Falcon Fodder

BG football -- Spring Game wrap-up

There was a lot of stuff written about the Spring Game, which was won by the Orange squad (whose leaders, from left to right in the photo, are GM Matt Schilz, coach John Wagner and top draft pick Ted Ouellet). Here's a page that brings it all together.

FIRST, THE NEWS ...

Click here to read the story about the draft that created the Orange and White squads.

Click here to read the game story from the Spring Game.

Click here to take a BiG Look at the Spring Game.

And click here to find a number of links to stories leading up to the Spring Game, including rosters and more.

NEXT, THE ANALYSIS

Click here to read the five questions surrounding the BG football team as it prepares for fall camp.

Click here to read some thoughts following the spring game.

FINALLY, THE INSIDE STORY ...

Click here to read my story about serving as honorary coach of the Orange squad.

Here is the video of my pre-game speech to the Orange squad.

 

Roos named new women's basketball coach at BG

Bowling Green State University announced Monday that associate coach Jennifer Roos will become the school’s next women’s basketball coach.

The school will hold a press conference Tuesday to introduce Roos as the replacement for Curt Miller, who left BG on March 28 after 11 highly successful seasons to become head coach at Indiana University.

Roos spent the previous 11 seasons as Miller’s top assistant, helping the Falcons post a 258-92 record (.737) with five NCAA tournament appearances, three trips to the WNIT and eight consecutive Mid-American Conference division titles. The Falcons went 24-7 in 2011-12, winning the MAC’s regular-season crown with a 14-2 mark.

Roos served as the team’s head coach for two games this past season after Miller suffered a mild stroke in a mid-January game against Eastern Michigan. She led the Falcons to an overtime win at Central Michigan and a home victory over Northern Illinois.

The school interviewed two other candidates for the position besides Roos over the past few days: University of Michigan assistant coach Dawn Plitzuweit and Eastern Illinois head coach Brady Sallee.

Plitzuweit spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach of the Wolverines, helping the squad post an 87-73 overall record (.544) and four post-season tournament trips. Last year the Wolverines finished 20-12 and earned the school’s first NCAA tournament bid since 2001.

Before that Plitzuweit was the head coach at Division II Grand Valley State for five seasons. She led the Lakers to an impressive 117-39 overall record (.750) and four NCAA tournament berths in five seasons, including the Division II national title in 2005-06. She also has served as an assistant coach at Michigan Tech, which is her alma mater, Wisconsin and Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Sallee has spent the past eight seasons as the head coach at Eastern Illinois University, posting a 136-110 record (.553) that includes a 106-55 mark (.658) in the past five seasons. On Friday Sallee received a three-year contract extension from the school after leading the Panthers to three WNIT berths and one WBI appearance in the past five seasons. Prior to that, Eastern Illinois had not earned a post-season berth since the 1987-88 season.

Before taking over at Eastern Illinois Sallee had served as an assistant coach at East Carolina, Kent State (1996-2002) and Idaho State.

Roos will be one of the few familiar faces remaining on the BG bench, as two assistants from last year’s squad, Brandi Poole and Kevin Eckert, are expected to follow Miller to Indiana.

The school posted an ad advertising an opening for a women’s assistant basketball coach on April 10.

Thoughts about 2012 Spring Game

Here are a few thoughts about Bowling Green's 2012 Spring Football Game, which was played Friday at Doyt Perry Stadium ...

• I think the format of the game is an important point to consider when analyzing the play of the team. By that I mean that when you mix the team up, the level of play is affected because you have people that may not work together a lot. I think that is especially true in three areas: offensive line play, the connection between quarterbacks and receivers, and special teams coverage.

• Offensive line play isn't just an analysis of how each player performs, it's also analysis of how the group works together. When the defensive line uses stunts and twists, the linemen have to count on teammates making proper reads and picking up loose pass-rushers.

• That's a long preview to set up this thought: I thought the offensive line played relatively well, especially when considered against the line play a year ago. Yes, there were seven sacks, but five were against one line (White). I thought the Orange line, which was going against Chris Jones and Ronnie Goble, among others, performed reasonably well. I thought the best testament to that was the final drive, when the Orange needed to grind out first downs against a defense that knew it was going to run the ball ... and the Orange got the job done.

• Still not convinced that the offensive line was OK? Then let's compare the negative numbers from this year's game to last year's contest, where it was obvious that the defensive line dominated. In 2012 there were nine rushes that gained zero yards or a loss; in 2011 there were nine rushes that gained zero yards or a loss IN THE FIRST HALF and 18 such runs for the game. There were seven quarterback sacks in 2011, and there were seven quarterback sacks IN THE FIRST HALF in 2011, which saw 11 sacks for the game.

• Something else to consider: since it's the Spring Game, the team is running a "base" offense and "base" defense. If you notice, there wasn't a great deal of shifting before offensive plays. I may be wrong, but I think the offense is hindered more by that "base" level of play. I think the defense still can go out and make individual plays in a "base" defense, and the offense has to count on either a mistake or an exceptional individual effort to make a big play while running a "base" offense.

• Back to one of my early comments about how a Spring Game affects quarterbacks working with receivers they may not have thrown to much during practices leading up to the game. I believe that to be true, but even so I thought the Falcons' wide receivers had a disappointing effort Friday. I thought there were moments when some receivers stepped up, but I also thought there were moments when the same receivers fell back. I think the onus is on this group of players to step forward if the Falcons want to return to a bowl game in 2012.

• Don't know how much credit the defensive backs should get for the struggles of the wide receivers, but they deserve some. If the defensive backs continue to improve as much as they have this spring, they have a chance to be a force in 2012. And with all the returning talent on the defensive line and at linebacker, well, that would make the BG defense a force in the conference if they did.

• At the risk of suffering from "spring fever" -- a coach I knew once said that "spring fever" is the habit of some people who watch spring practice to turn players into future superstars -- I thought Ryan Burbrink is a player who can help the Falcons at wide receiver. His seven catches for 46 yards mark him as a potential possession receiver, in the future if not now, although I would guess some of his success was because he worked a lot this spring with QB Matt Johnson. Still, he seems to be a tough player who can hang onto the ball, and there's always a use for receivers who can do those things.

• "Spring fever" part two ... I thought Deejay White was a nice switch from wide receiver to running back, and I hope it continues when fall drills start. I thought White did a nice job of accelerating through holes and running north-south instead of east-west. I like running backs who aren't afraid to "run tough" between the tackles.

• I am surprised there hasn't been much complaining about the penalties. The game basically was decided by a personal foul call, and it came AFTER the fourth-down play. And I'm not complaining that the call was right or wrong -- I'm complaining that a disciplined team can't put itself in that position. If Bowling Green wants to complete for a Mid-American Conference title and a bowl bid, penalties like that just CANNOT happen. The White was whistled for six penalties that cost them 52 yards, and the Orange was pushed back 30 yards on four penalties. That ain't gonna cut it.

• "Spring fever" part three ... Defensive lineman Taylor Royster finished with six tackles for the White and had several sacks during scrimmages earlier in the spring. Not bad for a converted running back who is a walk-on from Lima Central Catholic High School.

Click here to take a BiG Look at the Spring Game. Click here to read the Saturday game story from the spring game. And click on the "comments" link below if you have questions and/or comments about the Spring Game.

BiG look at 2012 Spring Game

The Orange squad got a 19-yard touchdown run by Jamel Martin with 3:51 left, and Matt Oczypok's PAT kick gave the Orange a 14-13 victory over the White at Doyt Perry Stadium in the Spring Game Friday, April 13. Here's a look at the contest. ...

BiG TWITTER POST: Well-coached Orange squad scores TD with 3:51 left to claim 14-13 victory over White in BG's 2012 Spring Gme at Perry Stadium Friday

BiG OVERVIEW: The Falcons had good moments on both offense and defense -- or bad moments on offense and defense, if you are a pessimist. The first quarter saw two long drives, with the Orange seeing the drive stall and the White getting a 29-yard field goal by Tyler Tate. Heath Jackson took the ensuing kickoff 84 yards to set up a 2-yard TD toss from Matt Schilz to Herve Coby early in the second period. After that neither team generated much offense, and the Orange led 7-3 at the half. In the third quarter White dominated the field-position game and turned it into a 25-yard field goal by Tate with 12 seconds left in the quarter. Early in the fourth period Alex Carter raced through the line 66 yards for a score that gave the White a 13-7 lead. But the Orange drove 42 yards on nine plays and used a 19-yard touchdown run by Jamel Martin with 3:51 left to regain the lead 14-13. Cameron Truss sealed the win by intercepting a pass by Matt Johnson and the Orange offense got two first downs to end it.

BiG PLAY: The most important play in the contest was a downer for both sides. It came with the Orange trailing 13-7 in the fourth quarter but having drive to the White's 31. Facing a fourth-and-10, Matt Schilz threw an incompletion to Chris Gallon that seemed to end things for the Orange. But a personal foul was called on the White, giving the Orange new life: a automatic first down, and the ball moved to the White's 16, with Jamel Martin scoring the game-winning touchdown two plays later.

OFFENSIVE  BiG MAN, ORANGE: Sophomore wide receiver Heath Jackson was a big part of the Orange offense, catching a team-high five passes for 44 yards, with a long of 16 yards. Jackson ran one jet sweep for three yards, and he made a huge contribution on special teams, returning a kickoff 84 yards to set up his team's first touchdown. He finished with 141 yards on four kickoff returns, an average of 35.25 yards per return. Jackson finished with a game high 188 all-purpose yards. ... Honorable mention to RB Jamel Martin, who had a game-high 86 yards rushing and one TD on 20 carries; QB Matt Schilz, who completed 19-of-36 passes for 185 yards and one TD with no turnovers; and WR Herve Coby, who caught four passes for 50 yards with a long of 24 and a nifty 2-yard TD catch.

OFFENSIVE  BiG MAN, WHITE: Freshman wide receiver Ryan Burbrink led all receivers with seven catches for 44 yards, with the longest going nine yards. Burbrink also had a punt return of 18 yards in the second quarter. ... Honorable mention to RB Alex Carter, whose 66-yard TD run allowed him to finish with 67 yards rushing on three carries; QB Matt Johnson, who completed 16-of-30 passes for 131 yards despite getting sacked five times and pressured several others; and WR Je'Ron Stokes, who finished with five catches for 54 yards, including a 26-yard catch-and-run on the White's first play from scrimmage.

DEFENSIVE BiG MAN, ORANGE: There were several players who put together strong performances for the Orange, but let's give the nod to junior Cameron Truss, who finished with five tackles in the contest. He also made the play that sealed the win for the Orange, intercepting a Matt Johnson pass near midfield that allowed the Orange to run out the clock for the win. Truss also broke up another pass in the win. ... Honorable mention goes to DB Brian Sutton, who led the team with 10 tackles -- including six solo stops -- and also had a sack; LB Coy Brown, who had seven tackles in his first Spring Game after enrolling in school in the spring semester; and DT Ted Ouellet, who justified his position as the Orange's top draft pick by finished with three sacks and four tackles.

DEFENSIVE BiG MAN, WHITE: This squad also didn't lack for candidates, but one who stood out was DB Darrell Hunter. The true sophomore finished with seven solo tackles, intercepted one pass to give the White good field position in the third quarter, and broke up three others passes. ... Honorable mention goes to junior DB BooBoo Gates, who led his team with nine tackles, including six solo stops, and had one tackle for loss; LB D.J. Lynch, who had eight tackles, including five solo stops; and DE Ronnie Goble, who had six tackles, including one sack and one other tackle for loss.

SPECIAL TEAMS BiG MAN, ORANGE: He was on the field for just five plays, but junior K Matt Oczypok handled his work flawlessly. His three kickoffs averaged 56 yards per kick, and he made both of his extra points, including a pressure-packed kick with 3:51 left to play that proved to be the difference in the game. He also laid down a beautiful on-side kick to start the second half, although that play was nullified by a penalty. Remember, the Falcons haven't been practicing on-side kicks (so who was the knucklehead coach who called for it? Oh, never mind). ... Honorable mention to junior punter Brian Schmiedebusch, who averaged 41.6 yards per punt, including a long of 47, and landed two inside the 20; Heath Jackson, who was mentioned above; and Travis Greene, who had a 15-yard punt return but also fumbled one other punt.

SPECIAL TEAMS BiG MAN, WHITE: Junior punter Brian Schmiedebusch was terrific for the Orange team but was outstanding for the White. He averaged 43.2 yards per punt on six kicks, including a long of 51, and had three kicks downed inside the 20. Only a paranoid Orange team "coach" would notice that all of those numbers were better than his numbers kicking for the Orange. ... Honorable mention to Ryan Burbrink, who was mentioned above; K Tyler Tate, who averaged 57.5 yards on four kickoffs, made his lone PAT kick and also made field goals of 29 and 25 yards; and Diontre Delk, who returned three kickoffs 86 yards, with a long of 36 yards.

 

BiG NUMBERS: One area worth watching in the contest was the competition between the defensive line and the offensive line. While the D-Line did seem to have the better of the play, it didn't dominate as it did in last year's spring game. The Orange offensive line gave up just two sacks on 44 pass attempts and had just six of its 31 rushing attempts go for zero or negative yards (I'm not counting the two plays run in "victory" formation). Things didn't go quite as well for the White, which did suffer five sacks, but the White also had only three running plays for zero or negative yards (and the total was minus-2). I guess the title of this note was misleading: Perhaps the "BiG" news was that the negative "numbers" by the offensive line weren't that big.

BiG QUESTION: Can the Falcons continue to make strides in the summer? There still are questions to be answered, especially at wide receiver and on the offensive line. There also is some tweaking that can help the team improve at nearly every positon. But, as coach Dave Clawson reminded the media after the contest, the Falcons won't play an official contest until September, so there is time.

Click here to read The Blade story from Friday's Spring Game.

Check back here Sunday for a few additional thoughts about the game, and the team, as spring practice comes to an end.

Almost time for my coaching debut ...

OK, BG football fans, I'm starting to gear up for my coaching debut as leader of the Orange squad in the Falcons' spring game at Doyt Perry Stadium Friday night at 7 p.m. To get you ready, here are a few links ...

Click here to read about the first picks of the "draft," Jordon Roussos (White) and Ted Ouellet (Orange). Click here to read about those two talking about the stakes involved in the game.

Click here to read a feature on the engagements of Ronnie Goble and Chip Robinson.

To remind you what happened in the first scrimmage, click here to read The Blade story on the scrimmage, and click here to read some notes from the scrimmage.

To remind you what happened in the second scrimmage, click here to read The Blade story on the scrimmage, and click here to read some notes from the scrimmage.

As for Friday's game, click here to view the roster for the Orange team, and click here to view the roster from the White team.

Here's a link to the story about me being one of the honorary coaches, for the game; this story also includes a link to promotions at the game. Click here to find out about parking at the game, because it's going to be busy around the BG campus today.

I'm looking for any last-minutes tips and tricks as Orange coach ... what do you suggest? Click on the "comments" link below and send me your ideas. Also, vote in the poll to the right of this story and tell everyone who YOU think will win the Spring Game!

Top "draft picks" talk about Spring Game stakes

There is more than just pride at stake in Bowling Green's spring game, which kicks off Friday at 7 p.m. at Doyt Perry Stadium.

Falcon football coach Dave Clawson announced Wednesday that the losing team will be "dining" on a pair of $1 cheeseburgers from a local fast-food restaurant, while the winning team will have a significantly better meal.

Those are pretty big stakes in the eyes of the top pick of the "Orange" team, defensive lineman Ted Ouellet (left).

"That's a pretty big incentive," Ouellet admitted. "That's a pretty big deal. I'm not a big fast-food person, so I want the big meal."

For the top pick of the "White" team, offensive lineman Jordon Roussos (right), there are bigger incentives than where he will eat with his teammates.

"I'm not a picky eater, as you can tell," Roussos said with a laugh. "Obviously you want to win, but I love McDonald's ...

"The biggest incentive is to have the bragging rights, to sit down to a nice meal while the other guys are chowing down to cheeseburgers."

When I asked Ouellet for tips on what I should talk about in the pre-game speech to the Orange team, Ouellet said, "You're the coach -- that's your job, to work this stuff out."

Thanks, Ted.

Parking & more for 2012 Spring Game

Here are a few items worth noting heading into the 2012 Spring Game, which kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday at Doyt Perry Stadium ...

OTHER ACTIVITIES: Several other BGSU sports teams will be in action at home on Friday. The BG tennis team will host Western Michigan at Keefe Courts starting at 1 p.m.; The BG softball team will host Eastern Michigan in a doubleheader at Meserve Field starting at 1 p.m.; The BG baseball team will host Kent State in a single game at Steller Field starting at 3 p.m.; and the BG track & cross country teams will host the Falcon 5-Miler, which is open to the public, at 6 p.m. Also the Stroh Center will be hosting the circus starting at 4:30 & 7:30 p.m.

TRAFFIC & PARKING: Because of the large number of other events taking place, BG is putting some restrictions on traffic flow and parking. According to the university, "All traffic from I-75 will be routed westbound on E. Wooster Street to Mercer Road to Alumni Drive. Those traveling eastbound from downtown Bowling Green will turn left onto Mercer Road to access Alumni Drive. The intersection of Stadium Drive and Mercer Road will be open to individuals wishing to park for events on the north side of the Athletic complex (baseball, softball, tennis). Select grass parking locations will be open dependent on the weather. Motorists should keep watch for pedestrians along the Falcon 5-Miler path; running along Stadium Drive, Alumni Drive, and Mercer Road."

Here are the suggested parking lots for each event: Circus, Lot 24; Football, Lot 20, Lot 13, Lot L; Baseball, Lot 10; Softball, Tennis, Lot 10, Lot L; Falcon 5-Miler, Lot L.

ROSTERS: Click here to view the roster for the Orange team; click here to view the roster for the White team.

GAME RULES: The contest will have the traditional two 30-minute halves. The first half will use typical clock rules, while the second half will feature a running clock.

SPECIAL EVENTS: There are a variety of give-aways and other special events taking place at the Spring Game. Click here to view the entire list.

BG football -- White roster for Spring Game

Here is the roster for the White team coached by Jack Carle of the BG Sentinel-Tribune at Friday's Spring Game, which kicks off at 7 p.m. at Doyt Perry Stadium ...

No.  Name Pos. Year
1     Darrell Hunter         DB    So.
5     Dwayne Woods        LB    Sr.
7     D.J. Lynch              LB    r-So.
11   Matt Johnson          QB    r-Fr.
12   DeVon McKoy           DB    r-So.
14   Malik Stokes           QB    r-Fr.
16   Je’Ron Stokes         WR   r-Jr.
18   Bart Tanski             WR   5-Sr.
20   John Pettigrew         RB    Sr.
22   Alex Carter              RB    Fr.
24   BooBoo Gates           DB   Jr.
27   Ryan Burbrink          WR   r-Fr.
30   Mark Mays                DB   r-Jr.
31   Austin Collier            DB   r-Jr.
38   Gabe Martin             LB    r-So.
41   Tim Moore                LB   Sr.
42   Chris Pohlman           FB   So.
44   Scott Davis               TE   Fr.
45   Zach Steinmetz         TE   r-Fr.
50   Cory Johnson             LS   5-Sr.
52   Dominic Flewellyn      OL   Jr.
56   Shaq Hall                   DE   r-Fr.
58   Tim Love                   LB   r-Fr.
62   Spencer Cairo            OL   r-Fr.
63   Tyler Royster             DT   r-Fr.
64   Johnathan Fry            OL   r-Fr.
65   “Chief” Kelli Kekuewa OL  Jr.
73   Jordon Roussos          OL   Sr.
74   Christian Piazza         OL   r-So.
75   Kyle Bryant                 OL   r-Jr.
76   Nick Hager                 OL   r-So.
83   Shaun Joplin               WR  r-Jr.
84   Diontre Delk               WR  r-Fr.
87   Jermal Hosley             WR  r-Fr.
88   Kendall Montgomery    TE   r-So.
91   Chris Jones                 DT  Sr.
94   Bryan Baird                 DE   r-Fr.
95   Brian Schmiedebusch    P    r-Jr.
96   Ronnie Goble              DE   r-Jr.
97   Hunter Maynard          DT   So.
98   Tyler Tate                   K    r-Fr.

The rest of the roster is on the "Orange" team, with three exceptions: Malik Stokes, Alex Carter and Brian Schmiedebusch are listed on both rosters, so they will see action on both teams. Click here to view the Orange team roster.

BG football -- Orange roster for Spring Game

Here is the roster for the Orange team I will coach at Friday's Spring Game, which kicks off at 7 p.m. at Doyt Perry Stadium ...

2    DeeJay White    RB     r-So.
7    Matt Schilz        QB     r-Jr.
8    Cameron Truss  DB     r-Jr.
10  Herve Coby       WR     r-Fr.
12  Patrick Brown    QB     r-Fr.
13  Travis Greene   WR     r-Fr.
14  Malik Stokes     QB     r-Fr.
15  Ryland Ward      DB     r-So.
22  Alex Carter        RB     Fr.
25  Johnny Joseph   DB     r-Fr.
26  Michael Allen     WR     Jr.
33  Paul Swan          LB     r-Jr.
34  Brian Sutton      DB     So.
35  Victor Osborn    DB     r-Fr.
36  Hayden Pryka    DB     r-Fr.
37  Jamel Martin     RB     r-So.
39  Justin Ford        DB     r-So.
40  Coy Brown          DB     Fr.
46  Charlie Walker   DE     r-So.
47  Clay Rolf            TE     r-So.
50  Dairus Gilbert     DT     r-So.
53  Matt Engel         LS     r-Fr.
55  Alex Huettel      OL     r-Fr.
57  Anthony Cornwell TE    r-So.
60  Scott Hodges     OL      r-Jr.
66  Mark Kulbis        DL     r-Fr.
70  Isaiah Byler        OL     r-So.
71  Chip Robinson    OL     5-Sr
78  Dominique Wharton OL Sr.
79  Fahn Cooper      OL     r-Fr.
81  Chris Gallon      WR     r-Fr.
82  Alex Bayer        TE      r-Jr.
85  Heath Jackson  WR     r-So.
87  Matt Oczypok     K       r-Jr.
89  Tyler Beck         TE     Jr.
92  Zach Colvin       DE     So.
90  Jairus Campbell DT     r-Jr.
93  Ted Ouellet       DT     r-Jr.
95  Brian Schmiedebusch P r-Jr.

The rest of the roster is on the "White" team, with three exceptions (that I saw): Malik Stokes, Alex Carter and Brian Schmiedebusch are listed on both rosters, so they will see action on both teams. Click here to view the White roster for the game.

The first player chosen in the draft? The White team chose OL Jordon Roussos, and the Orange team's first pick was DT Ted Ouellet (pictured above right with Matt Schilz and me). Photo courtesy Dave Meyer, BG sports information office.

 

Rosters for Spring Game set

The Bowling Green football team had its draft for the Spring Game Wednesday morning. I'll post some of the details in a few moments, but first let's have a little fun ...

I will coach the "Orange" team and Jack Carle of the Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune will coach the "White" team. The offensive coaches picked a player leader (Matt Schilz) as did the defensive coaches (Chris Jones), and those leaders led the drafting of the two teams.

The players were split into two squads, with the top two players at each position split up. So, for example, Schilz was split up from Matt Johnson and Malik Stokes, so Schilz is on one team and other two QBs on the other. The same was true for Jones and Jairus Campbell.

From there, the two teams -- Schilz picked for my "Orange" squad and Jones picked for the "White" -- made choices back and forth.

So now that you (hopefully) understand the format, here's the question: Who was the first player chosen in the draft (by the White team, for the record)? And who was the Orange team's first choice?

Click on the "comments" link below and leave your guesses. I'll answer that question -- and a few others -- later this afternoon.