down until they are where they are, which is somewhere near the high point of the conference's rankings.

The MAC won 44% of its non-conference games, which neither the best nor the worst.  A couple of years ago, BG was at 37% and has been as high as 47%, so 44% is right in the normal amount.  The RPI would tell you that this year's 44% came against a stronger schedule.

A few notes.  First, the remainder of this post uses the rankings on kenpom.com, which I believe are better and less of a drain on the moral fiber in this dark corner of the American Experiment.  Anyway, first, let's look at where the MAC stands.  There are two elite teams in the MAC--Akron and OU--and one good team, Kent.  The remainder of the teams are average or below, more or less.

1. Akron 43
2. Ohio 62
3. Kent 110
4. Buffalo 169
5. WMU 175
6. Toledo 183
7. BG 197
8. CMU 214
9. Miami 229
10. Ball 271
11. EMU 296
12. NIU 311

Top 5 MAC Non-Conference Wins to Date
(All 5 represent home games for the MAC Team)

1. Akron beating Middle Tennessee State (42)
2. Akron beating Princeton (81)
3. OU beating Richmond (82)
4. EMU beating Purdue (85)
5. BG beating Detroit (100)

(Detroit has beaten UT and Akron at Calihan Hall)

Top MAC Non-Conference Road Win

Kent winning @Younstown State (120)

Five Worst MAC Non-Conference losses

1. Nebraska-Omaha beating NIU (334)
2. Chicago State beating UT (316)
3. UWM beating NIU (302)
4. North Dakota beating BG (291)
5. IUPUI beating BG and Ball State (282)

Finally, a look at how the MAC did against the conferences, which you can see below ranked by RPI.

First, the MAC has 4 BCS wins and 3 against the Big Ten, which does not normally happen.

As always, the MAC has played the most games against the Horizon conference, and the Horizon has won the series 14-10.  The best conference the MAC has a winning record against is the West Coast, followed by the CAA.  As always, things get better as you work your way down the list, but the two losses to the Big South and the NEC can't be viewed positively.

MAC vs. Conferences, ranked by RPI

1. Big Ten 3-9
2. Big East 1-4
3. Big 12 0-2
4. SEC 0-1
5. Mountain West
6. ACC 0-3
7. A-10 2-14
8. Missouri Valley 1-6
9. C-USA 1-2
10. Pac 12 0-3
11. West Coast 2-0
12. WAC 1-1
13. MAC
14. Ivy League 1-4
15. Horizon 10-14
16. CAA 4-0
17. Summit League 5-6
18. MAAC 2-1
19. Sun Belt 2-0
20. Atlantic Sun 0-1
21. Ohio Valley 3-1
22. Patriot 0-1
23. SoCon 4-0
24. NEC 2-2
25. Big Sky 1-1
26. Big South 3-2
27. Southland 1-0
28. MEAC 6-0
29. Great West 2-1
30. SWAC 5-0

Elko on Radars

If you believe the Internet (and if it is on the Internet it has to be true) then BG's defensive success has put DC Mike Elko on the radars of coaches looking to fill out their staff.  The rumors have included Georgia Tech, Pitt and Marshall, though someone else has been selected at GT.  Just something to watch.....

Blade Reports Samuel Not Enrolled in School

The Blade is reporting that Anthon Samuel is tending to personal issues at home in Florida and is not enrolled in school this year.  Coach Clawson is quoted as saying his return to the program is "uncertain."

You can check the story out for Clawson's quotes, but he is fully supportive of Samuel taking care of the things he needs to take care of.  He (Samuel) is actually married with a son.  (Clawson is also married, btw).

The story says that Samuel has articulated how much he misses his son.  If he did decide to return, I don't know what he would have to do to become eligible, but I would assume it would involve summer classes.  Samuel was MAC Freshman of the year in 2011 and had 998 yards in 2012, despite battling injuries.

Having said that, there are more important things in life than football, and being a father is one of them.  We would wish him the best.  If he decides playing for BG again is the best thing for him, we'd love to have him back, but that's a decision only he can make.

Also, the story says Je'Ron Stokes is going to "complete degree requirements" (I assume that means graduate but I don't kow) and end his playing career.  There were high hopes for him, but he didn't produce much at all for us last year.  I'm glad he's graduating and wish him the best.

Falcons Lose MAC Opener

Good morning?

What's good about it?

OK.  I kid.  Lots.

One of them is not the opening game of the Falcon Men's Basketball season, a game with wild swings that bordered somewhat on the farcical and yet ended up with a very, very ordinary story and that was a Falcon team unable to outplay the opposition in the closing minutes of a game.

There was a period of time--about half the game--where BG played about as ineffectively as they have played in recent memory.  Remembering we're not playing against MSU....the game was tied 8-8 after 7 minutes.  Then, CMU scored the next 13 points (in about 3 minutes of play) to jump to a 13 point lead, a lead they extended by 4 more points to lead by 17 at the half, 37-20.  That's poor offense and poor defense.

The second half didn't start out much better.  CMU made 3 treys in the first 2 minutes of the second half to get the lead to 22 and it eventually got to 23.

Then, like a cartoon, the whole thing switched and the hunted became the hunter.  It was 49-26 with 17:39 left and then BG went on a 26-4 run over the next 9 minutes or so to cut the deficit to 1 point and make it a game again.  A bunch of it was at the line, but worth noting that while Jordon Crawford scored 10 points in the run, Henderson added 6 (on 2 treys).

The problem is that when you come all the way back in a game like that, you sometimes expend everything you have on getting even--that's all you have in your head--and you can't close the deal.  At home, I think it is a little different because you would have your crowd going crazy, but on the road I think it is more common.

CMU held off the BG run and pushed the lead back up to 5 and it stayed there more or less for 5 minutes.  I do give BG credit for this...they have played ineffectively quite a bit this year, but they are not quitters.  BG continued to battle.  They picked up a steal and a 2 FTS (Henderson again) and then they got another steal and Crawford converted on the run out and the game was tied with 3:25 left.

CMU only had a 2-point lead inside 2 minutes, but BG just doesn't generate any offense at all in these situations.  Crawford missed a shot and had a turnover on the next possession and then CMU converted a follow up dunk to go up 4 with about 1 minute left.  CMU made 9 of their 12 free throws coming home and BG never had the ball with the game within one possession and that's how the game of ebbs and flows eventually ebbed.

College Basketball

If you want to look on the bright side, Anthony Henderson got the start and played 32 minutes for BG.  I think it has been clear for a while that the only chance this team has to generate additional points is with him, and he needs to get minutes.  He delivered...13 points, but on 4-7 shooting and 3 of 6 from beyond the arc.  (Offensive rating of 155, very efficient night).

Luke Kraus played 9 minutes.

Richaun Holmes had 22 minutes and Black 18.  Holmes was also very, very good.  He had 7 points on 3 of 5 shooting to go with 9 rebounds and 5 freaking blocked shots.  That's in 22 minutes.  I said it before, this guy needs to play major minutes.

Jordon Crawford had a career high 29 points on 11 of 20 shooting, coming off a terrible game at Temple.  He was cold when the team was cold and hot when they were hot, and I think it is clear that he is the key to the team.  He had 4 assists and 4 turnovers as well.

A'uston Calhoun had 9 points on 3 of 10 shooting, but it is worth noting that he is contributing.  He added what has to be a career-high 14 rebounds.

So, if you want some high points, I think if BG can get Holmes and Henderson more involved I think they have a shot to be better coming home.

On a team perspective, CMU had a +13 advantage on the line, much of which was in the last minute but then again, that's when the game was won, too.  The other stats are pretty unremarkable.  Neither team had a big issue with turnovers and BG was average on the offensive boards and CMU was poor, which was to be expected.

BG shot FTs very well, BTW, at 11-12 but CMU was also very good at 24-29.

For the game, BG scored 1.03 points per possession, which is good for us.  The 1.12 that CMU scored is just not going to work.  The last time BG won a game with a number like that was against Buffalo in the 08-09 season.The game was played at 65 possessions, which is right about where the two teams have played this year.

College Basketball Stats

So, BG is 5-9, 3-9 in D1 and 0-1 in the MAC.  That's 5 straight losses and 3 of the next five are on the road.

Here's the frustrating thing.  CMU was 11-21 last year, bad enough to fire their Coach.  Their two best players left and yet they bring in a new Coach and they are beating us.  EMU did the same thing last year as did Toledo and it just seems like teams pass us all the time and we never get any better.

I'll leave you with one last question.  What's the future of PG look like next year?

Anyway, that was the result last night.  EMU actually comes to the Stroh on Saturday and BG badly, badly, badly needs a home win.  I think the only attainable goal for this team is a home berth in the tournament and you're going to need that game on Saturday to open it up.

Football Verbal #18

The Falcons have their 18th recruit set for next year...that's 16 guys we'd expect to see on signing day and one transfer and one JUCO dude who is signed and starting class.

This young man is named Darius Holiday.  He's 6'5" and 260 and hails from Plantation.....you guessed it...FLORIDA.  He is unranked on ESPN, is listed as a d-end in HS though for some reason they seem to think he's going to be a DT here at BG.  If so, he's going to have to get a little big bigger.

That means 5 of BG's 16 players (as it stands now) on signing day will be from Florida.  Dave Clawson came here stating that he would recruit the "state of Bowling Green" but apparently the lure of plentiful athletes in Florida is too strong for us to resist.

Also, this class has gotten a little bigger than we were told it would be.  Two things could be at work.  Perhaps we don't have a solid grasp of the number of scholarships available, which is always a moving target.  Or, maybe we have had a couple guys move on that haven't come to light yet.

Anyway, I looked around and there is not a ton of information about Mr. Holiday.  He apparently had an offer from Middle Tennessee that had his interest and one from Buffalo.

Anyway, welcome to the Falcons, Darius.