12-17-2004, 05:11 PM
<a href='http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2004/Bowls/Keys/GMAC%20Bowl.htm' target='_blank'>Linkage!</a>
By John Harris | CFN Las Vegas Bowl Preview
1. Did you forget? – Throughout this season, every other week, a different running back became the flavor of the month. JJ Arrington. Cedric Benson. The rookies got in on the act – Michael Hart, Adrian Peterson and even Jamario Thomas. Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams was even being overshadowed by the mail carriers in his own conference. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Not good. Seems that we all forgot about potentially the most explosive running back in college football. Williams is a perfect blend of speed and power, and as he stayed healthy this season, he chalked up some big time yardage. 200 against Louisville. 199 against Southern Miss. 262 against UAB. But, no one really noticed. Well, if anyone wants to listen, there’s probably a fine MAC team that will scream from the rooftops as to how good Williams is. So, does Bowling Green stand much of a chance against #20? Well, considering that Williams runs behind one of the most underrated offensive lines in the nation, led by center Gene Frederic, it’s going to be tough. It’s never easy to be an offensive lineman, but when all you have to do is fire off the football and get a solid shot on a defensive lineman, letting your lightning quick back do the work, you’re going to look good. D Dub is so quick to a hole that if his line can get the slightest movement at all, he’ll have a chance to blow through that hole and get into the secondary. He runs low to the ground, deflecting shots instead of absorbing shots. The Falcons will get their biggest test of the year against this Tiger terror. Test? Think quantum physics final exam first semester of college hard. Yeah, pretty tough. In case you forgot, his name is DeAngelo Williams and he’s one of the best in the nation.
2. What’s good for the Falcon is good for the Tiger – Don’t think that the only team that has a quality running game will be wearing the blue and white. Okay, so you’re going to have me believe that a spread offense can run the ball? Not only run the ball, but control the ball with a solid running game. As a singular entity, the Bowling Green running game is the typical spread offense running attack – outside zone stretch, QB zone reads and some counter trey. But, combine the running abilities of RB PJ Pope and even QB Omar Jacobs, with the vaunted Falcon receiving corps, with a good offensive line, led by center Scott Mruczkowski and this could be a much faster game than first expected (in other words, a lot of running. A lot). The Memphis run defense struggled, at times, especially after losing much of its fast, nasty 2003 defense. The BGSU run game often subsists in the shadows of the passing game, but with the expected defensive focus of the Tigers on Jacobs and the passing game and the thought that a running game can move the chains (keeping Williams and the Memphis offense off of the field), that unit is more than just a useless appendage. Pope, in particular, is a tough matchup for the Tigers, as he can be effective between the tackles, and as a receiver and perimeter ball carrier, he’s that much more difficult to stop.
3. A picture tells a 1,000 words – The first time that a quarterback faces a Joe Lee Dunn coached defense is a little like trying to drive in Boston or New York. Equal parts frustrating and maddening and by the time you finally get comfortable, you move to the suburbs. Okay, so maybe Omar Jacobs doesn’t have his UHaul ready to go just yet, but the picture that he sees against JLD’s defense will be a little murky at the outset and how he adapts to what he sees will determine Bowling Green’s overall success against this defense. Linemen are stemming and moving, while linebackers are moving from gap to gap, disrupting any key reads Jacobs is trying to make. However, the major problem for the Memphis defense that Jacobs must exploit as soon as possible is the play of the corners. Louisville’s Stefan LeFors went right after them when they stubbornly stayed in man coverage. So, the first time that Jacobs reads an all-out blitz, he needs to find #1, send him deep and throw it as far as he can. #1 is Charles Sharon and the Falcons like to get him soloed up on the weak side, even against zone coverage (it’s the whole Varsity Blues, Get Tweeter on the back side Mississippi Valley State offensive concept, made popular by Jonathon Moxon, really). If it’s man coverage, Jacobs may not have a difficult decision to make – Sharon, deep for six. However, if the Bowling Green offensive staff makes things too complicated for Jacobs, JLD’s defense can wreak havoc, even if they don’t have the full complement of players that they possessed last year. Quick, decisive throws, be it deep balls or short hitches, combined with the occasional screen to Pope may make Dunn back off. Nah, don’t bet on it, but if Jacobs sees the picture, he’ll make Dunn and the Tigers pay for their stubbornness.
Conclusion: Of all of the non-BCS games, this one has the chance to be one of the best. With neither defense at or near the top of the stat charts, facing two of the most powerful offenses in the nation, whoever is in charge of keeping the scoreboard lights in working order should demand some major overtime pay. If you like your football 16-10 with 21 punts, you better turn on the Bears-Cardinals. If you like a little offense with your Christmas Holidays, get this game on the tube. There might be more offensive talent in this game than in any other bowl matchup, not including any game Louisville may be involved in or the Orange Bowl. Either way, Memphis will give up over 40, but still win. Memphis – 47 vs. Bowling Green - 44
By John Harris | CFN Las Vegas Bowl Preview
1. Did you forget? – Throughout this season, every other week, a different running back became the flavor of the month. JJ Arrington. Cedric Benson. The rookies got in on the act – Michael Hart, Adrian Peterson and even Jamario Thomas. Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams was even being overshadowed by the mail carriers in his own conference. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Not good. Seems that we all forgot about potentially the most explosive running back in college football. Williams is a perfect blend of speed and power, and as he stayed healthy this season, he chalked up some big time yardage. 200 against Louisville. 199 against Southern Miss. 262 against UAB. But, no one really noticed. Well, if anyone wants to listen, there’s probably a fine MAC team that will scream from the rooftops as to how good Williams is. So, does Bowling Green stand much of a chance against #20? Well, considering that Williams runs behind one of the most underrated offensive lines in the nation, led by center Gene Frederic, it’s going to be tough. It’s never easy to be an offensive lineman, but when all you have to do is fire off the football and get a solid shot on a defensive lineman, letting your lightning quick back do the work, you’re going to look good. D Dub is so quick to a hole that if his line can get the slightest movement at all, he’ll have a chance to blow through that hole and get into the secondary. He runs low to the ground, deflecting shots instead of absorbing shots. The Falcons will get their biggest test of the year against this Tiger terror. Test? Think quantum physics final exam first semester of college hard. Yeah, pretty tough. In case you forgot, his name is DeAngelo Williams and he’s one of the best in the nation.
2. What’s good for the Falcon is good for the Tiger – Don’t think that the only team that has a quality running game will be wearing the blue and white. Okay, so you’re going to have me believe that a spread offense can run the ball? Not only run the ball, but control the ball with a solid running game. As a singular entity, the Bowling Green running game is the typical spread offense running attack – outside zone stretch, QB zone reads and some counter trey. But, combine the running abilities of RB PJ Pope and even QB Omar Jacobs, with the vaunted Falcon receiving corps, with a good offensive line, led by center Scott Mruczkowski and this could be a much faster game than first expected (in other words, a lot of running. A lot). The Memphis run defense struggled, at times, especially after losing much of its fast, nasty 2003 defense. The BGSU run game often subsists in the shadows of the passing game, but with the expected defensive focus of the Tigers on Jacobs and the passing game and the thought that a running game can move the chains (keeping Williams and the Memphis offense off of the field), that unit is more than just a useless appendage. Pope, in particular, is a tough matchup for the Tigers, as he can be effective between the tackles, and as a receiver and perimeter ball carrier, he’s that much more difficult to stop.
3. A picture tells a 1,000 words – The first time that a quarterback faces a Joe Lee Dunn coached defense is a little like trying to drive in Boston or New York. Equal parts frustrating and maddening and by the time you finally get comfortable, you move to the suburbs. Okay, so maybe Omar Jacobs doesn’t have his UHaul ready to go just yet, but the picture that he sees against JLD’s defense will be a little murky at the outset and how he adapts to what he sees will determine Bowling Green’s overall success against this defense. Linemen are stemming and moving, while linebackers are moving from gap to gap, disrupting any key reads Jacobs is trying to make. However, the major problem for the Memphis defense that Jacobs must exploit as soon as possible is the play of the corners. Louisville’s Stefan LeFors went right after them when they stubbornly stayed in man coverage. So, the first time that Jacobs reads an all-out blitz, he needs to find #1, send him deep and throw it as far as he can. #1 is Charles Sharon and the Falcons like to get him soloed up on the weak side, even against zone coverage (it’s the whole Varsity Blues, Get Tweeter on the back side Mississippi Valley State offensive concept, made popular by Jonathon Moxon, really). If it’s man coverage, Jacobs may not have a difficult decision to make – Sharon, deep for six. However, if the Bowling Green offensive staff makes things too complicated for Jacobs, JLD’s defense can wreak havoc, even if they don’t have the full complement of players that they possessed last year. Quick, decisive throws, be it deep balls or short hitches, combined with the occasional screen to Pope may make Dunn back off. Nah, don’t bet on it, but if Jacobs sees the picture, he’ll make Dunn and the Tigers pay for their stubbornness.
Conclusion: Of all of the non-BCS games, this one has the chance to be one of the best. With neither defense at or near the top of the stat charts, facing two of the most powerful offenses in the nation, whoever is in charge of keeping the scoreboard lights in working order should demand some major overtime pay. If you like your football 16-10 with 21 punts, you better turn on the Bears-Cardinals. If you like a little offense with your Christmas Holidays, get this game on the tube. There might be more offensive talent in this game than in any other bowl matchup, not including any game Louisville may be involved in or the Orange Bowl. Either way, Memphis will give up over 40, but still win. Memphis – 47 vs. Bowling Green - 44
