2022 Non Conference Recap

2022 Non Conference Recap

I like to break down the season just like Coach Loeffler does. There is the 4 game non-conference season, the 4 Saturday MAC games, and the 4 weeknight MAC games. So lets break down the non-con. 

photo: BGSU Athletics 

The Good

1. Pulled off an upset

The win over Marshall in my mind is the 2nd best win in the Scot Loeffler era, and better than any win from the previous coaching regime. 20 point underdogs, coming off the tough loss to EKU, as I said before this was an absolute statement of heart, care, and love for this program by the coaches and players. Even after going down 14-0 FAST, this team buckled down and battled for that win. Marshall had just beaten the 8th ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and BG pulled through for the overtime winner. 

2. Seen offensive growth

The run game still has not seemed to be where Coach Loeffler would like, but my word the passing game is way better. I was begging to see this type of offense with all these weapons and it's been even better than I could have thought. Through 4 games, the Falcons as a team have just as many passing touchdowns as last year (12), and through just 3 games Matt McDonald already has 10 compared to the 12 he threw last year. Add in 0 interceptions by Matty and this pass game seems to be legit. Even without Austin Osborne, the offense has been dynamic with Taron Keith catching balls out of the backfield, OJ Hiliare, CJ Lewis, Tyrone Broden, and Cavon Croom have looked like studs. Add in Christian Sims, Harold Fannin from the TEs and this offense could rival any in the MAC. These numbers are impressive and we are not even in MAC play yet. 

3. Figure out the O line

The O line was always going to be a big question, as it is arguably the biggest area of concern for most college teams. A lot of incoming transfers meant there was likely to be shuffling considering the lack of chemistry and new faces. Now with Jakari Robinson's transfer coming through, the O line moving forward will likely be Kam Stewart, Jalen Grant, Jakari Robinson, Bronson Warner, and Alex Wollschlaeger. Well see Cade Zimmerly (once healthy) Jeremiah Banks-Wall, Cedric Dunbar, and Tunde Fatukasi continue to rotate in and they have all played well but I think the starting 5 against Akron will be as listed. 

The Bad

1. The FCS Loss

Well, the EKU loss hurt. 7 overtimes later, EKU prevailed and while they do have a lot of talent, still really hurts bowl eligibility to drop the FCS game. However, the silver lining was the rebound against Marshall, plus 1-3 was my non-con prediction so at least it matched expectations, just came about a different way. 

2. The run game

The run game continues to struggle. Averaging just 2.7 yards per carry is pretty bad but I am not all that concerned. This passing game looks really good, and the receivers on this team are just crazy talented. If the Falcons get pass happy and run less than most teams, I will be happy! Going into the colder November games, running the football gets more and more important. 

3. Injuries

This team is beat up. Davon Ferguson, Cade Zimmerly, Austin Osborne, and others are all out at the moment. Even Matt McDonald could not go in the MS State game. Every team has injuries to deal with, but BG seems to be getting the short end of the stick. Hopefully guys can get healthy as we enter MAC play. Good teams deal with adversity and injuries, and the BG team in past years have not. 

Looking ahead

Going forward, its MACtion baby! I love that Loeffler said this week, every MAC game is like the super bowl. All of this team's goals are in front in them, 0-0 as of now. This Akron game is massive, as the terrible Akron team of the last 2 years has beaten up on the Falcons. Hard to predict any MAC game, but Buffalo just beat Eastern Michigan, Miami OH beat Northwestern, and Kent looks really sharp. Akron is as close to a must win as any this year.