(12-26-2022 03:57 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  Btw, how is NMSU even in a bowl game? They had 2 FCS wins and one of the worst schedules in the country. 3 losses against bad teams: FIU, Nevada, UTEP. 3 blowout losses to P5 teams: Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin. 3 of their FBS wins were against UMass, New Mexico, and Hawaii. Those 3 teams had a combined 3 FBS wins this year. Then they had a strange blowout win vs. Liberty, but I assume Liberty was resting their starters in that one.

That was my analysis as well! This s/h been an easy win for the MAC.

I've been wrong on all my predictions so far :/
Had Eastern & Toledo losing, MU & BGSU winning. Evidently our top teams are good, but everyone else in the MAC is terrible, what else is new, eh?

(12-27-2022 05:11 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(12-26-2022 06:29 PM)wleakr Wrote:  

(12-26-2022 04:40 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  

(12-26-2022 03:57 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  Man, Bowling Green looks bad. NMSU is easily one of the worst bowl teams in memory, but they're beating up on the Falcons.

Btw, how is NMSU even in a bowl game? They had 2 FCS wins and one of the worst schedules in the country. 3 losses against bad teams: FIU, Nevada, UTEP. 3 blowout losses to P5 teams: Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin. 3 of their FBS wins were against UMass, New Mexico, and Hawaii. Those 3 teams had a combined 3 FBS wins this year. Then they had a strange blowout win vs. Liberty, but I assume Liberty was resting their starters in that one.

NMSU really doesn't deserve a bowl game and this should have been an easy win in what is essentially a home game for BGSU.

NMSU got an exception/waiver from the NCAA since their home game with SJSU was canceled. The Spartans had a player die (traffic accident) the day before their game.
NMSU did everything they could. Tried to re-schedule SJSU-- both had open dates but they would not play. Then they tried to schedule other FBS teams who could have played them-- no takers.

ALSO there were not enough bowl teams to fill all the slots this year. Even Rice (only 5 wins) got a bowl by APR qualifying. They kinda needed NMSU to help fill all the slots.

Exactly this. It would've been another 5-7 team as the Quicklane opponent, if not NMSU.

Anyone know whom that 'other' 5 - 7 team might have been?

According to this thread, UNLV was next up.

https://csnbbs.com/thread-960102.html

UNLV, then Auburn.


If BG kicker doesn’t miss 2 FGs, Falcons eke out a win, perhaps.

(12-27-2022 10:22 AM)MacLord Wrote:  If BG kicker doesn’t miss 2 FGs, Falcons eke out a win, perhaps.

One of the misses was from 49 yards, if memory serves. That's never been a gimmie in the MAC.

The result is what it is. The Aggies knocked our senior starting quarterback out of the game early. (Adding to our misery: It happened in an out-of-bounds tackle that drew a 15-yard penalty. In fairness to Aggies fans, it wasn't completely egregious or malicious. Just a bang-bang play that came a little bit too late, and Matt McDonald took an awkward fall.) Our backup QB, Camden Orth, moved the ball but couldn't punch it in very often. We had too many fumbles. Etc.

I'm happy with the crowd we brought to Detroit (said to be 20,000+, but I haven't seen a box score). Falcon fans are hungry for a championship caliber program, and we are getting closer with each season. Can Loeffler deliver a return trip to Detroit next season? Time will tell.

I enjoyed this game with New Mexico State. Their quarterback, Diego Pavia, is a real gamer. He made several very tough runs and threw an amazing downfield block at one point. I think it would be fun for the Falcons to get the Aggies scheduled in a home-and-home if both schools could work that out.

I thought NMSU was improved from the last time I saw them play against CMU a year or two ago. And then saw that Jerry Kill was the coach now, so I figured this would be a bit of a challenge for BGSU.

NMSU hasn’t been very good for a length of time now, but looks to be improving. It figures. The MAC seems to always draw teams that are on the upswing in their bowl games.

(12-27-2022 11:35 AM)Warhawks222 Wrote:  I thought NMSU was improved from the last time I saw them play against CMU a year or two ago. And then saw that Jerry Kill was the coach now, so I figured this would be a bit of a challenge for BGSU.

NMSU hasn’t been very good for a length of time now, but looks to be improving. It figures. The MAC seems to always draw teams that are on the upswing in their bowl games.

Nevada last season lost like 20 guys and the whole staff. Liberty had no one this year. It's just common for most of the teams to be going thru transition with the portal now. Buffalo is the team who lost most going into the game this year.

22,987. Respectable attendance for a game where one team understandably brought a handful of folks.

(12-27-2022 12:47 PM)MacLord Wrote:  22,987. Respectable attendance for a game where one team understandably brought a handful of folks.

I'm going O/T for a moment.

I believe it is in the 50s in Mobile and UB players and fans probably feel like they are in Tucson or SoCal.

(It's in the 40s where I am and it feels spring like. It went down to 9 Friday night in D.C. area. That was brutal.).

(12-27-2022 12:47 PM)MacLord Wrote:  22,987. Respectable attendance for a game where one team understandably brought a handful of folks.

I agree.

(12-27-2022 05:11 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(12-26-2022 06:29 PM)wleakr Wrote:  

(12-26-2022 04:40 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  

(12-26-2022 03:57 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  Man, Bowling Green looks bad. NMSU is easily one of the worst bowl teams in memory, but they're beating up on the Falcons.

Btw, how is NMSU even in a bowl game? They had 2 FCS wins and one of the worst schedules in the country. 3 losses against bad teams: FIU, Nevada, UTEP. 3 blowout losses to P5 teams: Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin. 3 of their FBS wins were against UMass, New Mexico, and Hawaii. Those 3 teams had a combined 3 FBS wins this year. Then they had a strange blowout win vs. Liberty, but I assume Liberty was resting their starters in that one.

NMSU really doesn't deserve a bowl game and this should have been an easy win in what is essentially a home game for BGSU.

NMSU got an exception/waiver from the NCAA since their home game with SJSU was canceled. The Spartans had a player die (traffic accident) the day before their game.
NMSU did everything they could. Tried to re-schedule SJSU-- both had open dates but they would not play. Then they tried to schedule other FBS teams who could have played them-- no takers.

ALSO there were not enough bowl teams to fill all the slots this year. Even Rice (only 5 wins) got a bowl by APR qualifying. They kinda needed NMSU to help fill all the slots.

Exactly this. It would've been another 5-7 team as the Quicklane opponent, if not NMSU.

Anyone know whom that 'other' 5 - 7 team might have been?

I’m guessing that if USC beat Utah and made the playoff (keeping OSU out) that it would’ve knocked down each of the Big Ten teams down a bowl slot In that case I’m guessing Wisconsin would’ve gone to Detroit instead of Phoenix with either Rice or NMSU staying home (depending on the NCAA waiver). Probably wouldn’t have been a win for BG, but you never know.

(12-27-2022 06:00 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  I’m guessing that if USC beat Utah and made the playoff (keeping OSU out) that it would’ve knocked down each of the Big Ten teams down a bowl slot In that case I’m guessing Wisconsin would’ve gone to Detroit instead of Phoenix with either Rice or NMSU staying home (depending on the NCAA waiver). Probably wouldn’t have been a win for BG, but you never know.

I don't think Bowling Green would have been selected for Detroit in that scenario. Perhaps Eastern Michigan or Toledo would have gotten slotted there, with Bowling Green instead playing in Boise.

(12-27-2022 10:39 AM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(12-27-2022 10:22 AM)MacLord Wrote:  If BG kicker doesn’t miss 2 FGs, Falcons eke out a win, perhaps.

One of the misses was from 49 yards, if memory serves. That's never been a gimmie in the MAC.

The result is what it is. The Aggies knocked our senior starting quarterback out of the game early. (Adding to our misery: It happened in an out-of-bounds tackle that drew a 15-yard penalty. In fairness to Aggies fans, it wasn't completely egregious or malicious. Just a bang-bang play that came a little bit too late, and Matt McDonald took an awkward fall.) Our backup QB, Camden Orth, moved the ball but couldn't punch it in very often. We had too many fumbles. Etc.

I'm happy with the crowd we brought to Detroit (said to be 20,000+, but I haven't seen a box score). Falcon fans are hungry for a championship caliber program, and we are getting closer with each season. Can Loeffler deliver a return trip to Detroit next season? Time will tell.

I enjoyed this game with New Mexico State. Their quarterback, Diego Pavia, is a real gamer. He made several very tough runs and threw an amazing downfield block at one point. I think it would be fun for the Falcons to get the Aggies scheduled in a home-and-home if both schools could work that out.

Damn good game and crowd attendance from Bowling Green. Jerry Kill is a fabulous coach as we in the MAC already knew.

Absent the EMU game, the other four contests were decided by a cumulative total of 14 freaking points! All were incredibly entertaining. The MAC is 3-2 and could have been 5-0! Usually, only Frank Solich wins his bowl game, and the others suffer big blowouts. I'm smiling.

Quote:NMSU is easily one of the worst bowl teams in memory, but they're beating up on the Falcons.

It's a combo of BGSU off to a rocky start in the game + their starting QB injured early on -- and NMSU going in the right direction due to Jerry Kill. It's not a shocker that he'd be putting them on the right track with their team solidly improving at the latter half of the season.

So it's not a shocker under those circumstances BGSU would lose, but also not at all a shocker that being close to home with a crowd, BGSU would pull it out (but didn't).

That was NMSUs second bowl appearance EVER... Had I known that I would have assumed they'd be very very up for the game. BG had a drought so also was up. Got unlucky with McDonald.

(12-28-2022 08:32 PM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  That was NMSUs second bowl appearance EVER... Had I known that I would have assumed they'd be very very up for the game. BG had a drought so also was up. Got unlucky with McDonald.

NMSU is 4-0-1 all-time in bowls. They did have a 57-year drought in there though.

(12-29-2022 01:06 AM)MacLord Wrote:  

(12-28-2022 08:32 PM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  That was NMSUs second bowl appearance EVER... Had I known that I would have assumed they'd be very very up for the game. BG had a drought so also was up. Got unlucky with McDonald.

NMSU is 4-0-1 all-time in bowls. They did have a 57-year drought in there though.

They fudged it up on the broadcast? Maybe 2nd in 57 years? Idk.

MacLord is correct. NMSU played in Arizona Bowl in 2017. That was their first since 1960 (57 years).