BG @ Buffalo game thread -MAC East Title Game

[SicSicalum]

The first half was not a poorly coaches half, and this is why. We used the run, our strength, to setup the pass. We were gashing the Buffalo defense on the ground to start with. If we complete some of those passes that were EASY passes to catch, we probably would have steamrolled Buffalo. But, by not catching those passes, Buffalo didn't need to worry about the passing game because ours was nonexistent. And, rather than continue to complete passes to receivers that couldn't get open and couldn't catch passes while standing wide open, we tried going back to plays we can execute so we could gain yardage.

In the second half, the announcers said something really interesting about Matt Johnson's 56-yard run, and I swear I was thinking that all the way up to halftime. We had set that play up for the entire first half. Again and again we handed off to Greene and he was caught from behind by a speedy defender that wasn't respecting the fake or the backside bootleg. We hammered that play to death to see if that was a consistent reaction, and it was. I was playing the coach-from-the-couch saying, "We need to fake the hand-off and bootleg off that. It is SO open." That's what we finally did, and it was a thing of beauty.

Since our pass game was ineffective due to mental mistakes, we used the first half to keep it close and test some theories. That was a great move. What else should we have done? Continue to throw to receivers that were dropping the ball and then go 3-and-out after gaining no yards? THAT would have been poor coaching.

+1

[kdog27]

Thats all true but that's easy to say after the fact, nobody who posts during the game was saying it then.

Went back and read through this thread, was anything really even that bad. Been much worse ones around here over the years. The chat room ones were especially worse. I guess that is a big difference is that we treat this thread like our chat room since we don't have it anymore and say what's on our mind. This was a typical thread, just had more people in it than usual because it was a big game.

Anyway after watching Auburn run the ball on everyone they played this year I'll stand by what I said in the first quarter. Johnson, Greene, Coppett, Givens, Houston and Moore would be a nightmare to defend for MAC defenses if we ran a scheme like that.

[Dayons_Den]

To your last point there Kdog- I wish we ran Johnson a bit more, I see similarities between him and Connor Shaw and he gets a good amount of designed keepers run up middle or off tackle, not just scrambles or zone reads.

I understand maybe why they don't want to put him on harms way but I think it would be a nice wrinkle.

[Schadenfreude]

I'm usually not a fan of Rollo's posts, but I say bravo in this thread.

The argument that BG was playing a bad half of football when they were down by 4 points is bizarre. It's not like they hadn't been in that position, or worse, at various times during the season. Games are 60 minutes long and seasons are 12 games long for a reason. If I had been judged on my mid term grades, yikes.

Frustration is a human emotion. But if you put something out there as a truism in the heat of the moment, be prepared for it to be shown incorrect or premature at the end of the day.

I think moaning is completely different than some of the comments that are being rehashed here. I'm not in favor of a Pollyanna approach, but maybe being two scores down before unleashing criticism is worth considering.

Well said. I agree.

There was some overreaction here to being down four points to a decent team at halftime. Some frustration is understandable--the offense clearly needed to make some adjustments because Buffalo's defense seemed to have the Falcons figured out--but some of the comments Rollo quoted seemed a bit over the top.

Whatever. On to the next one.

[Flipper]

Thic Conversation Has That "Im The Guy At A Concert Wearing The First Tour Tshirt While I Bitch At People For Not Being Into The Band Sooner" Feel To It.

Cmon...Don't Be That Guy....

[Rollo83]

I started this sh@t storm so I’ll try to end it. I apologize if I ruffled some Falcon feathers. I wasn’t trying to tell anyone how to be a fan or how to root for our beloved Falcons. I am surely not the guy who draws the “line” on what and what’s not appropriate. Just the opposite…I am more likely the guy who steps across the line just because someone told me I am not supposed to.

My point has always been (see my post on Thanksgiving Day), that coach Clawson has done a fantastic rebuilding this program and doesn’t deserve most of the criticism he received on this board earlier this year. We often don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone. Some people didn’t appreciate what Urban Meyer did here until a couple of years after he left when Greg Brandon tried to win with his own recruits. And while I understand why he was fired, I think we all have a better feeling about Dan Dakich as a coach now that we’ve lived through the Louis Orr years.

We’ve had a great season and this program is set-up for future success if Clawson stays. We are East Division Champs and playing in the MAC Championship for the first time in 10 years. How many of us would have taken that when Clawson was hired four years ago?

Yet when we lose a game, people are calling for his head. Or better yet, in the biggest game we’ve played in years, some can’t wait until after the game so they start taking their shots in the first half. That just doesn’t sit well with me. But again, that’s just my humble opinion and you don’t have to agree with me.

As far as being negative, I have no problem criticizing coaches or players if it’s warranted. Hell, just look at some of my posts in the basketball forum. We all get frustrated as fans…and lord knows we’ve had reasons for our frustration as BGSU fans over the years. So certainly no Pollyanna perspective here.

I am considering coming over to Detroit on Friday and if I do, I look forward to meeting some of you that I’ve enjoyed conversing with here on this board over the years.

Roll Along!