vs. South Alabama

[MarkL]

As this thread along with so many others have become a referendum on Loeffler, I found it interesting to look back on everyone's reactions to when he was hired. I won't post anybody's here, I don't believe in holding anyone for what they said 3 years ago. But I thought it interesting to look back at my first reactions:

Initial reaction:
As an OC, I'm not a fan. He was the QB coach at Florida in Tebow's last (and worst) year, and the following disastrous year. VT fans were ready to chase him out of town with pitchforks and torches because he didn't improve them fast enough. He improved things at Boston College, not that they could have gotten worse from where they were in 2015. And his offenses are not exactly dynamic or exciting.
However. He will be the head coach. He has to be given a ton of credit for the development of AJ Dillion and Anthony Brown. Mid last year when those guys came out of nowhere, BC found an offense for the first time in years. So that speaks well to his ability to develop players. The fact that he made BC good on offense should have made him a candidate for coordinator of the year.
He's been at a lot of places. He's worked for good coaches and hopefully learned a lot. I know nothing about his recruiting background, but he clearly has midwest connections. And I bet he can put together a great staff
I look forward to his press conference.

Immediate followup:
For context on the tire fire he inherited at BC:
https://www.sbnation.com/platform/amp/c ... ule-roster

And ... give Moose a ton of credit. He kept this thing quiet. And give Loeffler and agent credit too for not leaking like a sieve.


It is kind of amazing seeing how that initial reaction pretty much called it on the main criticism of the Loeffler era right now - offensive scheme. And also how Loeffler improved the BC offense from utterly inept to competence. Our team has undoubtedly improved. Do you know the last non conf FBS we beat? 2015 over Purdue. Last non conf mid major we beat? South Alabama in the 2014 bowl game. And last time we were competitive in one of these games in a losing effort? 2015 vs Memphis. I would say the South Alabama team from yesterday is on par with the MTSU teams and the Louisiana Tech teams that rolled all over BG. Better than the 2017 South Dakota team that beat us and far better than the North Dakota and Eastern Kentucky teams that probably should have beaten us.

Yes we were far more competitive yesterday than anytime post 2015. And that is a testament to the program building Loeffler is doing. Program building is frustrating. But we're seeing signs that there is a positive direction. Still I wish the offensive schemes and playcalling matched the team strengths a bit more.

[guest44]

Choking a game away to South Alabama at home is not the most competitive BG has been since 2015. Even Carl Pelini went 2-3 as an interim coach, BG was in most of the games, and helped get other MAC coaches fired in the process. 3-16 is 3-16. Loeffler has been preaching this grand plan. A plan that was so little of a plan, he had 3 defensive coordinators before his first game as coach. Scot (aided by an administration who allows it) has used Jinks to lower the standards so far 3-16 is looked at as progress. He will convince you that beating Murray St will be progress. Urban Meyer got Scot hired here. He got Steve Addazio hired at BC and Colorado St. it’s not hard to see how this ends.

[MarkL]

I should have been more clear - Saturday was the most competitive we've been in non conf play anytime since 2015. My whole point about competitive levels was against non conf. We haven't seen the 2021 team against anyone from the MAC and we are still a few weeks away.

And since you brought up Pelini's two wins... over horroble Akron and CMU teams that were so bad they lost to the same BG team that should have lost to EKU ... Saturday's South Alabama team was far better than either. But again I'm focusing on non conf because I have no gauge whatsoever on how this team will do in MAC competition because I haven't seen any other teams play a whole game yet this year.

[guest44]

That was the same Central Michigan team who won the MAC West the following year led by Jim McElwain who would have taken the BGSU coaching job. When discrediting the job he has done at Central Michigan, people claim how much worse Loeffler had it at BGSU despite Pelini beating them at CMU. South Alabama will probably finish toward the bottom of the Sun Belt. I’d argue the demise of Ohio and possibly Buffalo show more promise for BG than a single thing Loeffler has done.

[MarkL]

Since you always like to bring up old and buried points here you go.

CMU in 2018 was bad. Really bad. But the program was well built. Winning seasons, two recent 6-2 conference records. Good programs have the occasional bad team when there are too many departures- see the current mess in South Bend. CMU in 2018 was this on steroids. CMU's senior class was near non-existent due to that class signing to CMU without a head coach. Good program. No senior leadership. Bad team. Good summary on the senior class or lack thereof and how it impacted the team: https://www.sbnation.com/platform/amp/c ... ule-roster

So in comes McElwain. Inherited a winning work ethic and some good young talent. Plug and play some instant impact veteran transfers (Loeffler has finally taken note), play against a bad conference, and he's off to the races. Until he loses to Miami in the championship, led by a true freshman QB and again to a decent SDSU team in a non-competitive blowout.

McElwain would have done well here. But the reason I was not high on him and I suspect the same of the administration is his 2017 Florida scandal. When the team collapsed under his watch, he deflected by claiming he received death threats from Florida fans. He made it up to deflect from a bad season. In doing so, made the whole fanbase look like a bunch of death-threatening crazies. Do you want that kind of man to lead your football program? Do you want him to impart that value on young men? When things get tough, fabricate a death threat and throw the whole fanbase under the bus.

Frankly I'm surprised CMU hired him just one year removed from that scandal. I thought he should have to spend a few years rebuilding his reputation and relearning values as an assistant.

If you wanted to hire a fired SEC coach from 2017, I'd pass on McElwain and go get Butch Jones instead.

[mbenecke]

Matt McDonald was named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against South Alabama, going 23/32 for 308 yards and a touchdown.

[TommyG]

Team better worry about Murray State….they may not beat them if they turn the ball over.

[Schadenfreude]

Team better worry about Murray State….they may not beat them if they turn the ball over.

Murray State is no pushover. That's a good team. Cincinnati finally pulled away from the Racers last weekend, but not before Murray State offered more fight than Miami seemed to the previous week.

[Bgsu2016]

Hope we can right the ship and get the win. If anything hockey and basketball give me optimism, look how far those programs have came from the dark days. No reason BG cannot return to being a staple of success in the MAC

[MarkL]

Yes yes and yes to the above posts about Murray State. That is a good squad. Held Cincinnati to just under 400 yards. I think fewer than 100 in the first half before Cincinnati got moving. BG is not in a position to overlook anyone. Especially someone that gave a top 10 team some fits.

It would be a welcome relief to see a run game.

[BillyLP]

Matt McDonald named MAC East player of the week for his performance against USA.

[Flipper]

That can't be right..he sucks

[Rollo83]

[/quote]

McDonald isn't the problem. Throwing Melton or Davis out there with an inexperienced and undersized OL is going to make things more ugly than they already are.
[/quote]

This is the point exactly. YES, putting in the younger guys would benefit this team down the road when it does get competitive. We will be lucky to win a game this year WITH the so-called experienced QB. So why suffer through this year and next and then have to start all over again at the QB position in 2023? This year and next isn't about winning games but rather building the program. We got a lot of lumps coming no matter who plays the next couple of years so why not try to build something?

[Schadenfreude]

McDonald isn't the problem. Throwing Melton or Davis out there with an inexperienced and undersized OL is going to make things more ugly than they already are.

This is the point exactly. YES, putting in the younger guys would benefit this team down the road when it does get competitive. We will be lucky to win a game this year WITH the so-called experienced QB. So why suffer through this year and next and then have to start all over again at the QB position in 2023? This year and next isn't about winning games but rather building the program. We got a lot of lumps coming no matter who plays the next couple of years so why not try to build something?

Not if they are target practice behind an outmatched front line.

As it is, McDonald is under tremendous pressure right now. He's had to be mobile. He's handling the pressure fairly well, but he's older and he has experience. It seems to me we might be best to stick with the guy who has earned the starting job for now and get the younger guys in there next year, when the offensive line has grown a bit and McDonald is no longer available.

[roguewarrior]

McDonald has 2 seasons, this and next.