What a difference a year has made for the BGSU football team.
Last year, they were 0-5 and were outscored by an average of 33.6 points per game. The defense couldn’t stop the run and the offense couldn’t throw the ball.
Now, the Falcons are 2-2 coming off an impressive win over Minnesota on the road. For head coach Scot Loeffler, the win over Minnesota was his first road win in his tenure. This is also the first time under Loeffler that BGSU won back to back games.
New defensive coordinator Eric Lewis has worked his magic on the defense. In just four games, BGSU is only giving up 20 points per game and 172.8 rushing yards per game. In the first four games last year, the defense gave up 48.5 points per game and 339 rushing yards per game.
Quarterback Matt McDonald is now the focal point of the offense after a rough and injury-filled season a year ago. In the shortened season last year, he threw for 712 yards with one touchdown and six interceptions. Now in the first four games of this year, he is throwing for 886 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
At his post-game press conference after beating Minnesota, Loeffler said veteran defensive lineman Karl Brooks thinks the team is heading on the right path.
“Karl said the best thing to me. When we started this two years ago, he didn’t think it was going to work. But he looked at our staff today and our players and said ‘It works’,” Loeffler said.
The win over Minnesota is a monumental win for the rebuilding program. With back-to-back wins, the team is looking better than expected.
During the offseason, Loeffler said in his third year he wants to see improvement. He also said year four is when the team will be competitive.
In his press conference Monday before playing Kent State, Loeffler said the win over Minnesota didn’t affect how they view the rebuild. He is still focused on improving this team and the program.
He also said he is trying to teach his players about moving forward after a big win.
“We’re trying to educate our players that (Minnesota) is over and it’s time to move on. I think they have. I know they have, actually. They’re pretty focused and driven to try to give ourselves, our team, a chance to compete this Saturday against a really good football team,” Loeffler said.
With how the team is playing now, fans should expect to watch competitive MAC games this year.
Right now, the team is in the middle of year three and four in Loeffler’s plan. This team will be in a lot of games this season.
The team is still young and will have a roller coaster of a conference season. It wouldn’t be shocking to see the team get blown out in a few games against the better MAC teams.
Loeffler said the defense and the team overall will improve with another offseason.
“We need another year of strength and conditioning and another year of age. That’ll occur the same on offense. We need to get old. We’re too damn young right now,” Loeffler said.
With the inexperience comes penalties and inconsistent play.
Even after a relatively clean performance against Minnesota, in which they had four penalties, BGSU is still the second-most penalized team in the MAC.
Once BGSU plays teams with more experience, it could be a struggle for this team to compete against them. The Falcons have enough talent to be a factor in the MAC, but don’t have the experience to gain an edge in a game.
It’s no secret the defense has been carrying this team to victory. The offense has been lagging behind in developing.
BGSU went from a running team last year to a passing team this year. Loeffler said this offense should improve during the season. Right now, the lack of a running game is dragging down the offense.
“That’s (offense) the weakness in us right now. We’re struggling to run the football. We’re throwing it well enough, but we’re not balanced,” Loeffler said.
This offense should make it easier for more experienced defenses to shut them down. The team is too reliant on their defense.
Despite the offensive struggles, BGSU should still have a shot at winning games in the MAC.
“Offensively we need to improve. But when you’ve got two phases of your team clicking in the right direction, you’ve got a chance,” Loeffler said.
Looking ahead, the Falcons have a winnable home schedule. They have Akron and Ohio University at the Doyt. Both teams have struggled to open the season. The Zips are 1-3 and the Bobcats are 0-4.
At a minimum, BGSU should win those two home games. They should be in at least four close games and could be blown out in two games.
The Falcons can flirt with a bowl-eligible record. If they can pull out a couple upsets between their remaining home games and their road games, they can reach six wins.
It is unlikely the team will reach a bowl game, but it’s not impossible.
Whatever the outcome may be, this year’s conference play is crucial for the program. With good conference play and another offseason, BGSU could be set up for a MAC championship run sooner rather than later.
