2005 mac football previews ........

[gman2]

would probably make more sense to keep all of these in one thread. so all the teams from here on out will be in this thread. again, hopefully some guys find these useful. time consuming for sure, but really looking forward to football season. also apologize for the formatting in advance. trying to get 'em aligned right.

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CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS

Looking back at 2004

The 2004 season was a roller coaster ride for Central Michigan. The attacking spread offense
implemented by first-year head coach Brian Kelly led to the Chips putting up terrific offensive
numbers on the year, but the defense was a huge disappointment. This dichotomy was never more
apparent than in Central Michigan's 61-58 loss in 4OT to Eastern Michigan last November. In a game
that saw Kent Smith throw 5 TD passes, it was the CMU defense that simply couldn't seal the deal
numerous times when the Chippewas needed just one stop to close out the game.

Quarterback Kent Smith, a junior in 2004, won the starting job after the season opener at Indiana
and ended up running Kelly's spread offense very efficiently. He threw for 2,284 yards and 16 TDs
last year while rushing for 10 TDs as well. Consistency is all that is keeping Smith from being a very
solid quarterback. For as well as he played in the EMU game last year (5 TD passes, 319 yards), he
came out the next week against a terrible Buffalo team and went 18 for 37 and was sacked 7 times.
If he can remain consistent, the Chips offense should be in good hands in 2005.

If the offense did have a weakness, it was the inability to get into the endzone after putting together
many solid drives throughout the season. They averaged 395 yards of total offense in 2004, but
averaged just 23.6 points per game. Mental mistakes and big plays hurt the Chips throughout the
season as well.

Notable instances:

Indiana 41 Central Michigan 10

Indy dominated, right? Not exactly. Central Michigan puts up almost 400 total yards and outgains the
Hoosiers in total offense and first downs. Jerry Seymour rushes for 122 yards. Yet the final score
shows a 31 point difference.

What happened?
* Indiana scores one touchdown on a 97-yard interception return for a touchdown.
* CMU gets picked off inside their own 20, allowing Indiana to drive all of 16 yards for a touchdown
* Indiana averaged 44 yards on 3 kick returns, making for some more short fields


Bowling Green 38 Central Michigan 14

CMU was stuffed all day, right? Not exactly. Central Michigan rings up 401 yards of total offense and does a great job of balancing the run and
pass. As a team, the Chips rush for 200+ yards, and Jerry Seymour accounts for 168 of them. But Central Michigan loses by 24 points.

What happened?
* CMU got destroyed by the pass, so their secondary certainly contributed to the rout and BG outclassed them. But CMU did a helluva lot to hurt
their chances to keep it close
* CMU gets an 85-yard touchdown pass called back because of an ineligible man downfield.
* CMU had it first and goal on the bg 9 and threw and interception.
* CMU fails to convert a 4th and inches inside the Bowling Green 25-yard line.

Northern Illinois 42 Central Michigan 10

Huskies cruised to a cakewalk win, right? Not really. This 42-10 final was 7-3 at halftime.

So where did this game get away from Central Michigan? Probably with one of the worst stretches of
5:00 of football you can imagine.

* Central Michigan down 7-3 at halftime.
* Northern Illinois hits a 60-yd pass play right out of halftime to stretch it to 14-3.
* On the ensuing kickoff, Central Michigan fumbles the football. Northern Illinois recovers and scores
a TD to go up 21-3.
* CMU stalls the next possession on the Northern 25, turns the ball over and allows niu to mount a
drive that made the game 28-3.

7-3 at halftime
28-3 with 9:00 left in the 3rd quarter.

The Chips played Northern Illinois pretty evenly for 3 and a half quarters. The game became a
blowout in a 5:00 span right out of halftime.

 

[gman2]

Eastern Michigan Central Michigan ( in 4OT )

Kent Smith had a career day and the Central Michigan offense keep scoring and scoring. The defense,
unfortunately, let them down in a big way. Three times late in the game (the final minutes of
regulation, and then twice in overtime), the Chips were one stop away from securing a win against
their in-state rival. All three times, the Central Michigan defense allowed Eastern to score. In the 3rd overtime, Central Michigan scored on a touchdown pass from Kent Smith to Justin Harper and successfully converted their 2-point try to take a
58-50 lead. Eastern Michigan then took the ball and not only scored a touchdown, but Matt Bohnet found Eric Deslauriers for a successful, and
game-tying, two-point conversion. That sequence was a microcosm of the 2004 Central Michigan football season. The offense did enough to win,
but the defense just couldn't get the job done when it counted. Despite the defensive failures, it was still a pretty successful first season for
Brian Kelly. His aggressive playcalling allowed for the offensive skill players to all have solid seasons in 2004.

It could, however, be two steps forward and one step backward if Jerry Seymour remains suspended indefinitely heading into fall camp. For
more on that, check out the next page of the Central Michigan preview.

Looking at the Central Michigan offense

A successful spread offense is only as good as the quarterback that orchestrates it, and Kent Smith has
the tools to make it work. He's surprisingly mobile for a guy that's 6 foot 5 as well. He had some games
last year where he was very effective throwing the ball (319 yds and 5 TDs against Eastern Michigan ...
395 yards against Toledo in windy and rainy field conditions, which makes those numbers even more
impressive) but he can also provide the necessary spread dimension of running the ball when he needs
to (10 rushing TDs last fall). Other than being left-handed, he is (at least physically) a prototype spread
offense quarterback. He's really blossomed in this offense. Under the previous coaching staff, he only
played in four games, and he went into last season as #2 on the depth chart before winning the job
after the Indiana game.


At running back, Central Michigan has one of the best in the MAC in Jerry Seymour. At just 5'5 and 190
pounds, the junior from Florida has already rushed for 2,401 yards in just two years at CMU. As a true
freshman in 2003, he averaged 124.1 yards per game, and as a sophomore last season, he didnt miss a
beat, averaging 117 yards per game. In the 2004 season finale, he torched Ball State for 217 yards on
the ground and 3 scores. He's truly one of the most underrated backs in all of college football. His size is
the first thing that people see, but he can really play. Can he take a pounding and churn out yards
against the power conference teams? Well he rushed 21 times for 111 yards against Indiana and then
followed it up the next week with 26 carries for 164 yards against Michigan State. Case closed. The guy
can flat out play.

The offseason, however, was not kind to Jerry Seymour. He is suspended indefinitely from the football
team and whether or not he is reinstated for the 2005 season remains to be seen. His suspension stems from his arrest and subsequent charge that he lied to a grand jury last November about his where he was and what he was doing when there
was an assault outside a club in Michigan, leaving Demarcus Graham in a coma. The 26-year old Graham died a month later. While Seymour was
not directly involved, his contempt of lying to the grand jury has left him suspended indefinitely and as of right now, senior tailback Spencer
Lewis is slated to be the starter in the backfield when the Chips open their season at home against Indiana. Suffice to say, if Seymour remains
suspended, that is a huge, huge blow to the Central Michigan offense.

The Central Michigan receivers are pretty solid. Their top two wideouts, Justin Harper and Damien Linson, both return this season. They'll both
be counted on heavily to duplicate their 2004 seasons. Together, they combined for 76 receptions and 12 touchdowns. The offensive line is
young (only one senior) but they are experienced and they helped lead a rushing attack that was #2 in the MAC last year. Kelly considers it to
be a stable part of the team and expects to run the ball effectively no matter who ends up getting the carries -- Seymour or no Seymour. The
kicking game is decent but not great. Although PK Mike Gruzwalski is a senior and was a freshman All-American in 2002, he was just 6 of 13 in
field goal tries last year, and only only 2 for 7 in kicks between 30 and 50 yards. Sophomore Tony Mikulec is the punter, and he averaged 37.5
per kick in 2004.

You hate to pin the success or failure of an offense on one player, but the decision Brian Kelly will eventually make to either reinstate or dismiss
Jerry Seymour is going to be critical. As a 2nd year head coach, he is in a precarious situation. He is a no-nonsense coach who is trying to put his
stamp on the program and he doesn't want players in trouble with the law. But at the same time, he has to know how vital Seymour is to the
offense. At the mid-major level, its tough to replace your legit blue-chippers and Seymour is just that. He led Central Michigan in rushing and
receiving last year and was 1st team All-MAC.

 

[gman2]

Looking at the Central Michigan defense

To the surprise of nobody, the focus during the offseason has been fixing the defense as much as
possible. Central Michigan was near the bottom of the NCAA (107 out of 117) in pass defense last
season, allowing 261 yards per game. Some of that can be attributed to youth and inexperience.
Central Michigan did, after all, start two freshmen at cornerback during a stretch last season. It's fair
to say they were properly welcomed to big-time college football. Those two corners (Raeshon Ball and
Ronnie Jackson) are sophomores now, and mistakes that are tolerable as freshmen are now
inexcusable a year later. There are some more experienced corners on the roster, but it looks like the
CMU coaches are set on starting the season with the sophomores.

Despite the secondary struggles in 2004, the Chips did have some playmakers on defense.
Unfortunately, one of them (James King) has graduated and is trying to land on an NFL roster. King
was an All-MAC performer who had four very successful seasons for CMU and he leaves some big
shoes to fill.

The strength of the Central Michigan defensive is along the line, where Dan Bazuin leads the Chips at
defensive end. While the Chips were in the middle of the pack as far as defending the run, they do
return a handful of starters and Bazuin, who is a Lombardi award nominee this fall, should have a
solid season.

Overall, the Chips are hoping that the defensive woes can be solved, at least in part, by old fashioned
experience. Some of the young guys were thrown to the wolves last fall and they gained valuable
playing time that should help in '05.

Summary

So much depends on how everything plays out with the Jerry Seymour situation. He is such a spark plug and the Chips can't afford to be without
him this fall. A few months ago, it was assumed that he would be reinstated with little problem, but as the season draws closer, theres a very
real chance that the Chippewas might be without their 1st-team All-MAC running back. What adds to the intrigue is that IF Seymour does
indeed return to the team, Central Michigan has a very realistic shot of winning their season opener against Indiana. It's a game that is being
shown on national television (ESPNU) and it could be just the kind of win that Brian Kelly is looking for -- one that could galvanize the football
program and go a long way toward removing the losing culture that surrounded the CMU program before the coaching change. As mentioned
earlier, the Chips more than held their own against the Hoosiers last year despite the final score. After the opener, CMU travels to Oxford to
take on Miami University and then they head to Penn State.

If things come together for Central Michigan, they could be a serious sleeper in the conference. Bowling Green has moved to the MAC East now
that Marshall has departed for Conference USA, leaving Northern Illinois and Toledo as the MAC West powers. The schedule is really favorable
for CMU if they can get off to a good start because both NIU and Toledo travel to Central Michigan late in the season. The Chips might have one
of the friendliest schedules in the conference this fall in terms of who they have to play on the road and who they get to play in their own house.

Brian Kelly is starting to get this program in the right direction. There's a reason he won two NCAA Division II national titles while at Grand
Valley State (where his teams were a combined 118-35). His aggressive, wide-open offense puts lots of pressure on opposing defenses, and he
is a demanding coach that expects to win and win often. He's got the pieces in place offensively to make his system work. The Chips success will
ultimately depend on two things -- first and foremost, the status of Jerry Seymour. But equally as important is the anticipated improvement of
the defense. If they get better, this is a legitimate darkhorse in the MAC West. If they don't get better, the Chips might still be in rebuilding
mode.

 

[Thunder Lips]

Falling on deaf ears, you shot yourself in the foot... buy a banner or scram

 

[Ohiosux68]

i'm back....

i'm back....

why don't you be a man and pay your debts?

 

[MadJack]

why don't you be a man and pay your debts?

and you're gone again!

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

***poof***

 

[gman2]

AKRON ZIPS


Looking back at 2004

After a dismal 0-3 start to the season, including a 31-24 home loss to Middle Tennessee State and
a 51-0 pounding at the hands of Virginia on the road, the Zips rallied to win 6 of their last 8 to
finish 6-5 and put themselves in position to play in a bowl game for the first time in school history.
Unfortunately, of the 56 bowl-eligible teams, the University of Akron was the only school to sit
home and not receive an invitation for the postseason.

The 2004 season got off to an ominous start as the Zips were outscored 130-34 in their first three
games. At the time, first-year head coach J.D.Brookhart wasn't winning any supporters,
especially considering that he came to Akron after serving as offensive coordinator at the
University of Pittsburgh and earning a reputation as a bright, young offensive mind that would
assuredly have the Zips scoring points in bunches.

Even after a win against rival Kent State (24-19), the Zips were still in an early-season funk. They
went out the following week in Dekalb and got smashed by Northern Illinois 49-19. Through five
games, the offense was averaging a pedestrian 15.4 ppg and it was looking more and more like
star QB Charlie Frye had made a big mistake by coming back for his senior season under a new
head coach.

But the light bulb apparently went on for the Zips offense, and the University of Akron won 5 of
their last 6 games, including a thrilling, come-from-behind win (31-28) on ESPN against Marshall
in a game that saw Akron rally from a 28-7 deficit in the 3rd quarter. Charlie Frye threw for 322
yards and Domenik Hixon caught 13 passes for 192 yards and a TD.
The Akron offense averaged 32.1 points per game during the final six weeks, a stark contrast from their anemic 15.4 average through the
first five games of 2004. It truly was a tale of two seasons for the Zips. After starting the season 1-4, not even the most optimistic Zips fan
would have thought that Akron would be playing for a MAC East title in the season's final week, but that's exactly the opportunity that
Akron had when they took on Miami on November 20th in a game that was arguably the program's biggest game in over a decade.

Charlie Frye had a monster game for the Zips, throwing for 436 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Akron had three receivers catch passes for
100+ yards each, including Domenik Hixon catching 9 for 118 with 2 TDs. But it was Miami's ability (and Akron's inability) to rush the football
that ultimately decided the game in the 4th quarter. In the early stages of the game, Akron jumped out to a 17-6 lead and momentum was
on the side of the Zips. But Miami stuck with their gameplan and continued to pound the ball on the ground. The Redhawks scored 21
unanswered points to take a 27-24 lead in the 3rd quarter. The game was tied at 27 heading into the final 15:00, but that's precisely where
the Redhawks dominated. The Miami defense shut down Frye, while the Miami offense kept chunking away yards on the ground and Miami
ended up winning 37-27. The Zips had little to be ashamed of, because they certainly played well overall. But the glaring stats from that
game were the rushing attempts and yards.


Akron rushed 28 times for 10 net yards.
Miami rushed 36 times for 229 net yards.

Overall, it was a terrific season for the Akron Zips. At season's end, J.D. Brookhart earned MAC Coach of the Year honors and the Zips made
significant strides toward becoming a MAC contender in the next few years, especially since their new facilities have helped them sign some
of the best recruits of any MAC school. The problem Akron is facing, however, is very similar to the problem facing rival Kent State. Both
programs showed progress in 2004, but both head into the 2005 season without their do-everything, 4-year-starting QB. In Kent's case,
that applies to Josh Cribbs. In Akron's case, that's Charlie Frye, who leaves the program holding virtually every passing record in school
history. Aside from the 54 school records he holds at Akron, he also finished his career 11th in NCAA history in total offense and 16th in
career passing yards. Can Akron succeed in 2005 without such a vital part of their offense (and program for that matter)? That is the
biggest offseason question the Zips have.

 

[gman2]

Looking at the Akron offense

The loss of Charlie Frye leaves a huge void at quarterback for the Zips, but junior Luke Getsy could
end up stepping in and filling the role nicely for Akron. The 6-2 / 220 lb. quarterback transferred from
the University of Pittsburgh, where he played in six games for the Panthers in 2003. He is certainly
familiar with Brookhart's system and has the potential to put up some good numbers this season,
considering the Zips have a lot of offensive skill position players returning. Getsy beat out Jabari
Arthur (last season's backup QB) in the spring, and that led to Arthur being moved to wide receiver
for this fall. So this is Getsy's team and he's expected to step in and lead what has the potential to be
a pretty good offense.

The Zips are set at running back with senior Brett Biggs coming in off a solid 2004 season. The 5-9 /
195 lb. tailback averaged 132.9 all-purpose yards for Akron in his first year with the Zips after
transferring from Fort Scott CC. While Biggs had a very nice year overall, it is worth noting that he
struggled to get going in the Zips two biggest games down the stretch. He rushed for only 27 yards on
14 carries against Marshall, and 43 yards on 13 carries against Miami. It will be worth watching to see
if Biggs can be a consistent back for the Zips in 2005, especially since he will be running behind a very
inexperienced offensive line.

Wide receiver is the deepest position on the Zips roster. They return their 4 top receivers from last
season, and also add converted QB Jabari Arthur to the mix. Arthur has great size ( 6-4 / 217 lb ) and
is a terrific athlete that can definitely be a playmaker in the passing game despite his relative
inexperience at the position. The go-to receiver for the Zips is Domenik Hixon, who just might be the
most underrated receiver in the conference. He has terrific hands and is not afraid to catch the ball
across the middle or in traffic. He also was at his best when it mattered most for the Zips. He caught
13 balls for 192 yards and a TD against Marshall and then caught 9 passes for 118 yards and 2 TDs against Miami in the season finale. The Zips
also bring back Jason Montgomery, who isn't as big as Hixon (just 5-11 / 170 lbs ) but he finished 2nd in receptions last year and provides a lot
of versatility for their offense because he can line up in multiple positions.
The problem for Akron is they lost almost their entire line to graduation. While the offensive line won't necessarily be young (it will be almost all
juniors) it will be very inexperienced. Junior Tim Crouch is the only Zip on the offensive line to start a game in an Akron uniform. He has his
share of experience (22 straight starts) but the rest of the guys need to step up and form a cohesive unit early on or the Zips could be in some
offensive trouble. Guard Andy Alleman is another University of Pittsburgh transfer that is expected to be an offensive starter after sitting out
the 2003 season.
On special teams, Akron returns a pretty solid pair of seniors to handle the kicking duties. Jason Swiger does the place kicking, and while he was
just 10 for 17 in field goals during the 2004 season, he made some clutch kicks for the Zips, including the game-winning as time expired against
Marshall. What's interesting to note is that he was 2-7 from 30-39 yards, but 4-4 from 40-49 yards, and 1-2 from 50+ yards. So he definitely
has the leg to give Akron plenty of scoring chances. If he can get a little more consistent, the Zips should be in very good shape in the kicking
game. Billy Sullivan averaged 40.2 yards per punt in 2004 and is Swiger's holder on placekicks.

 

[gman2]

Looking at the Akron defense

Seven starters return for the Zips on defense, and they'll be counted on heavily while the offense
finds its identity early on in the season. Akron was smack in the middle of the MAC in almost every
defensive category in 2004, and its fair to say those statistics were representative of the talent on
Akron's defense. They're not a particularly great unit, but they're better than average. They allowed
27 ppg in 2004, which was 8th out of 14 in the MAC. But the defense really let the Zips down in those
two key late-season games against Miami and Marshall. Although the Zips won the Marshall game
31-28, they still WAY too many yards to an average-at-best Marshall offense. Stan Hill threw for 439
yards and the Herd put up 554 yards of total offense that night. Miami put up 437 yards of offense,
including 140 by Luke Clemens on the ground alone in the season finale, which ultimately cost Akron a
shot at a MAC title.

The secondary is where the Zips should be strongest. All four DBs return, including sophomore Chevin
Pace, who was Akron's leading tackler in the secondary in 2004. Dion Elie is recovering from an
offseason injury, but he started all 11 games at free safety in 2004.

The Zips are counting on Kiki Gonzalez to lead the defensive line. He's a load at 6-2 / 300 lbs and he
was a full-time starter as a junior last year. Linebacker is somewhat of a position of uncertainty for
Akron, as only Jay Rohr returns from last season. The linebackers who are going to be filling in are all
young. The defense has to do a better job at stopping the run. While they had a statistically decent
year against the rush last year, they showed signs of fatigue down the stretch against Ball State,
Marshall, Ohio University, and Miami.

 

[gman2]

Summary

Even though the Zips had a terrific finish to the 2004 season, there are a lot of question marks for this upcoming season. Can Luke Getsy prove
to be an adequate successor to Charlie Frye at quarterback? Can the inexperienced offensive line hold up and give him time to find a terrific
group of receivers? The receivers can't throw the ball to themselves, and if Getsy doesn't get enough time, the Zips offense could struggle early
on in the season. Can Brett Biggs follow up a promising first season with the Zips? After transferring from JUCO, this is his last year of college
football and Akron needs him to have a solid season. Fortunately for Akron, the schedule is pretty manageable early on this fall. While the
season opener in Purdue will be an enormous test, the schedule lightens up after that, with the Zips traveling to Middle Tennessee State
(although with MTSU pulling the upset last year, that might not be a gimmie win), and the Akron comes home for two games before heading out
to Buffalo. So it's conceivable that Akron could head to Miami on October 15th sitting at 3-2. But they could also be 1-4 if things don't break
well. This looks to be a transitional year for the Zips, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's gonna be really tough for them to finish much
better than .500, despite a favorable schedule. They've got a lot of talent on offense, but they might be one more year away from seriously
contending in the MAC East.

 

[gman2]

Eastern Michigan Eagles

Looking back at 2004

Eastern Michigan finished the 2004 season with a 4-7 mark overall. They suffered an embarrassing home
loss to 1-AA Eastern Illinois as well as a home loss to Idaho. They allowed 41.8 points per game on
defense, which was 116th in nation. They gave up 58 points to Central Michigan and 69 points to Kent
State.....in BACK TO BACK WEEKS. So why are the Eagles being touted by many as an up-and-coming
team in the MAC?

The main reason is that the Eagles have a terrific offense, some very talented skill position players on
that side of the ball, and a head coach who is young and aggressive. Eastern Michigan averaged 428
yards of total offense and almost 30 points per game in 2004. Quarterback Matt Bohnet had a terrific
first season after transferring from Iowa, and Eric Deslauries emerged as one of the MAC's true
game-breaking wide receivers.

But until their defense improves, it's awfully presumptuous to think that EMU is going to be able to
compete on a weekly basis against the elite MAC teams like Bowling Green, Toledo, and Northern Illinois.
What is interesting to note, however, is that despite their defensive troubles, EMU had respectable
showings against all three of those MAC powers last season.
Things got off to a decent start in week one against Buffalo, as EMU held on for a 37-34 win. Their defensive effort against a mediocre Buffalo
team should have sent the red flags flying for the Eagles. Not only did they allow Buffalo to score 34 points, but the Bulls won the first down
battle 25-17 and the total offense battle 399-339. The Bulls actually took a 34-30 lead with less than 10:00 left in the game, but EMU rallied to
get the season off to a 1-0 start.

Eastern Michigan took their perfunctory beating against the Florida Gators on the road but they were a game opponent for 2 quarters. After
Eric Deslauriers caught a TD pass with 1:00 to go before halftime, the Gators lead was just 21-10. But the defense failed to hold up, and Florida
scored right before the half to go up 28-10 into the break. After halftime, EMU was shut down and failed to score again, losing 49-10.

The Eagles lost 42-32 to Toledo (despite rolling up 538 yards of total offense and 34 first downs), and that loss dropped them to 1-2. The two
games that followed were pathetic efforts at best. The Eagles gave up 431 yards to 1-AA Eastern Illinois in a 31-28 home loss, and then allowed
464 yards to Idaho in a 45-41 home loss. Suffice to say, at the halfway point of the season, EMU had higher aspirations than being 1-4,
especially since 4 of their first 5 games were at home.

There were signs of life from the Eagles the next two weeks though, as they beat Ball State and Western Michigan both on the road (31-24 and
35-31). Against Ball State, Matt Bohnet threw for 390 yards, and Eric Deslauriers had an absolute monster game, catching 10 balls for 209
yards and two touchdowns. The win over Western Michigan did, however, require a late rally. Eastern Michigan trailed 31-28 with 0:31 seconds
left before A.J. Bennett hauled in a 30-yard game-winning TD pass to give the Eagles the win and improve their record to 3-4.

EMU headed into the Bowling Green game on the road as 30-point underdogs, but they were very competitive even though the final was 41-20.
The Eagles put up 433 yards of total offense and trailed just 24-10 at the break. The game swung when Bohnet's backward pass was picked off
and returned for a 30-yard touchdown by BG's Mitchell Crosley to open up a 31-10 Bowling Green lead early in the 3rd quarter.

 

[gman2]

The final three weeks of the 2004 season saw some highs, some lows, and some in-betweens. The
high point was against Central Michigan in a game played at Ford Field in Detroit. Eastern Michigan
won a thrilling 61-58 game that required 4 overtimes before it was settled. Both quarterbacks put up
Nintendo-like numbers, but Matt Bohnet and Eric Deslauries (surprise and surprise) were the stars
again. Bohnet threw for 367 yards and Deslauriers caught 14 passes for 207 yards, and moved the
chains for EMU whenever they needed to convert a critical third down in the 2nd half and overtime.

The Eagles apparently forgot there was a game to play the following week in Kent State, because
after their exhilarating win over rival Central Michigan, they went to Kent and got thoroughly
dismantled by the Flashes in a 69-17 loss. Kent State rang up 575 yards of total offense (to EMU's
256) and the Flashes' Josh Cribbs was 28-33 for 306 yards through the air, and he also rushed 11
times for 104 yards. It was a truly embarrassing effort for Eastern Michigan, at it would have been
even worse if not for the Eagles recovering a blocked punt for a TD with 1:00 left to make the final
69-17 instead of 69-10.

The season came to an end with a 34-16 home loss against Northern Illinois. The game was tight at
halftime (20-13) but Northern Illinois just abused EMU in the trenches on their way to 408 rushing
yards. When it was over, the Eagles finished up 4-4 in the MAC, and 4-7 overall. The offense had some
huge games and, aside from the debacle in Kent State, performed very well for the season. The
defense, on the other hand, was happy to see the season come to a close.

Looking at the Eastern Michigan offense

The Eagles have a solid quarterback in Iowa-transfer Matt Bohnet. The 6-3 junior finished the 2004 season ranking 6th in the nation in total
offense (293 yards per game) and he threw for over 2,800 yards and 21 touchdowns. Aside from the season finale against Northern Illinois
(where he threw 5 interceptions), he took good care of the ball as well, finishing with just 12 total interceptions on the year. Considering that
he put the ball in the air 434 times, the Eagles can live with those occasional turnovers. He's also an adequate scrambler, averaging 4.2
yards per carry and taking just 12 sacks last season. If Bohnet goes down, the Eagles might have some problems though, as they're backing
him up with a redshirt freshman -- 6'1 / 213 lb. Tyler Jones.

Running back is a position where Eastern Michigan is pretty set. Both Anthony Sherrell and Nelson Drew should see significant time in the
backfield. Sherrell was granted a 4th year of eligibility by the NCAA and was All-MAC 2nd team in 2004 and All-MAC 1st team in 2003. He's
rushed for 2,446 yards in his career and he is a true workhorse back. Some players tend to lose effectiveness after they carry it more than
25 times a game. But Sherrell gets stronger as the game goes on, and he's twice had games where he's carried the ball 43 times. Drew will
get the rest of the carries along with junior Pierre Walker, who finished second on the team in rushing in 2004.

The Eagles are deep and talented at wide receiver, with junior Eric Deslauriers leading the way. Statistically, he was one of the best
receivers in all of college football last year. He caught 84 passes for 1257 yards and 13 touchdowns. His 114 receiving yards per game was
4th best in the NCAA in 2004. Sometimes numbers can lie and players can be a product of the system, but this kid can play. Whenever
Bohnet needed someone to come up with a big catch, Deslauriers found a way to make a play. When you break it down, he was on the
receiving end of 37% of Bohnet's completions. But he's not the only EMU's only weapon at wide receiver. A.J.Bennett, Duan Bracey, and
Trumaine Riley are all back for EMU, and each caught 20+ balls for the Eagles in 2004. Riley averaged 15.1 yards per catch .

 

[gman2]

The offensive line did a good job of protecting the quarterback last season, allowing Bohnet to get
sacked just 12 times. Senior center Mike Romeli is the anchor, and that should make things easier for any
quarterback taking snaps for the Eagles. There is some roster turnover and some holes to fill along the
line, but a good number of linemen have experience, so the Eagles offense should be just fine in 2005.

While it seems like "mediocre" is the word to describe most kicking games in the MAC, thats's not the
case with Eastern Michigan. They return one of the best kickers in college football. Andrew Wellock
finished 2nd for the Lou Groza award in 2004 and made 21 of 23 field goals. Most impressive were his
field goal attempts of 40+ yards, where he was 4-5 from 40-49 yards, and 2-2 from 50+ yards. He also
made 32 of 33 extra points. Needless to say, he's the best kicker in the conference and it's fair to
consider him a valuable piece of the Eastern Michigan offense. Wellock also doubles as the EMU punter,
although he's not quite the weapon he is as a placekicker, averaging a mediocre 37.2 yards on his 50
punts.


Looking at the Eastern Michigan defense

Close your eyes when looking at the defensive numbers for EMU. They weren't pretty in 2004. Overall,
they were 4th-worst in the NCAA, allowing 469 yards per game. When you look at points allowed in all of
college football, only San Jose State gave up more points in than EMU did last year. It also doesn't help that the Eagles lost their lone bright spot on defense to graduation (linebacker Kevin Harrison, who led the team with 146 tackles in 2004).
Keyvon Barbee, who finished 3rd on the team in tackles (92) is also gone. So there are some big holes to fill at linebacker, and it's not like this
was a great defense to begin with. This definitely isn't addition by subtraction. Those guys will be missed.

Along the defensive line, Josh Hunt, a transfer from Colorado, could be a contributor this fall. Converted tight end Kevin Howe will also play a big
role for the Eagles up front. Eastern Michigan was certainly better against the run (89th in the NCAA) than the pass (114th) in 2004, so that will
have to continue if EMU is to make the progress the coaches expect on defense.

The Eagles have some experience in the defensive backfield, but that might not necessarily be a good thing. This might be a position where the
EMU coaches decide to throw some redshirt freshmen into the fire and get them some game experience. The pass defense cant be any worse
than it was last season. In a pass-happy conference though, its tough to be inexperienced in the secondary (as Central Michigan found out in
2004). This will be a position to watch early on in the year for Eastern Michigan.

Summary

The media and sportswriters have pegged EMU for a 3rd place finish in the MAC West behind Toledo and Northern Illinois. That might be a little
steep considering they have to travel to Central Michigan for a road game in late September, and the Chippewas are improved and looking to
avenge that heartbreaking 4OT loss from last season. The MAC West is basically "three-tiered". Northern Illinois and Toledo are in their own
class at the top. Western Michigan and Ball State are clearly rebuilding at the bottom. And EMU and CMU are both solidly in between. Neither is
in the class of Northern Illinois or Toledo, but they should both be competitive. Simply put, the defense has to get a LOT better for a 3rd place
finish to happen. The EMU is tough early on, but relatively easy in November. They finish the season with Ball State, Western Michigan, and
Buffalo -- who are the three worst teams in the conference. You have to wonder how much confidence this team will have after playing (and
likely losing to) Toledo, Northern Illinois, and Miami is back-to-back-to-back weeks in October. Their season opener is intriguing, because
Cincinnati is not the team they once were. It's a game they SHOULD be competitive in. Michigan at the Big House in week 3 will do a good job of
preparing this group for a brutal early MAC schedule. The EMU offense will be terrific, but can their D hold up? A 4th place finish, not a 3rd, in
the MAC West is far more realistic and likely.

 

[gman2]

BALL STATE CARDINALS


Looking back at 2004

Not a whole lot went right from Ball State in 2004. They book-ended their season with solid
efforts, but they were uncompetitive for most games in between. They finished up 2-6 in the MAC
and 2-9 overall, and after the season, the best player in their program (wide receiver Dante
Ridgeway) left for the NFL and was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the April draft.

The season opened up with a home loss to Boston College, but Ball State really hung tough with
the Eagles and only lost 19-11. The Cards trailed 12-11 at halftime but just couldn't put anything
together in the 2nd half and BC avoided the upset.

The momentum from that game did not carry over for Ball State though. They traveled to Purdue
and Missouri the following two weeks and got waxed by a combined score of 107-7. The
Boilermakers rolled up 599 yards of total offense and Purdue's Kyle Orton had just three
incomplete passes in 26 attempts. Things didn't get any better in Missouri, as the Tigers held Ball
State to just 7 first downs, 142 yards of total offense, and a paltry 1.8 yards per rush.

BSU was 0-3 heading into their MAC opener against Western Michigan and were averaging just 6.0
points per game, but the Broncos proved to be the perfect elixir for a struggling Ball State
offense. The Cardinals put up 476 yards of offense and Cole Stinson threw 3 TD passes to Dante Ridgeway in a 41-14 Ball State win. Would the momentum carry over this time for Ball State? That answer was a resounding no, because they
went to Toledo the next week and were completely dominated by the Rockets. In a game where Toledo was a 17 point favorite, they romped to
a 52-14 win and put up a mind-boggling 645 yards of total offense against a helpless Ball State defense. Toledo QB Bruce Gradkowski threw for
455 yards and had TD passes of 60 yards and 96 yards.... in the first 6:00 of the game.

Ball State did respond with a decent effort the against Eastern Michigan a week later, but BSU dropped a 31-24 decision to the Eagles at home.
For the 2nd week in a row, a MAC had a huge game. This time it was Matt Bohnet who threw for 390 yards and two TDs. Ball State took a 24-21
lead into the final quarter, and the game was tied 24-21 with under 3:00 to play, but Anthony Sherrell found the endzone for EMU and dropped
Ball State to 1-5 on the season.

Ball State was no match for Bowling Green on the road, and the Falcons cruised to a 51-13 win that could have been A LOT worse had BG not
called the dogs off right after halftime. BG was up 35-3 at the break, but Omar Jacobs sat for most of the 2nd half and the Falcons kept the ball
on the ground to burn clock and keep the beating to a minimum. Cole Stinson was just 18-42 passing the ball for Ball State, and this game would
end up being his final game as full-time starter at the position.

Stinson split time the following week in Akron with Joey Lynch, a sophomore in 2004 and the expected starter for Ball State in 2005. Stinson was
just 12-26 for 86 yards. Lynch did a nice job of moving the offense and was 9-12 for 114 yards. Adell Givens had a great game on the ground (23
carries for 141 yds) but it wasn't enough to keep Akron from winning 35-23.

While there weren't a lot of positive for the Ball State football program in 2004, they should receive credit for playing hard in the final weeks
when most struggling teams simply mail it in. Northern Illinois came into town as nearly a 20-point favorite, but Ball State took the Huskies to
overtime before losing 38-31. Even though Northern Illinois controlled the game on the ground, Ball State played with a lot of pride and nearly
pulled off a huge upset. Dante Ridgeway and Adell Givens both had big games on offense, and Joey Lynch played well in his first start of the
season, throwing for 244 yards with a TD and no INTs.

 

[gman2]

It wasn't pretty, but Ball State registered their second win of the 2004 season, 21-17, against
winless Central Florida. It was an ugly game on both sides. Alex Haynes was the bright spot for
UCF, rushing the ball 30 times for 140 yards. Ball State played without Adell Givens, but his
reserves filled in well enough to rush for a combined 137 yards on 31 attempts.

The season wrapped up in Central Michigan on November 20th. On paper, the game was not
expected to be anything special, but it ended up being one of the most entertaining games in all of
college football that weekend. In a crazy game that saw Ball State score 27 first-quarter points, it
was CMU's Jerry Seymour who scored from 3 yards out with 5:00 left to give Central Michigan a
thrilling 41-40 come-from-behind win in a game that had 81 totals points and almost 1,000 yards
of combined total offense. Joey Lynch had a career day, throwing for 397 yards and 3 TDs. Dante
Ridgeway, in what ended up being his final game in a Ball State uniform, went out with a monster
game, catching 10 passes for 215 yards. But it was CMU's Jerry Seymour who stole the show,
rushing for 217 yards and 3 TDs. When it came down to crunch time, the Ball State defense just
couldn't stop the run. The heartbreaking loss sent Ball State into the offseason with a record of
2-9 overall.

There were some signs of improvement late in the season, especially when Lynch took over at
quarterback. But overall, Ball State proved to be an overmatched group in most of their games.

Looking at the Ball State offense

Heading into the 2005 season, the Cardinals have settled on Joey Lynch as their starter. At 6'2 and 190 lbs, he doesn't have the prototype
QB size that his backup does (Cole Stinson, 6-4, 230 lbs) but when it came down to performance in 2004, it was Lynch who ended up being
more consistent and effective behind center. Stinson was thrown to the wolves as a true freshman, and that experience will be invaluable to
him, but the BSU offense is in better hands with Lynch right now. In a relatively dismal season for the program as a whole, one bright spot is
the lack of turnovers from the quarterback position. Both quarterbacks threw just 2 interceptions each last season in a combined 348
attempts. Amazingly, considering their record, the Cardinals committed the fewest turnovers (six) in ALL of college football in 2004. It's
actually scary to think what the results would have been had Ball State been careless with the ball throughout the course of the season.
While neither Lynch nor Stinson is an elite quarterback in the MAC, both have experience and together they make up a pretty decent 1-2
combo that the offense can build around for the next two seasons.
Running back was supposed to be a position of strength for the Cardinals in 2005, but that all changed when leading rusher Adell Givens, the
MAC Freshman of the Year in 2003, was dismissed from the team for academic reasons. He averaged almost 5 yards per carry on 202
attempts in 2004, so his loss is a huge blow to the BSU offense. Charles Wynn and Larry Bostic will be counted on heavily to make up for the
loss of Givens in the backfield. With Bostic recovering in the offseason from a 2004 injury, Wynn will likely get the majority of the carries
early on.
It isn't often that one of the best players in the conference plays for one of the worst teams in the league, but for the last three years, that
was the case with wide receiver Dante Ridgeway. This loss of Givens at running back pales in comparison to the loss of Ridgeway at wide
receiver. He finished the 2004 season, his junior year, with 105 catches for 1399 yards and 8 TDs. Those aren't his career numbers. Those
are his numbers for 2004 alone. It's crazy to think that all of the other receivers and running backs COMBINED didn't catch 105 balls in 2004.
The next leading receiver was Bryan Williamson with 21. Losing Dante Ridgeway rivals the loss of Josh Cribbs at Kent State as the most
significant loss for any program in the conference heading into this fall. It was no surprise that Ridgeway left for the NFL after his junior
season as opposed to returning to Ball State for his senior year of eligibility. Entering the draft
was almost a no-brainer for him. The Cardinals will be looking for somebody...ANYBODY...to step
up and try to replace him and become the go-to receiver. Bryan Williamson is the likely candidate,
but anybody could emerge from the mix and be the leader at this position.

Ball State returns 3 starters on the offensive line, but that might not be a good thing, considering
they allowed 39 sacks last season. This is a group that is far better at run blocking than pass
blocking. They did a pretty good job opening holes up for the backs last year and allowed Givens to
have some nice games. But both Lynch and Stinson went down far too often when they dropped
back to pass in 2004. That has to change, or else the BSU offense is going to struggle.

The special teams also took a hit in the offseason when Reggie Hodges, the best punter in the
MAC, joined him teammate (Ridgeway) in being selected by the St.Louis Rams in the NFL Draft.
Hodges averaged a stellar 42.6 yards per kick, and he definitely was called upon to punt the ball
away often in 2004 (73 punts on the season). Placekicker Brian Jackson is back, and he did a
pretty nice job for the Cards last year, converting 12 of 16 kicks and 23 of 24 extra points. None
of his field goals, however, were more than 39 yards, so his range is a little limited.

 

[gman2]

Looking at the Ball State defense

Nine starters return on this side of the ball, and that, again, might be a good or bad things
depending on how you look at it. While the offensive line had trouble protecting their quarterback
and allowed 39 quarterbacks sacks, the Ball State defense had the opposite problem - they were able to record just 17 sacks as a unit in
2004. Not only did the defensive line fail to generate a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, they were lost the battle at the line of
scrimmage and were pushed backward -- the Cardinals defense allowed 197 yards on the ground last season, which was 2nd-worst in the
MAC and ranked 100th out of 117 teams in the NCAA in rushing defense. They have some talent at defensive end, but none of the interior
linemen stand out.

The linebackers will be the glue to the defense for BSU. They have a good mix of youth and experience at the position, and a handful of
capable guys should see action. Sophomore Wendell Brown has the most upside, and he saw action in 11 games as a freshman in 2004. This
unit needs to be effective for Ball State to be respectable on defense this fall.

The secondary lost Justin Beriault to the NFL, and it's a group that only had 2 INTs last season. The entire secondary is made up of
upperclassmen so there is experience returning in the defensive backfield for sure. Ultimately, the defense is going to have to force more
turnovers to set the offense up with good field position if the Cards want to improve in 2005. Getting dominated at the line of scrimmage in
the run game can't happen again to the D-Line, and the secondary has to create turnovers. It's quite a challenge for the BSU defense.

Summary

The schedule is downright brutal for Ball State to open the season. On one hand, you want to give them major credit for lining up games with
big-time opponents. But at some point, you gotta think it might be counterproductive. They open the season with road games AT Iowa, AT
Auburn, and AT Boston College. In between, they have a home game with conference-favorite Bowling Green. There is simply no chance of
them competing in any of those games, and they'll be 0-4 when they head to Western Michigan on October 8th. The Cards only have 4 home
games the entire season, and two are against the two best teams in the conference -- Toledo and Bowling Green. The early schedule might
lead to some solid betting opportunities with lots of line value on the Cards midway through the season and toward the end, because they'll
be catching a lot of points. But there's no doubt this team is gonna struggle bigtime, and anything more than 2 wins will make for a
successful season.

 

[kneifl]

Great stuff gman -

Always enjoy reading your MAC insight!! Keep up the good work!!

kneifl

 

[gman2]

thanks kneifl. been working hard on these things. glad to know theyve been of some help


BOWLING GREEN FALCONS


Looking back at 2004

It's hard to call Bowling Green's 2004 season a disappointment. After all, their high-powered offense
was 4th in the nation in scoring (43.6 points per game), 5th in the nation in total offense (558 yards
per game), and 2nd in the nation in passing offense (335.6 yards per game). They also rolled up 558
of total offense in their 52-35 rout of Memphis in the GMAC Bowl last December. Quarterback Omar
Jacobs heads into the 2005 season as a candidate for the Heisman Trophy, and the Falcons are
looking to build on their 9-3 mark from last year.

But there is a bit of unfinished business for the Falcons. All those gaudy offensive numbers and even
the bowl win against a Conference USA team can't take the sting away from Bowling Green's loss to
rival Toledo a few days before Thanksgiving last November. With the MAC West Championship on the
line, the Falcons took a 27-7 lead into halftime on the road against Toledo. They were 30:00 away
from a West Division Championship.... and then the wheels fell off. 35 unanswered points were put up
by the Rockets before BG knew what him them, and what was once a 27-7 Falcon lead was now a
42-27 deficit. Bowling Green tried to mount a rally, but the Rockets wouldn't allow it, and Toledo came
back from 27-7 to win 49-41 and secure a berth in the MAC Title game. For all the of the great success
BG had in '04, this game will be the indelible memory of the past season as Bowling Green takes the
field this fall and looks to atone for that collapse.
The 2004 season began in Oklahoma, and there was a lot of question marks for Bowling Green. While they were coming off an impressive
2003 season and played for the MAC Championship against Miami, they also had to replace quarterback Josh Harris, who finished his career
as one of the most dynamic players in BGSU history. The job was turned over to Omar Jacobs, a sophomore quarterback who threw only 28
passes as Harris' backup in 2003. The game in Norman was expected to be a lopsided win for the Sooners, especially considering the
inexperienced Jacobs would be making his first career start in one of the nation's toughest venues.

Bowling Green lost 40-24 to Oklahoma, and Jacobs finished 24-41 for 218 yards and 2 TDs. But it was the poise of the sophomore that stood
out. He didn't look overwhelmed, and he didn't look intimidated to be facing the #2 Sooners. After coming home for a tuneup against
Southeast Missouri Sate, the Falcons had an ESPN date up next with Northern Illinois.

Things got off to a good start in Dekalb for BG, as they took the opening drive right down the field and scored on a 1-yard TD run by Jacobs.
The Bowling Green offense played well enough to win, but the Huskies dominated the line of scrimmage and rushed for 292 yards on 54
carries and went on to win 34-17.

Sitting at 1-2, it still was uncertain if Bowling Green would be a true contender in the MAC in '04. Those questions were quickly answered
when Bowling Green waxed Temple on the road by an obscene score of 70-16, then handled Central Michigan 38-14, Ball State 51-13, and
Ohio 41-16. The rout of Ohio was particularly impressive because at the time, Ohio was playing very well and had the MAC's #1 defense
heading into that matchup. But Jacobs threw for 389 yards and the Falcons dominated every facet of that game.

After disposing of Eastern Michigan 41-20, the Falcons then embarrassed Western Michigan in what was easily the most dominant effort in
the MAC last season, and might very well have been the most impressive 1st half for ANY TEAM in college football last year. Bowling Green
led at the break 49-0, and put up 551 yards of total offense BEFORE HALFTIME. Falcons running back P.J.Pope had 205 yards and 3 TDs
BEFORE HALFTIME. Head Coach Gregg Brandon was classy and called the dogs off, because if BG really wanted to, they could have scored
90+ points that day. Jacobs was that sharp, and the Falcons were that dominant. The 2nd half offense
for BG consisted of conservative off-tackle runs and dive plays.

Marshall came to Bowling Green the following week for a matchup that would feature the #1 scoring
offense in the conference (BG) against the #1 scoring defense in the conference (Marshall). Within the
first 8:00 of the game, it was clear what type of game it was going to be, and who would establish their
"football tempo". Bowling Green jumped out to a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter and then turned a
Marshall turnover into 7 more points. At the end of the first quarter, the Falcons led 21-7. At the time,
Marshall had been allowing less than 20 points per GAME, and the Falcons had cracked that by in the
game's first 15:00. The Thundering Herd did their best to keep pace, and were as close as 35-28 in the
third quarter, but Bowling Green just kept answering Marshall's scores and rolled to an impressive 56-35
win.

That put the Falcons at 8-2 heading into their I-75 Battle against Toledo. In a game that had over 1,000
yards of total offense (no surprise considering the two best quarterbacks in the conference, Jacobs and
Gradkowski, went at it) the Rockets rallied from 20 down to win 49-41.

Although the loss to Toledo was crushing for BGSU, they responded well and finished the season by
routing Memphis 52-35 in the GMAC Bowl. The rainy and windy conditions did little to stop the explosive
Bowling Green offense, and Jacobs threw for 365 yards and 5 touchdowns. That game served the nation
with a warning that the Falcons offense would be a force to be reckoned with in 2005.

 

[gman2]

Looking at the Bowling Green offense

Things are in good hands for at least another season, as Omar Jacobs returns for his redshirt junior year. It's gonna be difficult to improve on
the numbers he put up last season. 4,002 yards. 41 touchdowns. 4 interceptions. No, that's not a type. 41 touchdowns against just 4
interceptions. But with the offensive weapons BG brings back, improving on those gaudy numbers isn't completely out of the question. Jacobs
has good size at 6'4 / 224 lbs and also runs pretty well for someone his size. When you first look at him, you might get the impression that he is
more of an athlete than a true passing quarterback, but that impression gets thrown in the garbage after just seeing him take a few snaps and
make a few throws. A lot of his throws are right from standing in the pocket and delivering the football. The Falcons run some designed
sprintouts from the shotgun for him where they'll roll the pocket right or left, but he does a nice job of setting himself and delivering the
football to his receivers. His throwing motion is a little unorthodox, but it's tough to argue with 4000+ yards and 41 TDs.

At running back, the Falcons bring back P.J. Pope, who seems like he has been in the program for ten years. That's probably because he's been
a significant contributor every year of his career. He carried the ball 101 times as a freshman, 191 times as a sophomore, and then 178 times
last year as a junior, when he scored 15 touchdowns. He is the perfect back for the spread offense Bowling Green runs. He has the ability to run
inside but also is shifty enough to bounce to the outside as well. What makes him so solid, though, is his versatility. He caught 50 passes out of
the backfield last year and is more than just a safety net for Jacobs when things break down. He caught 6 TDs in '04 and has reliable hands.

It's almost unfair, but Bowling Green brings back almost all their key guys at this position as well. The only significant loss is slot receiver Cole
Magner. Anybody who watched BG for any length of time last year (or the past 3 years for that matter) knows how valuable he was to that
program. He didn't have great size. He had little speed to speak of. But his ability to catch the ball and move the chains was remarkable. You
couldn't quantify his importance to the offense. But Omar Jacobs should be just fine in 2005, because Charles Sharon and Steve Sanders both
return and are coming off terrific seasons in 2004. Both receivers have terrific size (Sharon at 6'1 and Sanders at 6'3) and there were plenty of times when Jacobs would just throw a jumpball into down the sideline or into the corner of the endzone
and essentially tell his guys to "go up and make a play". Sanders averaged 17.9 yards on 55 receptions
and 8 touchdowns. He was particularly impressive in the bowl game, when he caught 7 balls for 123 yards
and 2 TDs, including one right before halftime when he went up in traffic and hauled it in to give BG a
35-28 lead. Sharon is the leading returning receiver, catching 66 passes in 2004 and a team-high 15
touchdowns. And there's plenty of young talented wide receivers on the roster that give this position a
lot of depth. Jacobs should be like a kid in a candy store with all of his options this fall.

The offensive line is a little unsettled, with the Falcons bringing back just 2 starters from last year, but
one of them is All-MAC tackle Rob Warren. BG will be breaking in some sophs along the line, so this could
be their only position of relative weakness this fall, at least early on. It doesn't seem like the coaching
staff is too worried about the line, and with all the talent that returns at the skill positions, sometimes
athleticism can overshadow some holes. The Falcons run 99% of their offense from the shotgun, so that
affords Jacobs a little more time to find his guys. But the line has to open up holes for Pope to give the
spread offense its proper balance.

The kicking game is average. Nate Fry, a 5th-year senior, returns to do the punting. He averaged 38.2
yards per kick last season. But then again, how often is Bowling Green punting the football away? He did,
however, put 10 punts inside the 20 and only had 1 touchback. BG has had the luxury of relying on Shawn
Suisham to handle the placekicking for the last four year, but he has graduated and turned the duties over to Joe Timchenko, another senior, but one who has little game experience. This is worth noting because Bowling Green plays in a stadium
that has very tricky wind patterns once it starts to get colder in October and November. Suisham made it look easy for 4 years, but that is not
an easy stadium to kick in whatsoever. Not only is the stadium set apart from the campus in a flat, tree-less area, but it sits right next to the
highway and when it gets windy, it gets VERY windy. Many opposing kickers struggle kicking in Bowling Green, and the Falcons need their
kicking game to remain reliable despite Suisham's graduation.