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Turned out to be a beautiful night at Waldo last night. I think if the storms wouldn't have rolled through right before the game, we might've had at least another 1,000+... like Kimbo said, the tailgate lots were pretty by the time I arrived to the stadium around 6:30 p.m. or so. I hope we get a good turn out for the Toledo game.

Our first drive was probably our best drive of the game. Nice, balanced attack and stuck with the run game. I think the second and third drives became a little too run-heavy and Murray St. sniffed it out.

Our O-line didn't play great in the first half either, though.

I hate to see Jarvion Franklin get so many carries, but man I love the way this kid runs north and south and isn't afraid to put his down and go RIGHT at the defender.

Terrell... I still stand by what I've been saying since the Purdue game. He manages the game well, but he simply isn't more than an average MAC quarterback. That being said, I'm sold on riding Terrell for the rest of the season based on what I've seen up until this point. I'm not convinced changing QB's will make that big of a difference for us one way or another.

Stop the stupid "hurry up" offense. It STILL doesn't work.

Zamort and Celiscar were exposed a little bit. Both were holding jersey's and wrapping their arms around MSU receivers all night. We should've had at least 2 (maybe 3) interceptions and came away with 0. We have to make plays and intercept the ball during MAC play or else our defense is going to be in huge trouble.

Grant DePalma... what an incredibly tough player. My god, that kid was everywhere tonight. His instincts are great. Really has a knack for the play and how it's going to develop. I still can't decide if our LB corps is this depleted, or if DePalma is actually this good. Either way, he's been really impressive through three games.

I don't understand why Fleck left the starting units in for as long as he did. We were up 38-14 with about 7 minutes left and the first team defensive unit was still out on the field. Wasn't crazy about that. Would've liked to see Cam Thomas get a few more meaningful snaps also, but oh well.

Bottom line... I'm glad we are 2-1, but as others have mentioned let's temper our expectations. Idaho and Murray State. Perspective.

Besides our improved offense, the main thing that has me somewhat encouraged is how bad the rest of the MAC has been. I would love to see us become bowl eligible, but that assumes a lot IMO. I still think we are about a 4-5 win team, 6 at our absolute best.

Sidenote: Does anybody know the story behind the guy in Section D throwing out mints to the crowd every time the Broncos score a touchdown? Never noticed that until last night.

Agreed.

I'll tell you what, though...I would LOVE to have another shot at Purdue. Given what we've seen and the progress the team has made since encountering actual game-speed, I think that we would see a different result entirely. Hind-sight...

The only thing that keeps driving me nuts is special teams. I swear I'm going to lose my mind if I see them do that stupid chip-shot kick-off again! We've got enough leg on kick-offs to get it to the goal line every time. Make the other team think about what they want to do with the ball in the end zone. That moment of hesitation gives you special teams players that much more time to get down to their end of the field and make plays. We know that the 25 yard line is the worse case scenario (generally) if we put it in the end zone. Many times, in the last two games, even better. Both of the chippy's I've seen have blown up in our face and given the other team better starting field position than we would have liked.

Secondly, among other things, I think the biggest issue that Fleck had as a coach last year was managing the clock and time-outs. I think he used both VERY well last night. The time-out he used when Murray St. was driving and our defense couldn't catch their breath. Granted, some off our success was due to three questionable balls by their QB. However, either way you look at it...our db's were in better position on each one of them and their accuracy was off. Call it luck or happenstance, but it broke their rhythm and resulted in not one, but two missed FG attempts. The clock management on the FG drive right before the half was a good combination of play calling and players' situational awareness. I, of course, would have LOVED the TD there, but it was a solid drive against the pressure of the clock and the situation.

I could still see us losing the next four games in a row if some of our youth takes over, but I think we all have to agree, there are pretty obvious signs of improvement over last year. Both in terms of talent and in the playing of the game.

(09-21-2014 08:14 AM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  Sidenote: Does anybody know the story behind the guy in Section D throwing out mints to the crowd every time the Broncos score a touchdown? Never noticed that until last night.

Funny :) Back in the day, I played the drum set in the pep band. I used to always throw hersey kisses and tootsie rolls in the stands with 10 mins to go in the 2nd half. It's the little things :)

(09-21-2014 08:18 AM)AFLAGWA Wrote:  The time-out he used when Murray St. was driving and our defense couldn't catch their breath.

The clock management on the FG drive right before the half was a good combination of play calling and players' situational awareness. I, of course, would have LOVED the TD there, but it was a solid drive against the pressure of the clock and the situation.

I could still see us losing the next four games in a row if some of our youth takes over, but I think we all have to agree, there are pretty obvious signs of improvement over last year. Both in terms of talent and in the playing of the game.

100% agree with these points.

This is what Comm night should look like. We looked much more like a typical bronco team last night. Had the appearance of a 5 or 6 win team.....which would be a great step.

I still think Terrell is pretty limited and makes shaky throws that better defenses are going to take advantage of. With that said after VaTech on Saturday we don't really play a very good defense. The MAC has looked as bad in non conference as I've ever seen it. There aren't any teams I'm scared for us to play. Maybe 3-4 conference wins are possible if things continue to progress and we remain healthy.

(09-21-2014 08:28 AM)ghost bronco Wrote:  I still think Terrell is pretty limited and makes shaky throws that better defenses are going to take advantage of.

This is what I'm afraid of. Next weeks game against Va. Tech will be very telling.

He's done well up until this point -- playing three very bad defenses -- but it's not going get us far against teams like Toledo, Ohio, CMU, and NIU (maybe even Ball State?) that probably have better defenses than anything we've seen up to this point.

Agree with everything you said. I'll throw in my 2 cents as well.

It turned out to be a beautiful night!! Team looked great, great atmosphere, great weather, cool fireworks, BMB sounded awesome. It was a good night.

Terrell will never be a big time QB, but he has weapons around him. Franklin and Braverman have amazing awareness in space and are HUGE playmakers. Davis is our 3rd playmaker and is always dependable. Those 3 guys are carrying this team.

Defense was hot and cold, but ultimately only gave up 7 points to an up-tempo pass-heavy Racer offense. Can't really complain about that.

DePalma played much better, but is still not ideal in coverage. He is a stout LB and a very tough kid. A hard-hitter. Too small to cover those TEs or little dink and dunk passes though.

D-line rarely got any pressure on the QB, so that is still a concern. At times it seemed like the Racer QB had ALL DAY to throw.

I was also surprised how long the starters were kept in the game. I wanted to see the 2nd team offense get more reps.

(09-21-2014 08:41 AM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  

(09-21-2014 08:28 AM)ghost bronco Wrote:  I still think Terrell is pretty limited and makes shaky throws that better defenses are going to take advantage of.

This is what I'm afraid of. Next weeks game against Va. Tech will be very telling.

He's done well up until this point -- playing three very bad defenses -- but it's not going get us far against teams like Toledo, Ohio, CMU, and NIU (maybe even Ball State?) that probably have better defenses than anything we've seen up to this point.

Toledo's defense is underrated. Very good LBers, and their DB's are at least as good as ours. DLine is better than ours.

BSU- BSU couldn't stop anything against UT.

CMU- Kansas might have a the worst offense in DIAA. Chips can stuff the run if they know its coming, but when they had to guess between pass or run they are no better than our defense.

NIU- Probably the best D in the West, but their offense lacks a play maker. Stingley is a load, but he's a grinder, not a game changer.

If we could split 2 of the next 4 I'd say we're far ahead of schedule.

This would have been a good game to try and spread the ball around. We have yet to even show we have a TE let alone know how to incorporate him in the offense. Part of the reason that Terrell gets picked is that DB's know his check downs end at two receivers. He often has a wide open RB he can check down to, or ten yards of open field in front of him. His instincts are improving, but he's got a ways to go before he's ever confused with Hiller or Carder.

Phillips has some wheels both on the end around and on crossing routes. You can send slot guys like Phillips and Braverman over the middle and not risk the big hit as much because they tend to be more elusive. Not so much the case with Davis and Roberts who are big targets and can get t-d up and hurt. Let those two stretch the field, and see if Terrell can learn to drop a deep ball in their hands. I wouldn't waste Timmy Keith either.

(09-21-2014 11:38 AM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  We have yet to even show we have a TE let alone know how to incorporate him in the offense. Part of the reason that Terrell gets picked is that DB's know his check downs end at two receivers.

THIS! I remember seeing during the Idaho game where B-Man and one of the TE's broke loose and they were both wide open right down the middle. Ball went right to B-Man without a look toward the tight end. Then last night (shortly following the interception) he went to Davis and was slightly behind him in what should have been his 2nd interception. About 5-10 yards to the middle of the field one of the TE's was wide open. In fact, the closest players to him (from either team) were Davis and the defender draped all over him. It was only like an 8 yard route, so it's not like someone was coming across to make the play.

I actually think Terrell is a really good fit for this style of offense. Even on the interception, I don't think it was that he didn't see the defender. I think it was that he was playing a little to loose and just winging it. He held the ball a little long and released low. If he had put ANY air under that ball, it was a 15 or 20 yard gain. I know that last year he had one weapon so he only really ever looked to one person. Now he has them all over the field. He needs to have some time to grow through his full reads as opposed to just bouncing back and forth between two guys. I'm looking forward to when this happens. He reminds me a little of the Toledo QB from back in the day (Grobowski???-or something like that). He was right around 70% for his career before going to Tampa Bay. Last night, Terrell was 22-33 (I think) and I know two of those bounced right off Chances hands because he looked up before he secured them. He has shown a bit of touch on the "mid-deep" route. I have serious fears about bombs away mode with him. If he can continue to progress as steadily as he has from game to game at this point, I think that he will be a great game manager for this team. He doesn't need to be the weapon as long as he can get it to the right ones.

(09-21-2014 11:38 AM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  This would have been a good game to try and spread the ball around. We have yet to even show we have a TE let alone know how to incorporate him in the offense. Part of the reason that Terrell gets picked is that DB's know his check downs end at two receivers. He often has a wide open RB he can check down to, or ten yards of open field in front of him. His instincts are improving, but he's got a ways to go before he's ever confused with Hiller or Carder.

Phillips has some wheels both on the end around and on crossing routes. You can send slot guys like Phillips and Braverman over the middle and not risk the big hit as much because they tend to be more elusive. Not so much the case with Davis and Roberts who are big targets and can get t-d up and hurt. Let those two stretch the field, and see if Terrell can learn to drop a deep ball in their hands. I wouldn't waste Timmy Keith either.

Correct me if I'm wrong but did Okorafor only play last 5 minutes of game? If that is the case what a waste! IMO if you are gonna burn his red shirt it is games like this one where he needs to play more. According to many, he is our best "future" offensive tackle. He plays 1 or 2 series a game? If he was my kid I wouldn't be happy with his playing time at this point, use another upperclassman to be "your backup" or play him!

Okorafor has played some time in all three games this season. I have no problem playing him little bit here and there this year getting him accustomed to D1 speed and strength. There's almost no doubt he's going to be thrown into the mix (starting) next year with Hoffing graduating. We've already seen the coaching staff slide Moton into the guard spot when Okorafor enters the game, so it looks like they've already kind of pre-determined what's going to happen down the road.

Quote:D-line rarely got any pressure on the QB, so that is still a concern. At times it seemed like the Racer QB had ALL DAY to throw.

That was my #1 concern. I am surprised we held their Offense to only 7 points. Of course, them being down later, they weren't looking to merely move the chains progressively and be successful on drives -- they were looking to put up numbers, so that made it a bit easier for us if our coverage was decent (as it should if we can't get the QB). But our coverage, especially in the first half, wasn't good considering that.

We will get burned by other teams passing if we can't get to the QB. This was a not-so-great D1AA team. A good exercise to expose weaknesses in our D and to get our team's confidence up -- which is great. However, one should put things in perspective: Even the Emoos aren't going to be that easy & allow for that type of play on D, to be held to a low scoring affair.

And I agree: Terrell is an average MAC QB as one would expect -- and that's putting some perfume on the assessment. He kind of reminds me of Cubit's son when he played QB .... and when he got injured, Hiller came in and lit things up, able to see more than 1 receiver at once and pass to the open men. Terrell is still young -- hopefully he can improve on that.

Mr. Whinny is not going to get into the details. All I can say is that Bronco football is EXCITING again! Bronco football is FUN again! I seriously wondered if I would live to see that day. Regardless of our W-L record at the end of the year, that day is here! So happy for all of the long-suffering WMU fans (including me.) Thanks to the coaches and players for making this 75-year-old granny a very happy old Bronco nag. Keep up the good work, the effort, and the spirit.

GO BRONCOS!!

(09-21-2014 03:31 PM)Whinny1 Wrote:  Mr. Whinny is not going to get into the details. All I can say is that Bronco football is EXCITING again! Bronco football is FUN again! I seriously wondered if I would live to see that day. Regardless of our W-L record at the end of the year, that day is here! So happy for all of the long-suffering WMU fans (including me.) Thanks to the coaches and players for making this 75-year-old granny a very happy old Bronco nag. Keep up the good work, the effort, and the spirit.

GO BRONCOS!!

(09-21-2014 03:31 PM)Whinny1 Wrote:  Mr. Whinny is not going to get into the details. All I can say is that Bronco football is EXCITING again! Bronco football is FUN again! I seriously wondered if I would live to see that day. Regardless of our W-L record at the end of the year, that day is here! So happy for all of the long-suffering WMU fans (including me.) Thanks to the coaches and players for making this 75-year-old granny a very happy old Bronco nag. Keep up the good work, the effort, and the spirit.

GO BRONCOS!!

Never known you to be a nag.

(09-21-2014 08:55 PM)Broncobelt Wrote:  

(09-21-2014 03:31 PM)Whinny1 Wrote:  Mr. Whinny is not going to get into the details. All I can say is that Bronco football is EXCITING again! Bronco football is FUN again! I seriously wondered if I would live to see that day. Regardless of our W-L record at the end of the year, that day is here! So happy for all of the long-suffering WMU fans (including me.) Thanks to the coaches and players for making this 75-year-old granny a very happy old Bronco nag. Keep up the good work, the effort, and the spirit.

GO BRONCOS!!

Never known you to be a nag.

Maybe and old bag.

(09-21-2014 11:38 AM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  This would have been a good game to try and spread the ball around. We have yet to even show we have a TE let alone know how to incorporate him in the offense. Part of the reason that Terrell gets picked is that DB's know his check downs end at two receivers. He often has a wide open RB he can check down to, or ten yards of open field in front of him. His instincts are improving, but he's got a ways to go before he's ever confused with Hiller or Carder.

Phillips has some wheels both on the end around and on crossing routes. You can send slot guys like Phillips and Braverman over the middle and not risk the big hit as much because they tend to be more elusive. Not so much the case with Davis and Roberts who are big targets and can get t-d up and hurt. Let those two stretch the field, and see if Terrell can learn to drop a deep ball in their hands. I wouldn't waste Timmy Keith either.

They have the personnel in Phillips and Braverman to kill teams on 5-7 yard crossing routes while running Davis and Roberts to the next level.