Concerns to Watch

[hammb]

I have to agree with everything here. Two big lumbering tights is so limiting. Very 1985. God I hope these installs are for a back burner……

IF they're "lumbering" you're really screwing yourself over.

12 can be a great, maybe even the best, personnel grouping IF you have TEs who are legit pass catching threats. Force defenses to play bigger personnel because you're in 12, but then shred teams over the middle and up the seams because LBs cannot cover your TEs. I love 12 if you have the right types of TEs.

But if your TEs are nothing more than receiving eligible light OTs? Gag...

Morris was the type of TE that allows you to play 12. Maybe we have more of those types waiting in the wings, but I'm skeptical. And really my love of 12 is more for NFL caliber athletes at TE. In the MAC I'd still probably prefer to be running 10 and getting the 4 best athletes on my roster out in space against opposing defenses.

Most importantly, as you mentioned in your original posts, the main goal should be to get quick separation and make quick/easy reads available to our QBs. Unless you've got a true star playmaking QB (I doubt we do no matter who plays this year), then your #1 goal of an offensive coach should be to make his life as easy as possible.

[MarkL]

I saw a highlight video of LaBronz Davis running the RPO offense in practice. I think it was during the brief time when he was considering transfering so he wanted to put his best foot forward. In several plays he pulled the ball, then quickly made a throw. The routes were simple routes - ie fast forming routes for quick reads as you need to run the RPO. A slant, a post, a corner route. He really looked good. I can't remember running RPO last year though I have bleached most of the results from last year. I seem to remember Loy running some RPO in 2019, of course a ​problem with Loy was some slow decision making.

What I would like to know is when was that video taken, was Malone officially OC at that point, is the RPO going to be a part of the offense going forward, and was that the base offense regardless of who is in at QB or is that a Davis-specific package to maximize his talents

[roguewarrior]

I saw a highlight video of LaBronz Davis running the RPO offense in practice. I think it was during the brief time when he was considering transfering so he wanted to put his best foot forward. In several plays he pulled the ball, then quickly made a throw. The routes were simple routes - ie fast forming routes for quick reads as you need to run the RPO. A slant, a post, a corner route. He really looked good. I can't remember running RPO last year though I have bleached most of the results from last year. I seem to remember Loy running some RPO in 2019, of course a ​problem with Loy was some slow decision making.

What I would like to know is when was that video taken, was Malone officially OC at that point, is the RPO going to be a part of the offense going forward, and was that the base offense regardless of who is in at QB or is that a Davis-specific package to maximize his talents

I think they had that offense in place only because Loy and Wade were not going to operate his offense, and they needed to stay in one piece.

Everybody has a favorite way to run schemes. They are all effective with the right personnel to match, vs the right opponent.

The film was likely him running a scout O to mimic our opponent. I seriously doubt there is a Davis package. Not Loefflers style….

[footballguy51]

I have to agree with everything here. Two big lumbering tights is so limiting. Very 1985. God I hope these installs are for a back burner……

IF they're "lumbering" you're really screwing yourself over.

12 can be a great, maybe even the best, personnel grouping IF you have TEs who are legit pass catching threats. Force defenses to play bigger personnel because you're in 12, but then shred teams over the middle and up the seams because LBs cannot cover your TEs. I love 12 if you have the right types of TEs.

But if your TEs are nothing more than receiving eligible light OTs? Gag...

Morris was the type of TE that allows you to play 12. Maybe we have more of those types waiting in the wings, but I'm skeptical. And really my love of 12 is more for NFL caliber athletes at TE. In the MAC I'd still probably prefer to be running 10 and getting the 4 best athletes on my roster out in space against opposing defenses.

Most importantly, as you mentioned in your original posts, the main goal should be to get quick separation and make quick/easy reads available to our QBs. Unless you've got a true star playmaking QB (I doubt we do no matter who plays this year), then your #1 goal of an offensive coach should be to make his life as easy as possible.

It looks like our roster, on the web, has 9 tight ends. Height ranges 6'3" to 6'5"; weight ranges 210 to 250. There isn't a ton of information in this piece, but they wrote about the position back in March: https://bgsufalcons.com/news/2021/3/26/ ... -ends.aspx. I think we have some decent athletes in that group; I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss them until you actually see them play.

[roguewarrior]

I have to agree with everything here. Two big lumbering tights is so limiting. Very 1985. God I hope these installs are for a back burner……

IF they're "lumbering" you're really screwing yourself over.

12 can be a great, maybe even the best, personnel grouping IF you have TEs who are legit pass catching threats. Force defenses to play bigger personnel because you're in 12, but then shred teams over the middle and up the seams because LBs cannot cover your TEs. I love 12 if you have the right types of TEs.

But if your TEs are nothing more than receiving eligible light OTs? Gag...

Morris was the type of TE that allows you to play 12. Maybe we have more of those types waiting in the wings, but I'm skeptical. And really my love of 12 is more for NFL caliber athletes at TE. In the MAC I'd still probably prefer to be running 10 and getting the 4 best athletes on my roster out in space against opposing defenses.

Most importantly, as you mentioned in your original posts, the main goal should be to get quick separation and make quick/easy reads available to our QBs. Unless you've got a true star playmaking QB (I doubt we do no matter who plays this year), then your #1 goal of an offensive coach should be to make his life as easy as possible.

It looks like our roster, on the web, has 9 tight ends. Height ranges 6'3" to 6'5"; weight ranges 210 to 250. There isn't a ton of information in this piece, but they wrote about the position back in March: https://bgsufalcons.com/news/2021/3/26/ ... -ends.aspx. I think we have some decent athletes in that group; I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss them until you actually see them play.

I, and I don’t think any of us with concerns, are dismissing the players. To the contrary, the reason for my post was to be sure to examine the scheme on the field BEFORE deciding the players are sub par, should things go bad this season. I remain skeptical, along with some others that the apparent scheme does not put a young roster in a good place for success. I hope I am 100% wrong about my trepidation.

[Schadenfreude]

As I mentioned earlier, Clawson's offenses were very old school in many ways. There were people ready to run him out of town before that team finally broke out. When they DID break out it wasn't until he had built the most talented roster in the MAC, and even then his teams still struggled to A) beat the other top teams in the MAC, and B) had very little real OOC success. In fact, I'd have to look back, but I think Clawson might be the only successful BG coach over the past 30 years that didn't win a single OOC/Bowl game against a Power conference team.

Sure, we can be successful running an ancient scheme. But doing so requires you to have more talent and better execution than your opposition. Both goals are difficult to achieve, and you're just putting yourself at a distinct disadvantage for no reason.


Just looking real quick:

Babers's teams beat Indiana, Maryland, and Purdue.
Brandon's teams beat Pitt, Minnesota, Purdue, and Northwestern
Urb's teams beat Mizzou twice, Northwestern, and Kansas
Blackney had a win over Mizzou, but also didn't fare too well in these sorts of games (obviously VERY different era of football back then)

Clawson's only great team was 2013. (Which was okay! It was a rebuild!) Clawson's 2013 Falcons damn near beat a good Mississippi State team. And I thought his 2013 team looked pretty good against Pittsburgh in that Motor City Bowl. They just got outmuscled in the end.

Also, in fairness to Clawson, had he stayed, I think his teams probably would have gotten those wins we are giving to Babers over Indiana, Maryland, and Purdue. Clawson built that machine that Babers was operating. (Even though Babers did make changes offensively.)

Finally, on Blackney: It was kind of a different era, but in addition to that 1995 win over Missouri I would point to the way he was absolutely demolishing some teams the year before:

-- Bowling Green 59, Navy 21, in Bowling Green. He humbled the Navy before a big crowd.
-- Bowling Green, 38, Cincinnati 0 in Cincinnati. The Bearcats weren't very good back then, that was a true beat down, and they did it on the road.
-- North Carolina State 20, Bowling Green 15. That would have been a heck of a win. The Falcons came really close in that opener in Raleigh.

[jpfalcon09]

As I mentioned earlier, Clawson's offenses were very old school in many ways. There were people ready to run him out of town before that team finally broke out. When they DID break out it wasn't until he had built the most talented roster in the MAC, and even then his teams still struggled to A) beat the other top teams in the MAC, and B) had very little real OOC success. In fact, I'd have to look back, but I think Clawson might be the only successful BG coach over the past 30 years that didn't win a single OOC/Bowl game against a Power conference team.

Sure, we can be successful running an ancient scheme. But doing so requires you to have more talent and better execution than your opposition. Both goals are difficult to achieve, and you're just putting yourself at a distinct disadvantage for no reason.


Just looking real quick:

Babers's teams beat Indiana, Maryland, and Purdue.
Brandon's teams beat Pitt, Minnesota, Purdue, and Northwestern
Urb's teams beat Mizzou twice, Northwestern, and Kansas
Blackney had a win over Mizzou, but also didn't fare too well in these sorts of games (obviously VERY different era of football back then)

Clawson's only great team was 2013. (Which was okay! It was a rebuild!) Clawson's 2013 Falcons damn near beat a good Mississippi State team. And I thought his 2013 team looked pretty good against Pittsburgh in that Motor City Bowl. They just got outmuscled in the end.

Also, in fairness to Clawson, had he stayed, I think his teams probably would have gotten those wins we are giving to Babers over Indiana, Maryland, and Purdue. Clawson built that machine that Babers was operating. (Even though Babers did make changes offensively.)

Finally, on Blackney: It was kind of a different era, but in addition to that 1995 win over Missouri I would point to the way he was absolutely demolishing some teams the year before:

-- Bowling Green 59, Navy 21, in Bowling Green. He humbled the Navy before a big crowd.
-- Bowling Green, 38, Cincinnati 0 in Cincinnati. The Bearcats weren't very good back then, that was a true beat down, and they did it on the road.
-- North Carolina State 20, Bowling Green 15. That would have been a heck of a win. The Falcons came really close in that opener in Raleigh.

The 2012 team was pretty good too. Lost a tight game to Kent State thanks to Dri Archer or else BG may have wound up going to four straight MAC Championship games. The Miss. State game was there for the taking. Probably the next biggest one that got away next to Ohio State in 2003. He really recruited well and instilled a culture that I think BG sorely misses, one that slowly was undone by Dino and then completely destroyed by Jinks.

[hammb]

Clawson's only great team was 2013. (Which was okay! It was a rebuild!) Clawson's 2013 Falcons damn near beat a good Mississippi State team. And I thought his 2013 team looked pretty good against Pittsburgh in that Motor City Bowl. They just got outmuscled in the end.

Also, in fairness to Clawson, had he stayed, I think his teams probably would have gotten those wins we are giving to Babers over Indiana, Maryland, and Purdue. Clawson built that machine that Babers was operating. (Even though Babers did make changes offensively.)

IT's no beef on Clawson with me. I think he was a great coach. He did a fantastic job here cleaning up the mess Brandon had created. And certainly the 2012 & 2013 teams were pretty darn good. And he certainly gets credit for building a talent pool and culture that made Dino's years here much easier.

Still, I'm not convinced that he does win those 3 Big 10 games. Clawson is a fine coach, but to me it is inarguable that his X's & O's were the weakest link, and when you're a MAC team (no matter how good) you don't typically win those games against Power conference teams if you're not running an offense capable of putting up big numbers. Those 3 wins under Dino we put up 35, 48, and 45 points. And we needed them as 7 points was the largest margin of victory. Comparatively, Clawson's teams almost never scored 30 against quality competition (2013 MAC Championship was a big time exception! )

I mean really do we have to look much past the IU games? IU was a similar team with the same coach & QB in both games we played against them. Yes, Clawson had to go on the road, and Dino had them at home. But still it is pretty stark that we beat them with Dino 45-42 and LOST 42-10 under Clawson the year before.


Dave did a LOT of great things here. Schematically he was out of date, and it routinely cost us in both OOC games and against the other top MAC teams (especially Toledo). I fear that Loeffler is equally as out of date schematically (maybe worse), and will also need to be excellent in every other facet of coaching (as Clawson was) to ever experience success. There is very little doubt that being a good coordinator is no requirement to be a good head coach, nor is it a guarantee that a good coordinator will be a good head coach. But I have some serious reservations about hiring a coach that was a QB coach and OC for so many years and basically his only GOOD offenses were as QB coach under Urban with Tebow a decade ago. As an OC he only had 2 seasons averaging over 30ppg and never had an offense ranked higher than #39 in the country.

[BGSU33]

Season ticket holder scrimmage is this Saturday 8/14.

What time does the scrimmage start?

[BGSU33]

Season ticket holder scrimmage is this Saturday 8/14.

Second scrimmage, no attendance is 8/21.

Do you know if there's a place to sign-up for the scrimmage this Saturday? Time?

I am not a season ticket holder, as I get them from the team. My sister said they were emailed a while back to reserve a spot. And deadline to reserve was 8/4. Had practice access and lunch/speakers at Stroh afterward. Maybe call ticket office and try??

All good. I talked to them this afternoon. Excited to see some live football this weekend, even if it is a scrimmage.

What time is the scrimmage? I forget what time it is scheduled and I seem to have deleted my email.

[jpfalcon09]

Season ticket holder scrimmage is this Saturday 8/14.

Second scrimmage, no attendance is 8/21.

Do you know if there's a place to sign-up for the scrimmage this Saturday? Time?

I am not a season ticket holder, as I get them from the team. My sister said they were emailed a while back to reserve a spot. And deadline to reserve was 8/4. Had practice access and lunch/speakers at Stroh afterward. Maybe call ticket office and try??

All good. I talked to them this afternoon. Excited to see some live football this weekend, even if it is a scrimmage.

What time is the scrimmage? I forget what time it is scheduled and I seem to have deleted my email.

9:30am

[mbenecke]

Very much looking forward to hearing some results from the scrimmage today. Would love a small "report" back from one of you in attendance this morning.

[jpfalcon09]

My observations:

Matt McDonald looks healthy. Ball coming out quick and accurate. His weird throwing motion is gone.

There's good depth at RB, and TE. Not so much WR. Kinsey is injured which is a bummer. Not sure what the issue is. Stewart also didn't play due to injury.

Didn't see a whole lot of deep routes so can't comment on the OL in that regard. Blocking overall was okay. Not many holes for RBs to hit. Probably the biggest issue. Team is only going to go as far as the offense takes it.

Defense looked pretty good. Attacking the ball well. Had a pick six off Melton, don't remember who it was.

Melton had two interceptions and a fumble on a botched exchange. McDonald missed a wide open deep throw and also threw an interception but had a nice couple TD drives. Davis had a nice TD drive as well. Keller played late and had a nice drive for a score.

Jalen Grant got hurt late. Looked like an ankle.

Kit Hughes is also alive and well.

[MarkL]

Would you say it is McDonald's job to lose, and who so far is looking like the backup?

[jpfalcon09]

Would you say it is McDonald's job to lose, and who so far is looking like the backup?

He's definitely the starter. I'd say the backup role is between Davis and Melton. Davis looked serviceable today and made fewer mistakes in about an equal amount of reps.

I know it's only intrasquad but I was pleased with the defense. There's definitely been a focus on fundamentals, the corners were actually looking for balls in the air and made a couple nice plays.

My honest assessment is the offense is still really going to struggle just because the line can't sustain blocks. I think there were only three or four deep routes run today and they were still on three step drops.

On the bright side though there is a lot of young talent and we will see flashes of it this year, and I feel pretty good about the future of the program given we don't see massive attrition like years past. Was night and day from the 2019 practice I got to see.