2008 Woodie Awards
Old demons come back to haunt Falcon defense
By: Chris Voloschuk
Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: Sports
Through its first five games this season, the Falcons' defense has played better than it did a year ago.
One glance at the stat sheet is all it takes to show their improvement. The defense has allowed eight less points, 59 less rushing yards and 53 less total yards per game than last year - all major steps forward.
But in Saturday's stunning 24-21 loss to an Eastern Michigan team that had lost its last four games in a row by a combined score of 171-51, some old defensive demons came back to haunt the Falcons.
"To be brutally honest, as a team, we didn't perform," said senior linebacker John Haneline.
Where the team underperformed was in areas that plagued them all throughout the 2007 season, namely run-stopping and penalties.
When it came to stuffing the rush, the Eagles made life difficult for BG at every opportunity. As a unit, the offense carried the ball 38 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Four different players rushed for at least 20 yards.
One drive that stood out and may have defined the game was during the third quarter. Trailing 14-10 with 7:36 to play in the frame, EMU handed the ball off a staggering 14 times in a row and marched 73 yards downfield. Running back Dwayne Priest capped off the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run off the left tackle.
Priest reached the end zone nearly untouched. To BG coach Gregg Brandon, EMU's ability to move the ball efficiently greatly aided their win.
"They took care of the football," Brandon said. "We didn't help ourselves, didn't create opportunities … They took care of the football."
In that third quarter alone, EMU recorded 20 of its 38 rushing attempts and gained 101 of its 147 total yards. They also burned almost 13 minutes off the clock, making it difficult for the Falcons to build any offensive rhythm of their own.
Overall, the members of the Eagles' offense were very pleased with their performance, especially given the struggles in their previous four games.
One glance at the stat sheet is all it takes to show their improvement. The defense has allowed eight less points, 59 less rushing yards and 53 less total yards per game than last year - all major steps forward.
But in Saturday's stunning 24-21 loss to an Eastern Michigan team that had lost its last four games in a row by a combined score of 171-51, some old defensive demons came back to haunt the Falcons.
"To be brutally honest, as a team, we didn't perform," said senior linebacker John Haneline.
Where the team underperformed was in areas that plagued them all throughout the 2007 season, namely run-stopping and penalties.
When it came to stuffing the rush, the Eagles made life difficult for BG at every opportunity. As a unit, the offense carried the ball 38 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Four different players rushed for at least 20 yards.
One drive that stood out and may have defined the game was during the third quarter. Trailing 14-10 with 7:36 to play in the frame, EMU handed the ball off a staggering 14 times in a row and marched 73 yards downfield. Running back Dwayne Priest capped off the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run off the left tackle.
Priest reached the end zone nearly untouched. To BG coach Gregg Brandon, EMU's ability to move the ball efficiently greatly aided their win.
"They took care of the football," Brandon said. "We didn't help ourselves, didn't create opportunities … They took care of the football."
In that third quarter alone, EMU recorded 20 of its 38 rushing attempts and gained 101 of its 147 total yards. They also burned almost 13 minutes off the clock, making it difficult for the Falcons to build any offensive rhythm of their own.
Overall, the members of the Eagles' offense were very pleased with their performance, especially given the struggles in their previous four games.
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