2021 Season Review

I am gonna say it right now, this season was fun. Vegas had the over/under for our wins set at 1.5. BG ended up going 4-8 in Loeffler's 3rd year. That is way better than 0-5 last year, and even better than 3-9 in 2019. This team was still in the top 5 for youngest teams in FBS.   



Going into this season I personally was hoping for 2-10, with some close losses sprinkled in. We got even more, 4 wins and 2-3 close losses. South Alabama was close, and NIU and Kent State were one score losses. Beating Buffalo in a shootout was crazy, as well as Minnesota which was unreal. I mean that game was just nuts. We ruined their homecoming as 31 point underdogs. Beating Ohio at the end of the season was also just a great way to end 2021 and go into the offseason with some momentum. 

The offense struggled a bit outside of the Buffalo game, and the defense was good most games but had a few lapses. The incoming transfers made an immediate impact, and the young guys showed some great promise. Looking back at everything, there is so much to be excited about next year. 

Offense

Matt McDonald was so much better this year. Last year, he threw one touchdown to six interceptions. This year, he had 12 touchdowns to 7 picks. McDonald finished the season throwing 6 touchdowns to zero interceptions. Matty Ice also went over 25 hundred yards, as well as rushing for 4 more scores. Austin Osborne, just as I predicted, lead the team in receptions with 64. Tyrone Broden lead in yards and touchdowns with 600 and 5. The run game was led by Terion Stewart who had the most yards and touchdowns, but it was really a community in the backfield. At the end of the day, this offensive line just was not strong enough to run the football well, and even pass protection wasnt stellar. Loeffler has stated he will scoop up a couple of linemen in the portal so strengthen the run game next year. The offense's best game was easily the game against Buffalo. The boys put up 56 points and scored that many on only 11 first downs. Stewart had 170 yards on the ground and McDonald threw for 4 touchdowns. 

Defense

The defense for most of the year was really solid. Outside of the Akron and Eastern Michigan game, the defense was so much better than in 2020. The incoming of several transfers was apparent as well as homegrown guys such as Walter Haire, Brock Horne, Darren Anders, and Karl Brooks finally showed that BG can develop their own players. That is something that never happened with Mike Jinks. Anders led the team in tackles, Jordan Anderson was a ballhawk with 3 picks, and Karl Brooks led the team in sacks. The defense will be even better next year, something that can be said for the entire team as there are like 5 kids graduating. The best game for the defense was easily Minnesota. On the road against a team favored by 30, the defense held Tanner Morgan to 59 yards, on 5 completions, and 2 picks. The Falcon defense held the Gophers to just 10 points, got a fumble, and made a huge 4th down stop in the Minnesota territory that led to BG's first touchdown. An amazing game for the Falcons and best win in the last 7 years. 

Special Teams

Nate Needham was an all-american this season, going 26/27 on field goals with a long of 52. He was an absolute stud this year, as well as Matt Naranjo who had another good season. Both guys as well as long-snapper James Carolan are graduating this spring which could leave some question marks next year. The best game for special teams was Ohio, with Needham cashing in 4 field goals to carry the Falcons over the Bobcats 21-10. 






2022 Hopes

Going into 2022, the next season can hopefully see the Orange and Brown back into a bowl. I thought it was going to be 2023 before BG got back to a bowl, but the Falcons should so much improvement, with so many guys coming back, it will be possible to get 6 wins. This team will be older, and hopefully add a couple more transfers that can help bolster the offense and get this team bowling! Looking at next years schedule, Eastern Kentucky is the FCS game which should be a win. Marshall is the G5 non-con and that game will prove a lot about this team. If Marshall is a win, BG will need to go 4-4 in MAC play to get to a postseason game. Big credit to Scot and the staff for a year in which they blew past expectations. 


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