Bowling Green Preview
September 28, 2011 01:53 PM | General
WEST VIRGINIA GAME NOTES | BOWLING GREEN GAME NOTES
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – With 25 former Mountaineer quarterbacks slated to return to campus this weekend, it’s only fitting that Milan Puskar Stadium will showcase two of college football’s better passers when West Virginia plays host to 3-1 Bowling Green this Saturday.
West Virginia’s Geno Smith is currently third in the country in passing yardage, the junior averaging 367.7 yards per game (West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen’s two protégés, Brandon Weedon and Case Keenum, are one and two this week). Smith is completing 65.6 percent of his pass attempts with nine touchdowns and is on pace to throw for more than 4,400 yards this season.
The Falcons also have a gunslinger in sophomore Matt Schilz, who is tied with Washington’s Keith Price for the most touchdown passes in the country with 14. Schilz is 15th in passing yardage, averaging 292.3 yards per game, and is 23rd in total offense averaging 283.5 yards per contest.
Bowling Green coach Dave Clawson, like Holgorsen, has a history of developing prolific quarterbacks going all the way back to his days at Lehigh, Villanova, Fordham and Richmond. Nine times in his 16 seasons as either head coach or offensive coordinator, Clawson’s QBs have earned all-conference honors.
“Offensively, they are well coached,” said Holgorsen. “You look back at where coach Clawson has been the last decade – he’s been to some I-AA schools and has taken them from being very average to being extremely good. He’s an offensive guy and he coaches the heck out of the quarterbacks.”
Considering the way these two coaches like to throw the football, it is conceivable to see more than 100 pass attempts between the two teams this Saturday.
The Mountaineers (3-1) have had to throw the ball a lot because of an inexperienced running backs corps that is averaging just 2.7 yards per carry and doesn’t have a run longer than 17 yards from scrimmage this year.
In week one against Marshall, it was freshman Andrew Buie leading the ground game with 30 yards; in week two against Norfolk State, it was freshman Vernard Roberts with 64 yards. Last weekend against LSU, Dustin Garrison was the top ground gainer with 46 yards on 10 carries.
“We’re searching for guys that are every-down backs, which we don’t have yet,” Holgorsen admitted. “Dustin came in last week and gave us a half of really good football. His production in one half of football was as good a performance we’ve had in one half this year.”
Holgorsen expects the return of Buie, who sat out the LSU game because of injury. The freshman is second on the team with 88 yards and a touchdown and started the season as the team’s No. 1 runner.
On the other side of the field, Bowling Green has an outstanding freshman running back in Anthon Samuel, an Opa Locka, Fla., resident who has big play capabilities. In last week’s win against Miami (Ohio), Samuel ripped off a 96-yard touchdown run against the Red Hawks – the longest TD run in Bowling Green history.
Samuel has three 100-yard rushing performances so far this season and is averaging 107 yards per game on the ground.
“They’ll run the ball at you,” Holgorsen said.
The first-year Mountaineer coach says wide receiver is the most experienced position on Bowling Green’s offense, and the tandem of Kamar Jorden and Eugene Cooper will test WVU’s secondary this Saturday.
Combined, the two have caught 47 passes for 640 yards and 10 touchdowns, those 10 TD receptions the most by any duo in the Mid-American Conference. Cooper had 100-yard receiving performances against Idaho and Morgan State, while Jordan has caught 18 passes for 192 yards in Bowling Green’s last two games against Wyoming and Miami.
“They have three senior (wide receivers) that have played a lot of ball and can make plays,” said Holgorsen.
The Mountaineers also have a group of formidable receivers led by Tavon Austin’s 31 catches for 423 yards and a touchdown. Last week against LSU, Austin caught 11 passes for 187 yards while Stedman Bailey had eight receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown. Bailey shows 23 catches for 344 yards and three scores, while sophomore Ivan McCartney has 23 receptions for 270 yards and two TDs.
Defensively, both teams have had their moments.
The Falcons are fourth in the MAC allowing 19.8 points per game and are second in the league in total yardage, allowing 294.2 yards per game. That is nearly a 140-yard improvement from the 2010 defense that gave up an average of 432 yards per outing.
The biggest improvement has been made on the ground, where Bowling Green has gone from a defense allowing more than 207 yards per game rushing last year to just 95 yards per game this season.
“They’re very sound – they don’t take a lot of chances,” said Holgorsen. “They don’t play a lot of man coverage and they’re not going to blitz you very much.”
Holgorsen is impressed with Falcon defensive tackle Chris Jones, who has recorded nine sacks in his last 16 games. In the secondary, Bowling Green is playing one of the youngest back ends in the country starting three sophomores and two freshmen.
“They are going to make you earn everything you get,” Holgorsen said.
West Virginia’s defense played well in its first two games against Marshall and Norfolk State, and also performed solidly in the first half against Maryland, but in the second half of its last two games against the Terps and LSU, WVU has given up 41 second-half points. The Mountaineers have allowed six rushing touchdowns this year after surrendering just three on the ground in 13 games last season.
Also, in four games so far, the defense has created just three turnovers and only shows one sack despite having two of the country’s most formidable pass rushers returning in Bruce Irvin and Julian Miller, both combining for 23 sacks and 28 negative yards plays in 2010. This year the duo has five negative yardage plays combined.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” Holgorsen said of the defense’s inability to get to the passer. “We’ve got to keep working at it. Whatever the reasons are, they’ve got to overcome them. If there’s frustration on where the effort level isn’t where it needs to be, then we need to figure out how to get the effort.
“It has nothing to do with coaching,” Holgorsen added. “It’s the same guys, same scheme, same everything – same kids, but that’s just how it is.”
One other area of concern is special teams, particularly the punting game. In last week’s loss to LSU, the Tigers clearly had an advantage in that phase and Holgorsen said the Mountaineers will face another outstanding punter this weekend in Bowling Green’s Brian Schmeidebusch, who is averaging 49.1 yards per punt and has eight punts of more than 50 yards.
The Mountaineers, meanwhile, are 120th in the country in net punting averaging 29.75 yards per punt.
“Their guy has been doing a nice job with that, so we’re going to need to improve this week in that area,” Holgorsen said. “We’re last in the country in net punting; their receiver is a pretty good return guy, so we need to get better in that phase.”
Bowling Green is 3-0 in its last three games against Big East teams dating back to 2000 with a pair of wins against Temple and a victory against 25th-ranked Pitt in 2008 – Bowling Green’s last win against a ranked team. That remains one of just four wins against ranked teams in Bowling Green history.
Saturday’s game will be televised on the Big East Network and will air locally on ROOT SPORTS (Rob King and John Thornton). MASN will also carry the game live while SNY will televise the contest on tape-delay basis at 7 p.m.
There will be no ESPN3 or Game Plan coverage in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, and ESPN3 will not be available in Maryland.
Prior to the game, former Bowling Green alumnus and Hall of Fame Mountaineer coach Don Nehlen will be honored by West Virginia University, with 25 former WVU quarterbacks expected to return to campus in support of Don Nehlen Quarterback Scholarship Weekend.
Nehlen and the 25 returning quarterbacks will be honorary captains for the ceremonial coin toss.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased by contacting the Mountaineer Ticket Office toll free at 1-800-WVU GAME or by logging on to WVUGAME.com.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – With 25 former Mountaineer quarterbacks slated to return to campus this weekend, it’s only fitting that Milan Puskar Stadium will showcase two of college football’s better passers when West Virginia plays host to 3-1 Bowling Green this Saturday.
West Virginia’s Geno Smith is currently third in the country in passing yardage, the junior averaging 367.7 yards per game (West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen’s two protégés, Brandon Weedon and Case Keenum, are one and two this week). Smith is completing 65.6 percent of his pass attempts with nine touchdowns and is on pace to throw for more than 4,400 yards this season.
The Falcons also have a gunslinger in sophomore Matt Schilz, who is tied with Washington’s Keith Price for the most touchdown passes in the country with 14. Schilz is 15th in passing yardage, averaging 292.3 yards per game, and is 23rd in total offense averaging 283.5 yards per contest.
Bowling Green coach Dave Clawson, like Holgorsen, has a history of developing prolific quarterbacks going all the way back to his days at Lehigh, Villanova, Fordham and Richmond. Nine times in his 16 seasons as either head coach or offensive coordinator, Clawson’s QBs have earned all-conference honors.
“Offensively, they are well coached,” said Holgorsen. “You look back at where coach Clawson has been the last decade – he’s been to some I-AA schools and has taken them from being very average to being extremely good. He’s an offensive guy and he coaches the heck out of the quarterbacks.”
Considering the way these two coaches like to throw the football, it is conceivable to see more than 100 pass attempts between the two teams this Saturday.
The Mountaineers (3-1) have had to throw the ball a lot because of an inexperienced running backs corps that is averaging just 2.7 yards per carry and doesn’t have a run longer than 17 yards from scrimmage this year.
In week one against Marshall, it was freshman Andrew Buie leading the ground game with 30 yards; in week two against Norfolk State, it was freshman Vernard Roberts with 64 yards. Last weekend against LSU, Dustin Garrison was the top ground gainer with 46 yards on 10 carries.
“We’re searching for guys that are every-down backs, which we don’t have yet,” Holgorsen admitted. “Dustin came in last week and gave us a half of really good football. His production in one half of football was as good a performance we’ve had in one half this year.”
Holgorsen expects the return of Buie, who sat out the LSU game because of injury. The freshman is second on the team with 88 yards and a touchdown and started the season as the team’s No. 1 runner.
On the other side of the field, Bowling Green has an outstanding freshman running back in Anthon Samuel, an Opa Locka, Fla., resident who has big play capabilities. In last week’s win against Miami (Ohio), Samuel ripped off a 96-yard touchdown run against the Red Hawks – the longest TD run in Bowling Green history.
Samuel has three 100-yard rushing performances so far this season and is averaging 107 yards per game on the ground.
“They’ll run the ball at you,” Holgorsen said.
The first-year Mountaineer coach says wide receiver is the most experienced position on Bowling Green’s offense, and the tandem of Kamar Jorden and Eugene Cooper will test WVU’s secondary this Saturday.
Combined, the two have caught 47 passes for 640 yards and 10 touchdowns, those 10 TD receptions the most by any duo in the Mid-American Conference. Cooper had 100-yard receiving performances against Idaho and Morgan State, while Jordan has caught 18 passes for 192 yards in Bowling Green’s last two games against Wyoming and Miami.
“They have three senior (wide receivers) that have played a lot of ball and can make plays,” said Holgorsen.
The Mountaineers also have a group of formidable receivers led by Tavon Austin’s 31 catches for 423 yards and a touchdown. Last week against LSU, Austin caught 11 passes for 187 yards while Stedman Bailey had eight receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown. Bailey shows 23 catches for 344 yards and three scores, while sophomore Ivan McCartney has 23 receptions for 270 yards and two TDs.
Defensively, both teams have had their moments.
The Falcons are fourth in the MAC allowing 19.8 points per game and are second in the league in total yardage, allowing 294.2 yards per game. That is nearly a 140-yard improvement from the 2010 defense that gave up an average of 432 yards per outing.
The biggest improvement has been made on the ground, where Bowling Green has gone from a defense allowing more than 207 yards per game rushing last year to just 95 yards per game this season.
“They’re very sound – they don’t take a lot of chances,” said Holgorsen. “They don’t play a lot of man coverage and they’re not going to blitz you very much.”
Holgorsen is impressed with Falcon defensive tackle Chris Jones, who has recorded nine sacks in his last 16 games. In the secondary, Bowling Green is playing one of the youngest back ends in the country starting three sophomores and two freshmen.
“They are going to make you earn everything you get,” Holgorsen said.
West Virginia’s defense played well in its first two games against Marshall and Norfolk State, and also performed solidly in the first half against Maryland, but in the second half of its last two games against the Terps and LSU, WVU has given up 41 second-half points. The Mountaineers have allowed six rushing touchdowns this year after surrendering just three on the ground in 13 games last season.
Also, in four games so far, the defense has created just three turnovers and only shows one sack despite having two of the country’s most formidable pass rushers returning in Bruce Irvin and Julian Miller, both combining for 23 sacks and 28 negative yards plays in 2010. This year the duo has five negative yardage plays combined.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” Holgorsen said of the defense’s inability to get to the passer. “We’ve got to keep working at it. Whatever the reasons are, they’ve got to overcome them. If there’s frustration on where the effort level isn’t where it needs to be, then we need to figure out how to get the effort.
“It has nothing to do with coaching,” Holgorsen added. “It’s the same guys, same scheme, same everything – same kids, but that’s just how it is.”
One other area of concern is special teams, particularly the punting game. In last week’s loss to LSU, the Tigers clearly had an advantage in that phase and Holgorsen said the Mountaineers will face another outstanding punter this weekend in Bowling Green’s Brian Schmeidebusch, who is averaging 49.1 yards per punt and has eight punts of more than 50 yards.
The Mountaineers, meanwhile, are 120th in the country in net punting averaging 29.75 yards per punt.
“Their guy has been doing a nice job with that, so we’re going to need to improve this week in that area,” Holgorsen said. “We’re last in the country in net punting; their receiver is a pretty good return guy, so we need to get better in that phase.”
Bowling Green is 3-0 in its last three games against Big East teams dating back to 2000 with a pair of wins against Temple and a victory against 25th-ranked Pitt in 2008 – Bowling Green’s last win against a ranked team. That remains one of just four wins against ranked teams in Bowling Green history.
Saturday’s game will be televised on the Big East Network and will air locally on ROOT SPORTS (Rob King and John Thornton). MASN will also carry the game live while SNY will televise the contest on tape-delay basis at 7 p.m.
There will be no ESPN3 or Game Plan coverage in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, and ESPN3 will not be available in Maryland.
Prior to the game, former Bowling Green alumnus and Hall of Fame Mountaineer coach Don Nehlen will be honored by West Virginia University, with 25 former WVU quarterbacks expected to return to campus in support of Don Nehlen Quarterback Scholarship Weekend.
Nehlen and the 25 returning quarterbacks will be honorary captains for the ceremonial coin toss.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased by contacting the Mountaineer Ticket Office toll free at 1-800-WVU GAME or by logging on to WVUGAME.com.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
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