EMU at BGSU --- Oct. 4

10/4/2008

That was really, really bad.

Eastern Michigan 24, BG 21.

I m not sure I have a ton to say. EMU looked decent and BG played like junk. This should not have happened, but BG showed a lack of maturity that you don t want to see from a team that hopes to contend for a conference title. BG probably took EMU lightly. They probably thought they could sleep walk their way to a win. And guess what --- I m not sure I blame them. It s not healthy to get totally fired up for 12 weeks straight. Eventually you ll burn out. So I m OK with BG coming out flat especially because EMU had proven to be truly bad so far this season. But eventually something needs to click during the game that says, Enough is enough. It s time to get serious. That point never came today. Again, that shows a lack of maturity by everyone involved.

As bad as today was, BG is fine. The Falcons schedule is weak and its division is brutally bad. But they can t afford many more slip ups. They ll learn from this, and if they don t, it s going to be an incredibly disappointing season.

Football is a weird game in which momentum doesn t really exist from week to week. A team can look great one game and horrific the next. So I don t think this loss is all that damaging in terms of it just being a loss. But dang, Eastern Michigan? Do better, BG.

I want to add one more thing. As John Haneline exited the interview room following the game, he turned to all of the reporters and said, Thanks guys. You just don t hear those types of things after embarrassing losses. Much has been said about the troublemakers on the team, but there are also a lot of good guys. Haneline is a good guy.

Halftime:

Well, this one hasn t gone as easy as expected. It s tied 7-7 at halftime and both teams look like crud.

Halftime stats- Anthony Turner 6 rushes, 50 yards; Chris Bullock 7 rushes, 24 yards. Corey Partridge has caught three passes for 23 yards but was on the sidelines for a couple of key third downs. That I don t understand. Bullock has been a tough cover out of the backfield as he s rolled up 40 yards on two catches. Tyler Sheehan is 12 of 18 passing for 110 yards. He hasn t made great reads and on one play he completely missed Marques Parks and Bullock wide open in the end zone. And I mean, wiiiide open.

BG got its lone score on a 6-yard hook up from Sheehan to Jimmy Scheidler. Scheidler faked to Anthony Turner on a reverse, rolled right and found Scheidler, who now has four TD grabs on the year. EMU tied the score on a 1-yard run by Terrence Blevins with 2:34 left in the first half.

Erique Dozier made a crushing hit on Blevins and knocked himself out of the game. Dozier however returned shortly after.

Pregame:

-For BG, Willie Geter (leg) will not play but Anthony Turner (shoulder) is a go. For Eastern Michigan, reserve quarterback Kyle McMahon (shoulder) is done for the season, and Andy Schmitt will give it a go despite a shoulder injury. McMahon s back up for today is reserve tight end Ben Thayer who has traded in his No. 81 jersey for No. 13. Uh oh.

-25 minutes until the kick and it s a pretty sparse crowd. Considering EMU might travel 200 fans tops, we could be looking at a disappointing attendance figure.