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July 4th weekend lot of time on my hands. Last year we were to open with SC State instead of Vols. Lost to Memphis in final minutes. Only two ifs and we would have been 10 and 0 going into Toledo. What about that mid-week game?

Toledo still beats our ass?

you are probably right my point was it's possible for us or any other Mac team to have a meaningful game with national implication late in the year

I do not believe there is any way we would have done what we did to Maryland had we not just played a team of Tennessee's caliber. Our team learned a lot about their weaknesses and they worked to improve. Had we played SC State, I believe our defense would have been as ineffective against Maryland in week 2 as they were in actuality against Tennessee in week 1.

I respect your opinion on many topics but need to disagree here. If Maryland was close but we beat them up in second half pretty good. In fact I could argue the physical pounding from playing the Vols and a Big 10/14 team cost us in 4th quarter against Memphis

You are mscarn's new best friend.

I'm sorry but I just don't believe in any different universe Toledo would beat us again. At least not in the fashion they did.
First play from scrimmage. Johnson to Lewis on a slant. Hits him right in the chest, ball bounces 20 feet in the air, easy interception. First play, they get the ball at our 25.
How many times out of 100 does a Johnson to Lewis perfect pass get intercepted? One.

Who cares? 2015 ended with a MAC Championship against a 3rd string QB and an ass kicking from a 3rd place Sun Belt team in the bowl game.

2015 was a great year...could have been even better with wins over Memphis and tsun. When I learned Roger Lewis was jawing at the ut players before the game, that was trouble. Then, he can't catch a perfectly thrown ball on the first play. How the hell to you talk trash to a team who's beaten you 5 in a row at the time? And then not back it up.

The bowl? A perfect storm with our coaching staff looking for new houses and playing a team which can run the ball down your throat. I was surprised we led at the half...and then quit in the 2nd half.

I'm looking forward to 2016 and 57 days til the shoe. I really don't know what to expect but we could be anywhere from 9-3 to 5-7. We have tough road games and need to go no worse than 3-3 on the road. We *SHOULD* take care of biz at home.

MarkL wrote:I do not believe there is any way we would have done what we did to Maryland had we not just played a team of Tennessee's caliber. Our team learned a lot about their weaknesses and they worked to improve. Had we played SC State, I believe our defense would have been as ineffective against Maryland in week 2 as they were in actuality against Tennessee in week 1.

I disagree. BG has won several games vs Power 5 (BCS) teams the game after facing an FCS (I-AA) team the week prior including a few FCS teams in the opener. BG beat Missouri in week two of 2002 after opening with Tennessee Tech in the opener, and beat #16 Purdue in week two of 2003 after facing Eastern Kentucky in the opener. Also, two years ago BG beat Indiana in 2014 in week three after facing VMI in week two. Some (including myself) might argue that VMI game was critical to setting up for Indiana because BG was blasted in week one at WKU - AND - lost Matt Johnson for the season in the process. Many people were saying our season was over after week one. Not only did we come out looking good vs VMI, we went on to have a decent season all things considered. What's more, the year we nearly beat Ohio State (woulda/coulda/probably shoulda) in 2003, BG had faced not one but two FCS teams (EKU & Liberty) including one the week prior to OSU. I believe you can find just as many silver linings in playing some of those games as you can in playing a really good opponent. It boils down to the circumstances. I do think the first half of the Tennessee game last year showed BG it could hang with P5 teams, but in hindsight, I think BG would have beaten Maryland in week two whether we played South Carolina State or Tennessee in week one. BG was just the better team than Maryland last year, IMO.

Falconfreak90 wrote: When I learned Roger Lewis was jawing at the ut players before the game, that was trouble. Then, he can't catch a perfectly thrown ball on the first play. How the hell to you talk trash to a team who's beaten you 5 in a row at the time? And then not back it up.

The big question is: WHY are you trash talking? There was way too much of this going on during the last two years. Between that and taking stupid unsportsmanlike penalties, I am hoping that the new coaching staff really tightens up in this area and the boys develop better self control and discipline!

#BeatZeroState
#ShockTheWorld

Falcon Fanatic wrote:

Falconfreak90 wrote: When I learned Roger Lewis was jawing at the ut players before the game, that was trouble. Then, he can't catch a perfectly thrown ball on the first play. How the hell to you talk trash to a team who's beaten you 5 in a row at the time? And then not back it up.

The big question is: WHY are you trash talking? There was way too much of this going on during the last two years. Between that and taking stupid unsportsmanlike penalties, I am hoping that the new coaching staff really tightens up in this area and the boys develop better self control and discipline!

#BeatZeroState
#ShockTheWorld

Clawson had fixed the vast majority of these issues, and then Babers let it all resurface. People complained that Clawson played boring football, but his players weren't in the news as often and they didn't take stupid penalties. From what I hear, Jinks is much more like Clawson when it comes to player management.

I love trash talking but there is a fine line there and all too often they crossed it. I hope jinks handles players like Clawson, but is X's and O's like Babers.