Sweet Victory #1: The Recap

There is an awful lot to like about yesterday's win.  It gives me a completely different view of our team and changes the view of the season 100%.  To win going away against a Big 10 team on the road,  this was just a huge thing for our program and for these guys.  This is going to be a very big season that seems to be pointing toward a Northwest Ohio final at Ford Field.

Enough of that for now.

Coach said in his presser that BG improved a lot from the first game, and that was certainly true on all three phases of the game.  We'll look at each of those later.

Certainly at halftime, things were frustrating.  BG had moved the ball all over the field but only had six points.  A drive to the 9 ended in a missed FG, a drive to the 25 ended in a failed 4th conversion, and a drive to the 26 ended in a failed 4th down conversion.  That's just very frustrating and seemed to call back to issues that the offense had last year and also issues that impacted us throughout our previous experience with a system offense.

Meanwhile, though, the defense was keeping the Falcons in the game.  They had given up only 13 points, forced 3 punts and just seemed to be competing the whole way.

So, at halftime it was 13-6.  Then, the rains came and the teams ended up spending most of an hour waiting until it was safe to play.  Coach said that during this time the Falcons scrapped their second half game plan and went to another game plan...which, I think it is safe to say, was a winning maneuver.

For as frustrating as the first half was, the second half was all Bowling Green, as the Falcons turned into a machine on offense that scored at will and a defense that was getting increasingly stingy and getting some takeaways.  In all, BG outscored Maryland 48-14 in the second half for a victory formation triumph that was just incredibly satisfying.

BG got the ball to start the half, drove down the field (featuring a 64 yard completion to Robbie Rhodes) and then missed another FG, so things were still a little craggy at first.  The defense got a 3 and out and then BG launched a 4-play, :35 scoring drive that tied the game, culminating in a 58 yard completion from Matt Johnson to Roger Lewis.  13-13.

Unfortunately, Lewis was called for an unsportsmanlike after the TD and BG was kicking off from the 20.  On the kickoff I am not sure what was being attempted but Tate squibbed it right out of bounds and MD started at the BG 45 and they scored a couple plays later to go back up 20-13.

The next sequence might well be the key sequence in the game.  BG down 7 and gets a 3 and out.  Davidson booms the punt (this dude has got some leg) and the William Likely, the star punt returner fumbled the ball and BG covered inside the Terp 20.  BG was still struggling a little...false start made it 3rd and 10 from the 14 and then BG went for it on 4th and 3 from the 7.  MD made it easy for BG by jumping offside and then Greene scored to tie the game again at 20.

BG forced the Terps into a 3rd and 11 and got the punt, but Johnson threw a pick (that was probably half on him and half on Moore) but the defense did the job again forcing another 3 and out for the Terps, who punted BG down to the 1.

So, if the fumbled punt wasn't the biggest part of the game, this next part is.  The simple thing is BG went on a (I am not making this up) 15 play, 5 minute+ TD drive to cover the entire 99 yards and get into the end zone.  Along the way, they converted a 3rd and 10, got a DPI on 3rd and 13 and then scored on a play where Johnson was pressured in the pocket, moved around and threw a tracer to Burbrink in the back of the end zone...a play that Coach Babers called "big time."

Early fourth, BG finally leads 27-20.

On the next drive, it was BG's chance to help out.  BG had the Terps off the field on 3rd and 8 but Clint Stephens was called for an unsportsmanlike to extend the drive and Maryland took advantage, scoring 5 plays later to tie the game back up at 27.

The final 12:26 was just beautiful.

BG took the ball, Johnson went 5 of 6 passing, finishing with a 27 yard pass to Lewis for the TD on a 7 play, 2:33 drive.  BG up 34-27.

Maryland made one first down but then the BG defense tightened.  From their own 44, Maryland decided to go for it on 4th down (I assume figuring that nothing was going to be accomplished giving the ball back to BG) and Dernard Turner intercepted the ball.  Then, :34 later, Johnson hit Rhodes from 44 yards out and BG was up 41-27.

You have to feel good but the game was not over.

Md switched QBs and their new QB threw a pick on his first play--this time Clint Stephens.  Starting on the +40, BG now slowed things up a little bit but still scored in 5 plays to put the game away at 48-27.

For good measure, MD's new QB and threw a complete pass and then another pick.  BG finished with 7 straight hand offs to Donovan Wilson and ended up inside the 10 when it all ended.

Just a great team victory.  So proud of our guys...more to come.

Falcon's 7th Big 10 win their easiest

Purdue.  Twice.
Northwestern.  Twice
Indiana
Minnesota
Maryland.

Anytime we beat a Big 10 team it is a big win.  It cannot be otherwise.  Just with where we are and who we are compared to...every Big 10 win is unforgettable.

Yeah, and this one too.

Here's the thing about today....and there is lots more to come...but just from recall, both Purdue wins were nail biters.  The Northwestern game in Evanston surely was and the Motor City Bowl game was close if not a nail biter.  Minnesota was a nail biter.  Indiana was  nail biter.

Today was not.  BG completely dominated Maryland in the second half, winning by 3 TDs and downing the ball in inside the 10 where one more could have been had.  It is the first Big 10 win by the Falcons that wasn't a nail biter, but a clear and complete wipe out of a B10 team on their field.

This was not a last minute finish.  BG was the better team on that field and no one can say otherwise.  BG's offense moved the ball in the first half and scored like crazy in the second half.  Meanwhile, BG's defense is better that expected.  Yes the Terps had 27, but 7 came on the punt return so they held Maryland to 20 on their field.  At this point, our team is much better than expected.

Enjoy people.  Enjoy the ride.

Never gets better than Ay Ziggy Zoomba after a win at a Big Ten school! pic.twitter.com/FGRvHhxlMD

— BG Football (@BG_Football) September 12, 2015

And congrats to our boys!  Thanks for a great day.  Enjoy the meal.

Pre-game notes

Some pregame rain falling here at Byrd Stadium pic.twitter.com/Io56akR0E8

— BG Football (@BG_Football) September 12, 2015

A couple of pre-game notes.  First, as you can see above, it is raining in Maryland and the forecast says there is a chance of rain throughout the entire day.  That would certainly seem to favor the run-based Terp attack.

BG enters the game relatively healthy, according to The Blade.  Coppet and Greene are expected to play.  Schweiterman will miss the entire season and Anthony Farinella will not play.  Herve Coby is doubtful but improving.

The Schweiterman injury is pretty significant.  BG already lacks depth on the d-line rotation and while he is a walk-on, he did make some plays last year and added needed depth.

25 Turtle Questions

What is their body of work?

After the 2010 season, following a 9-4 season, the Terps fired Ralph Friedgen as their Coach.  Since then, Randy Edsall has been, to say the least, underwhelming.  He is 20-30 in his four seasons and 7-6 the last two years.  Maryland is not a great football school and that has been no exception recently.

Maryland beat Richmond 50-21 in their opener.

How many seniors and juniors on the two-deep?

28, which is a lot, but only 10 are returning starters.

Who are their statistical leaders?

William Likely leads the nation in all-purpose yards, combined kick returns, PR TDs (tied).  He is also #6 in punt returns and #13 in KO returns.

Brandon Ross is #11 in rushing yards.

Quinton Jefferson is #8 in sacks.

What was their turnover ratio?

Last year they were even and -1 against Richmond.

Offense:

 How is their QB play expected to be?

Pre-game meal

This is not one of the team's strong points.  Last year's starter, CJ Brown, graduated.  Perry Hills beat out the most experienced Caleb Rowe for the starter job.  Hills threw only 10 passes last year.  He was 12 of 21 against Richmond for only 138 yards.  He had 2 TD over 1 INT.  At least against Richmond, passing was not the feature of the offense.  He ran 3 times for 25 yards.

What was their scoring and yards per play?

Last year they averaged 28.5 points per game last year, which is not great.  Neither is 5.3 yards per play.

Can they run the ball?

QB CJ Brown was also their leader rusher.  Brandon Ross was very productive last year at 4.9 yards per carry and had 150 yards on 18 carries last year.  Having said that, MD only averaged 3.7 yards per rush last year and they are not expected to have a strong line, though this is still a Big 10 team.

Did they pass the ball?

As noted above, this is highly uncertain.  Their QB is pretty untested, though he was highly ranked out of HS.  They were a middle of the pack pass offense last year and didn't have good numbers against Richmond.

Post-game meal

How was their run/pass balance?

Edsall is known to be pretty old school.  They ran 67% of the time against Richmond

Did they convert on 3rd Down?

Last year they were very poor at 32.6%.  They were considerably better against Richmond, at 7 of 12, but it remains to be seen how this will go against FBS compeititon.

Did they score in the red zone?

Very effective.  They led the Big 10 in red zone offense last year, which was how they got as productive as they did.  Despite scoring 51 last week, they had 2 TDs and 3 FGs in 6 attempts, which is not great.

Did they protect the quarterback?

Last year they were 12 in the Big 10 in sacks allowed, though they did not give up any to Richmond.

Defense:

Topline: Scoring and yards per play.

They were only average defensively, allowing 30 PPG and 5.5 yards per play, neither of which is great.  Note, though, that they have 9 players back from last year.  Nonetheless, Steele ranks them as having one of the worst defensive units in the Big 10.

When they say Hell Week at Maryland, they mean it.

Did they defend the run effectively?

Last year, they gave up 4.5 yards per carry, which is actually not to bad.  Richmond only picked up 3.4 yards per carry.

Could they be passed on?

They were 9th in the Big 10 in pass defense last year.  However, they gave up 225 yards passing to Richmond on 12.5 yards per catch.  Steele has them with the 8th best DB in the Big 10.

Did they get off the field on 3rd down?

They allowed 40% which is OK but not great.  Richmond went 1-10.

Did they defend in the red zone?

They were in the middle of the pack in red zone defense last year and allowed Richmond to score a TD on all 3 red zone trips.

Did they pressure the QB?

This appears to be a strength.  They were #39 in the nation last year and had 4 sacks against the Spiders.

Special Teams:

Punting?

Their punter is new.  He punted only once last week for 43 yards.

Punt Return?

William Likely is just ridiculous.  He had 8 returns for 233 yards and 1 TD against Richmond.  That would be a big game for a WR.  BG is going to have to do something to figure this out.  They either need to tackle better or kick the ball so there can't be much chance of a return.  If Likely gets loose like Sutton did in Nashville, it will be much harder for BG to win.

Placekicking?

Craddock is very good.  He led the nation with 95% made last year and was 3-4 against Richmond.  He is probably the best kicker in the Big 10.

Kickoff?

Craddock is good at this, too.  He had 8 TBs in 10 kickoffs against Richmond.

Kickoff Return?

Likely is good at this too.  In the opener, he had 2 returns for 63 yards.

Miscellaneous: Overall atmospherics and intangibles.

This is a winnable game for BG.  The Terps are picked to be last in the Big 10 East.  They are not standouts on offense or defense and do not appear to have an all-star QB.  Add in the usual MAC motivation to beat the Big 10, and you have some stuff going BG's way.

The risks are on kick returns and defense.  BG played better than expected on defense against Tennessee and with an improved performance against Md could hold the Terps in the 30s, which I believe would be winnable territory for BG.  The Falcons are relatively healthy, and I think they have a real shot to win this game.

Former BG player and assistant coach Greg Studrawa is the o-line coach at Maryland.

Sentinel Says Greene and Coppet both to play Saturday

Following today's practice, Dino Babers said Travis Greene and Fred Coppet are expected to play Saturday at Maryland.

— Thomas Schmeltz (@Thomas_Schmeltz) September 9, 2015

Good injury news from the man who never wants to give out injury news. Coach Babers told the Sentinel that Greene and Coppet are expected to play Saturday, which is good news. Not that there isn't depth at the position, but these guys are the top 2. Especially glad to see Greene back on the field as part of his senior year.

International Centre for Special Teams Research: Horror

Another summer has passed.  The photo at right captures the monks of the International Centre for Special Teams research on their way into their secret chambers where they will spend the year discerning the performance of the BG special teams.

In case you are new, the deal here is that I came up with a system to evaluate special teams that is zero-based.  The idea is that you don't really care if you get the ball after a kickoff on the 24 or 27...you want to know about plays with significant field position, possession, or scoring impact.  Positive impact plays get positive points and negative plays get negative points.  They don't necessarily balance out... 50 yard fair caught punt is +1 for the punting team and 0 for the receiving team.

You can go back and read here to see the scoring system I use.

The meditative wisdom of the monks was tested with our performance on special teams Saturday. And even then, the system probably gave BG a break, since those big punt returns are still only -1 based on how it is set up.  Even so, it was BG's worst since Kent in 2011, which was also -6.  Before that, it is 2010 and Temple at -7, which is the worst ever recorded.

On the opposite side, UT's huge score was the same as Wisconsin last year at +13 and makes it tied for the worst game since this system was "invented" in 2009.

BG Overall (-6)

BG Positive (+7)
BG 40 FG (+1)
BG KO TB (+1)
BG KO TB (+1)
BG KO TB (+1)
BG PR 20, to make less than 45 (+1)
BG KO TB (+1)
BG 51 yard punt (+1)

BG Negative (-13)
BG KOR to 13 with penalty (-1)
BG 12 yard net punt (-1)
KOR to 10 with penalty (-1)
BG 13 yard net punt (-1)
BG 25 yard net punt (-1)
UT KOR to BG 18 (-2)
BG KOR inside 20 (-1)
BG blocked FG (-3)
BG KO OB (-1)
BG KOR to 4 (-1)


UT overall (+13)

UT Positive (+15)
UT KO TB (+1)
UT 47 yd punt return (+1)
BG KOR Return inside 20 (+1)
UT 34 yard punt return (+1)
UT KO TB (+1)
UT KO TB (+1)
UT punt 21 yards (+1)
UT KO TB (+1)
UT KOR to BG 33 (+2)
BG Kor to 18 (+1)
UT Blocked FG (+3)
UT KO TB (+1)

UT Negative (-2)
UT missed 29 FG (-1)
UT KO OB (-1)

Babers Presser: Jubilee Edition

I watched the Babers presser yesterday...so you don't have to.  Here were the interesting moments.

Notwithstanding the many yards put up by the offense, Coach is not satisfied with the offensive performance.  He thought Johnson was rusty and the WRs were sometimes in the wrong place.  Overall, he said BG needs to complete a much higher percentage.  If that was done, BG would get more first downs, stay on the field longer and score more.

While he understands that we were playing Tennessee, he only expects to give up 600 yards to God.

He was proud we kept battling back.  With the poor field position and the one-sided penalty count BG was really up against it and we showed Tennessee that they "can't go back out in the parking lot and drink jubilees."

He talked about the special teams issues.  Some of it was when BG was in block prevent deep in its territory, and some of it was players who were playing for the first time.  Oh, and Maryland has a returner who set a Big 10 record Saturday for returns.  Buckle up.

Coach hates talking about injuries.  He said, Travis Greene will be back.  He's not out for the season.  No comment for Saturday.

Coppet is unknown.

Here's a secret:  He does like TEs.  They had 5 catches at Tennessee.  Also better for practice to simulate opponents.  They have a coach here who was a TE for Babers at EIU and he had something like 800 yards in receptions.  Other MAC Coaches are telling TE recruits that BG won't use them, so Coach says we need to land one to prove it isn't true.