There are plenty of questions floating around about Bowling Green’s football program,
especially after a disappointing 27-15 loss to Toledo last Saturday.
Here’s a few questions that I have and have heard from others, but I’m not sure what
the answers are to them:
• OFFENSE
Why not throw the ball down the field?
The Falcons had some success throwing the ball down the field against Idaho.
It appeared to me they went away from that against Toledo and I’m not sure why.
Matt Schilz completed 67 percent of his passes against UT, but of his 24 completions,
14 were for nine yards or less with 23 yards as the longest gain.
In the first quarter when you try to set the tone for the game, Schilz completed six
passes, but only for 21 total yards.
Dave Clawson, BG’s head coach, said Toledo’s defensive game plan took away the long
pass.
Why not use the tight end?
Alex Bayer can get open and he can catch the ball. I would like to see him as one of
the main options especially on those third and less than 5-yard plays.
Also, I think he would be a good option inside the 10-yard line when the Falcons need
a touchdown.
The Falcons are 6-of-12, with five touchdowns, inside the red zone this season.
The Falcons are averaging just under 15 points a game this season.
"I don’t think anybody in our offensive staff or our players are happy with the
offense," Clawson said.
Clawson added the Falcons at some point need to break a tackle and create a big play.

• DEFENSE
Where was the pass defense against Toledo?
There has been a big focus by the Falcons to buckle down against the run.
I get that after BG allowed an average of 203.4 yards per game on the ground,
including five games of 250 yards or more, in 2011.
And there’s no doubt BG has defended the run better this season, and that’s going to
be a positive for the rest of the Mid-American Conference schedule.
However, after giving up 352 passing yards to Idaho and knowing that Toledo’s
Terrance Owens had just thrown for 300 yards against Wyoming, why didn’t the
Falcons have a plan to stop the pass?
Clawson said after the game, the plan was to stop the run and that the defensive
backs would have to make plays.
Well that didn’t work out so well as UT receivers were getting open all over the
field, and Owens had plenty of time to pick one out and complete the pass.
Owens completed 12 of his 20 passes for 10 or more yards and added four 9-yard
completions.
UT piled up 452 total yards, including 322 through the air. And when needed the
Rockets were able to take 7:40 off the clock in the fourth quarter after BG has
pulled to within 24-15.
It also seems simple to me that a team that has had success passing the ball watches
the film of a team that just gave up 352 yards through the air, the passing game
takes up the bulk of the game plan.
"It’s a credit to the level of play that Owens is playing at right now,"
Clawson said. "We’ve got to get better at defending the pass.”
• SPECIAL TEAMS
Why can’t Bowling Green find a consistent place-kicker?
If I had the answer to that, I might just be able to hit the lottery and retire.
It’s not like they haven’t tried. There are scholarship and walk-on kickers galore on
the roster, but the results really haven’t shown on the field.
Clawson said that Stephen Stein and Tyler Tate are the two most talented kickers the
team has had in his four years as head coach.
"They don’t lack the skills. Right now it’s not being translated from practice
to the games," Clawson said. "Those two are both technically sound
kickers, but they get in the games and they are doing it different in games than
they are in practice."
I know that every recruited football player is not going to be successful.
Of the 85 players on scholarship, at least 25 percent are going to be redshirted each
season or just be used on the scout team and have no chance to play in a game.

But the success or failure is much more evident with kickers, because they are out
there for all to see whether they make or miss the kick. It’s not the same as an
offensive lineman who may miss his block, but only the most observant fan can
pick that out.
I would go back to Stein for extra points and field goals of 35 yards or less.
Yes, he had two bad field goal misses against Florida, but he’s a fifth-year senior
and has made 26-of-27 extra points in his career.
For field goal attempts longer than 35 yards, I’d let Tate have the first
opportunity.