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Falcons get up to speed on making more plays
Jinks says Bowling Green offense must get 1st downs
9/24/2016BOWLING GREEN — Fans of the Bowling Green State University football team have complained about the speed at which the offense has operated to start this season.
But coach Mike Jinks was quick to point out that tempo has not been a problems for his 1-2 Falcons.
“Last year, there were 83-84 snaps [per game], and right now we’re at 80, so it’s pretty close,” Jinks said. “If we convert some first downs, we’ll have even more [plays].
“I don’t think that’s the issue. The issue is making plays.”
The numbers back up Jinks’ assertion. Those questioning the tempo probably did not realize BG ran 93 plays against Middle Tennessee, an amazing number considering 61 of those plays were rushing attempts.
The Falcons take 18.8 seconds between plays, trailing only Missouri (16.5 seconds) as one of just five FBS schools taking less than 20 seconds between plays this season.
Memphis coach Mike Norvell, whose 2-0 Tigers will host Bowling Green at the Liberty Bowl in an 8 p.m. kickoff today, also acknowledges the speed at which the Falcons operate.
“This will be the fastest-tempo team that we’ve played to this point,” Norvell said. “We practice a lot against tempo, and we know that it’s all about efficiency.
“You can play fast, but we have to be efficient on offense: We have to convert third downs and control the ball.”
Both of those areas have been problems for the Falcons through the first three weeks of the season. BG has converted just 14-of-49 third-down plays (28.6 percent), the next-to-last mark in the 12-team Mid-American Conference.
The Falcons have lost 10 turnovers in three games; the next-worst total in the MAC is six by Ball State.
“We have to realize that we’re not a club that week-in and week-out is going to be that much better than people that we can make those kinds of mental mistakes,” Jinks said. “We have to clean that up.”
Meanwhile, the Tigers’ offense has averaged nearly 400 yards and 40 points in its first two games. While last year’s Heisman Trophy candidate, quarterback Paxton Lynch, is now in the NFL, his replacement, Riley Ferguson, has completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 484 yards and five touchdowns.
“Riley Ferguson is a big, strong-armed kid,” Jinks said. “I don’t know if he runs around like Lynch did, but he definitely can make every throw.
“I think the skill of the running backs and receivers is right on par. They will be a challenge.”
Memphis also likes to play at a high tempo, and Jinks said that could cause problems for Bowling Green’s defense.
“Memphis has some backs and some receivers who are really talented,” he said. “When the other team is playing fast, our defensive linemen might get gassed up front, and gap integrity can come into question.
“And if their guys find a crease, they can take it to the house.”
Contact John Wagner at: jwagner@theblade.com, 419-724-6481 or on Twitter @jwagnerblade.
Bowling Green at Memphis
■ Time: 8 p.m.
■ Records: BGSU is 1-2, Memphis is 2-0
■ TV: ESPN News
■ Radio: 1470, 99.1
■ Series: Tied 1-1
■ Favorite: Memphis by 17
■ Notes: The Falcons look to claim a road win that would give BG a 2-2 nonconference record for the sixth straight season. … Last season, the Tigers got a 44-41 victory at Doyt Perry Stadium. … The other meeting of the two teams came in the 2004 GMAC Bowl, a game the Falcons won 52-35. … Memphis and first-year coach Mike Norvell are 2-0 after home wins over Southeast Missouri and Kansas. … Norvell, 34, is the youngest coach in FBS. … Tigers place-kicker Jake Elliott is an All-American candidate with nine career field goals of 50 yards or more, including a 52-year kick at BG last season. … Memphis has created seven turnovers in two games and ranks fifth among FBS schools with its plus-2.0 turnover margin. … Senior RB Fred Coppet ranks 13th on BG’s all-time list with 2,001 rushing yards, and needs 10 yards to tie for 12th. … Senior WR Ronnie Moore ranks tenth on BG’s all-time list with 2,289 receiving yards, and needs 35 yards to tie for ninth. … Sophomore WR Scott Miller leads the MAC in all-purpose yards with 150.7 per game.