hammb wrote:Glad to hear they played more inspired ball today. Todd was very candid actually calling our defense Terrible today, which is disappointing. Still, if the team actually played with some intensity, that is an improvement. We have 2 very winnable games remaining, I hope we finish 2-0 with a real reason to be optimistic for the future.
Hammb, that's right. I think we played hard and didn't quit, but to say we played well is a stretch. The offense looked improved, but Akron literally moved the ball at will on us.
They had eight drives and scored five touchdowns. They also threw an INT in the end zone and missed a FG, meaning they moved into position to score 7 of the 8 times they had the ball. We stopped them three and out once, and it was their only punt of the day.
I'm not bashing. We were in the game until the end, I'm proud we didn't quit and I was pleased to see AT play well. But it wasn't as good a game as OU.
For those that saw the game: Did AT look more comfortable throwing the ball and making his reads? I ask because it seems to be a consensus that he played well. His stat-line passing the ball was wholly unimpressive though. He had a good day rushing the ball, but I really don't care about that. We know he can run the ball when he's healthy.
Jacobs4Heisman wrote:For those that saw the game: Did AT look more comfortable throwing the ball and making his reads?
Not in my view. He had happy feet quite a bit in the pocket. He did hang on to the ball long, but the receivers - sans Corey - were able to get separation from their cover man.
He showed some signs of him "wanting it" but it really didn't look like he was terribly comfortable. Overall, however, I give him a B grade for the game just for the few drives where he took over and showed us his hype.
There was good and bad from the game and the reason for the loss isn't for any single reason.
"Science doesn’t know everything? Well science KNOWS it doesn’t know everything… otherwise it’d stop."
Dara O'Brian - Comedian
All I know, is that the number of voices speaking in support of the coaches are becoming fewer by the week. Those that remain are starting to talk on the shrill tone of denial. I'm not speaking to any one specific tone, only of the increasingly isolated and hard edge they require in the absence of wider support.
For what it is worth, I won't call for anybody to be fired this year. But this was the swing year for me. If there isn't clear and great improvement next year, I think they all need to go.
NWLB
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In all honesty, I expected the team to come out on Saturday and play with a little attitude. I was talking about the game with my head coach, and I told him that BG might just come out a little bit upset and focused this week. It's not the weeks after a loss that I worry about, it's the weeks before those losses that have me concerned with this staff. It's easy to get your team fired up when they are a little pissed that ESPN is announcing that they are responsible for Temple breaking their 20 game losing streak. But what about all of the big games that we couldn't win when we had a good team, what about the fact that besides NIU when college gameday was here, we couldn't win a national tv game, and quite a few times those games weren't even good games. All I've seen from Coach Brandon is a guy that doesn't get fired up enough to yell at someone when more than one thing is going wrong. It's fine to let your assistants do it at times, but they aren't the head coach, they aren't the one making all of the final decisions, they aren't the one with the headset one the sideline getting all of the glory for a win. Assistants are supposed to be there to help teach, and if their the only ones doing the yelling, the kids are going to tune them out eventually because they don't think it's important enough for the head coach to yell at them.
These are young men, and I wouldn't get on here and criticize these young men, not for still learning a game that is different on the college level. And I don't bash coaches much either, because I know how hard it is to get kids up for every game. But it's the fact that our coaching staff seems to be out gameplanned most of the time, and the kids don't seem motivated, they seem complacent when I watch them. I know I only have a view from tv games, but they don't have that sense of urgency everytime I watch them. That is what worries me. I'm sure that the whole coaching staff cares, but I wonder if Coach Brandon isn't better off as an offensive coordinator. When the time comes that I get my first head coaching position, I hope that I can realize that if things aren't going the way I planned after a couple of years, that I might not be cut out for the head job. I know that is a hard thing to do, but I know of some coaches that actually have found that they are better suited as top assistants, and not the head man, or woman.
Bleeding Orange wrote:You know what, after having been in (cr)Akron today, I honestly don't know what the hell you people are talking about. I realize that I have been a bit manic in my support of the current coaching staff this season, but, in terms of what happened today, you guys are seeing only what you want to see. Period.
What I saw today was a team that didn't quit. I saw a defense that has suffered a LOT of injuries (which no one seems to care to talk about) and was playing mostly freshmen and sophomores. Yeah, they looked like crap a lot of times, but given the injury experience situation, I don't see how you can legitimately lay their performance on the coaches shoulders. I also saw an offense that was opened up in response to a heartbreaking loss - a signal from the coaches to the players that this team is NOT going to give up on ANYTHING. I also saw a quarterback who made some significant strides to getting to where we all expected him to be. AT was certainly not perfect, but he was much better in this game than he has been in the past. Yeah, we're all pissed as hell that he took a sack to basically end the game, but all that is masking is the fact that he ran two pretty damned good drives under pressure to give us a chance to win this damned ballgame. I also saw special teams that were pretty consisitent and didn't allow any huge mistakes when, after a year of allowing a LOT of huge mistakes, it would be easy for them to make excuses. They didn't. They executed.
And overall, I saw a team that was unwilling to give up. I saw a team that was full of heart and was inspired. I saw a team that was not going to get all of the bullsh*t that was talked about them over the past week down. I saw a team that was motivated by its coaches. I saw a team that was PROUD of themselves, despite a humiliating loss. I am proud of this team, and I am even more proud of this coaching staff for getting things turned around after a heartbreaker - not only for us, but even moreso for them - last week. I am proud of the effort, and I will give credit where credit is due even if no one else will.
Yes, there are changes that need to be made before next year, but after watching what this team did today, I don't think they are nearly as drastic as people seem to think they should be around here. After all of the crap that this coaching staff has taken this year, someone has to stand up for them when they perform. I'm willing to be that guy, and I embrace any ridicule that I may recieve with open arms. Bring it, because you are going to lose the argument, especially if you weren't there today to witness what this team actually accomplished today.
I am always proud to be a Falcon, but I am even more proud to be one today.
I like that post, BO. I took a couple days away from the site after the game Saturday to think about everything.
We are going to be a good football team in 2007. We will beat Miami and UT and go into the off season on a positive note.
Michael W.
BGSU-12 TIME MAC CHAMPION
FALCON FOOTBALL ROCKS!
Flipper wrote:If Brandon is a bad coach, what does that make Joe Novak? NIU never seems to play up to their potential...unless we're visting Dekalb
Well, Novak built that program out of nothingness all the way up to a 12 ranking, 5 winning seasons in a row, NFL players, and national attention. This is all with his players and his system.
I've never really thought he was a great game coach, but the way he has led that program out of where it was is undeniable.
Whereas, Brandon took a team with a fantastic winning foundation and worlds of potential to where it has to play 30 freshman and can't beat Temple. This doesn't really seem like a hard decision.
