bowling green @ buffalo

loophole

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i'm aware bowling green has historically dominated buffalo but their o line is decimated and they have one of the worst defenses in the mac. can anyone tell me why bg is getting the early action?


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BG offensive line likely down 4 starters Tuesday night



The offensive line was one position that Bowling Green couldn?t afford to have injuries this season.
Over the last few years the Falcons have accumulated little to no depth at the position and it could prove costly in the long term.
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Bowling Green is likely without four of its five starters for Tuesday night?s matchup at Buffalo, meaning redshirts could be at stake moving forward.
Right guard Jack Kramer and left guard Lorenzo Taborn have been ruled out for Tuesday, while center Tim McAuliffe and right guard Clark Clancy are doubtful. Kramer and McAuliffe missed last week?s win at Kent State. Clancy ? Kramer?s replacement ? was injured near the end of the game and Taborn left early.
McAuliffe, Clancy and Kramer are dealing with knee injuries, while Taborn?s is an ankle.
Since the season-opener at Michigan State, Bowling Green?s offensive line has been in flux. The projected starters to open the year were Ryan Hunter, Taborn, McAuliffe, Kramer and Austin Labus. Taborn injured his shoulder during warmups at Michigan State and didn?t return until Week 3 at Northwestern. Redshirt freshman Caleb Bright took his spot and has since taken over at center for McAuliffe.
Last week?s starters were Hunter, Taborn, Bright, Clancy and Labus. This week?s depth chart has the starters as Hunter, Clancy, Bright, John Kurtz and Labus, although Tim Blair will likely get the start at left guard in Clancy?s spot should he not play.
?We?ve got some kids that have got to step up ? the Joe Wares, the Tim (Blairs) of the world, who are redshirt freshman,? Falcons coach Mike Jinks said. ?Their time is now, whether they?re ready or not.?
The Falcons have two true freshmen ? Derek Downs and Sam Neverov ? on the depth chart. Downs is listed as Hunter?s backup at left tackle, and Neverov is listed as Bright?s backup at center.
Blair is a redshirt freshman along with Ware, Kurtz?s backup at right guard. Kurtz is a redshirt junior transfer from Cincinnati.
True freshman Zach Dziengelewski and junior Matt Tanner ? a junior college transfer ? are among those, with Neverov and Downs, Jinks and his staff are doing all they can to redshirt this season.
?Really, those kids ? that?s a really talented group. In 2021, I?d be really disappointed if you could have had one or two of those guys back and you blew their redshirt on three games,? Jinks said.
?Saying that, it?s big-time college football. If that has to be the case, there are just no more bodies. They?re up and ready. They?re practicing with the twos. We will carry them and we will do everything in our power not to play those kids. But we have to get them ready.
?That?s frustrating a little bit,? he added. ?All you can do is communicate with them, communicate with their parents and make sure they understand. I always told them that I?d treat them like I treat my own. But if we can help it in any way we?re going to save them.?
Redshirt junior Andrew Lucke, after leaving the team earlier this season, has rejoined to help provide depth for a unit that has faced major attrition in recent years.
Redshirt seniors Hunter, McAuliffe and Clancy are part of Dave Clawson?s final signing class, while Labus, Lucke and Kramer are the only three offensive linemen that signed during Dino Babers? era.
The rest of the offensive linemen on Bowling Green?s roster ? Tanner, Kurtz, Neverov, Dziengelewski, Downs, Bright, Taborn, Blair, Ware and Zach Sharp, who is currently away from the team, ? have signed in Jinks? two classes. Babers did have a hand in recruiting a few of the younger linemen, but most signed after his departure for Syracuse.
?For whatever reason we?re two classes short offensive line wise. Two full classes,? Jinks said.
?If you look, most of the guys that are playing are the guys that are in that last year with Clawson. Or you?ve got the guys that came in with us. So somehow there in the transition there are two whole years of offensive linemen that are not with us.?
 

IE

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Buffalo?s last victory over Bowling Green came back in 2010. The past three games between these two have been decided by no more than eight points, including last year?s 27-19 Falcons victory.






Three Things to Watch

1. No. 1 QBs back in action
Bowling Green welcomed back freshman Jarret Doege, younger brother of former Texas Tech star Seth Doege, to the starting lineup last week against Kent State. Jarret Doege replaced James Morgan as the starter in the Falcons? fourth game only to suffer a back injury the following week. Although it was initially feared he was lost for the season, Doege was cleared to return and he helped lead Bowling Green to a 44-16 win over the Golden Flashes last Tuesday. He was effective, completing 14 of his 18 pass attempts for 174 yards and two touchdowns and, perhaps more importantly, didn?t turn the ball over. He?ll look to build on that performance against a Buffalo defense that has done a decent job against the pass (195.3 ypg allowed) and limiting teams on the scoreboard (24.7 ppg), but still gives up a fair amount of yards (404.8 ypg).

Similar to the Falcons, the Bulls also have had to use multiple starters at quarterback because of injury. Tyree Jackson opened the season as the starter, but he got hurt and was replaced by Drew Anderson, who played well (10 TDs, INT) over four games. But Anderson also got hurt, forcing head coach Lance Leipold to remove the redshirt from Kyle Vantrease, one of the top recruits in the Bulls? 2017 class. As can be expected, Vantrease struggled in his first taste of action (43.9 percent completion rate, 2 TDs, 2 INTs), but Jackson returned last week against Akron and should be the starter moving forward, as long as he stays healthy.

A dual threat, Jackson is second on the team in rushing (222 yards, 4 TDs) even though he?s missed several games. However, he may find more success attacking Bowling Green?s defense through the air. The Falcons are tied for 10th in the MAC (out of 12 teams) in passing defense, giving up 251.3 yards per game. Buffalo is third in the conference in passing offense at 271.1 yards per game and the three quarterbacks have combined for 15 touchdown passes and only five interceptions.

2. Buffalo WR Anthony Johnson
With Jackson back under center for the Bulls, you can bet he will look for Johnson, his favorite target. The junior wide receiver is third in the nation with 888 receiving yards and he?s 13th with 55 catches. While 12 other receivers have more receptions than Johnson to this point, no one is averaging more than his 16.2 yards per catch (tied with Colorado State?s Michael Gallup).

Johnson has six touchdown catches thus far and has recorded three 100-yard receiving games. Given Bowling Green?s defensive issues, it?s entirely possible he will make it four such efforts on Tuesday night.

3. Bowling Green RB Andrew Clair
With 111 rushing yards last week against Kent State, the Falcons? freshman running back posted his fourth consecutive 100-yard game. After not playing much early in the season, Clair (above, right) has emerged and now finds himself fourth in the MAC in rushing at 70.6 yards per game. In conference games only he?s gaining 103 yards per game on the ground and overall is averaging an impressive eight yards per carry.

Buffalo?s defense ranks near the bottom of the MAC against the run (209.4 ypg), but the Bulls are very solid at linebacker with Khalil Hodge, second in the nation in tackles (13.2 per game), leading the way. Bowling Green also is dealing with injuries along its offensive line, as starting center Tim McAuliffe and right guard Jack Kramer both missed last week?s game because of knee injuries. Statistics aside, Buffalo?s defense figures to pose a stiffer test for the Falcons compared to Kent State so it will be interesting to see if Clair can maintain his recent production running behind a makeshift offensive line.



Bowling Green has the momentum after last week?s convincing win over Kent State while Buffalo enters with a four-game losing streak. But the Bulls need this game more since they still have a shot at bowl eligibility if they can win out. Falcons running back Andrew Clair has been a force on the ground recently, but Buffalo?s offense is whole once again following the return of starting quarterback Tyree Jackson. And while the records are similar, the Bulls have lost four games by four points or fewer, three of those coming in MAC play.
 
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