In an almost empty Yager Stadium, BG’s quarterback Matt Johnson showed Miami fragments of a RedHawk great, Ben Roethlisberger
It seemed as if Miami was unaware there was a football game this past Tuesday, or that fan support is just disastrously low now that the RedHawks are now 0-9. The announced attendance was just under 11,000 people, but I would have given a present to the soul that could have counted over 1,000 not including the players, staff and band.
Nonetheless, BG under the composed leadership of Johnson, put on a clinic on how to play football, while Miami looked confused.
Despite not having an overly impressive game statistically, Johnson looked composed throughout. Not a single pass was over-thrown and even his one blemish – the interception – was a miscommunication.
wPoised, not scared to take the hit yet scrambles when he needs to, Johnson reminds me of Roethlisberger. One particular drive, after handing the ball off to the big running back William Houston twice for no gain, Johnson called his own number and powered through for the first down.
Johnson doesn’t deserve all the credit, Coach Dave Clawson was the one that just decided to stick to a simple game plan. Keep everything in front of you, force them to drive at you and just take the simple plays – don’t overdo it.
After two heart-wrenching losses, BG did just that. Granted it was against one of the worst football teams in the nation, but they needed to punch back.
Clawson always says to take it one week at a time, but after the loss to Toledo, the team has shifted its focus. They now are fixated on Detroit – for the MAC championship game. Miami was just another stop in the path.
The game that really mattered Tuesday was the Ohio and Buffalo game. With both teams ahead of BG in the MAC East standings, one of them was going to lose, and both are still on BG’s schedule. Ohio lost and now BG moved past Buffalo.
Ohio is up next followed by struggling Eastern Michigan and concluding with Buffalo. Win out and the MAC East title is theirs, but the Falcons cannot stumble now – and with a quarterback like Johnson, I wouldn’t bet against them.
