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The Postgame Meal returns to the interwebs after a three year hiatus. The Postgame meal wraps up the game and gets you ready for next week. Sometimes you have to eat your sadness, It's perfectly normal.
Postgame Drink: Empty glass, filled with own tears.
Postgame Meal: Eggs Over Easy: BO was broken like an eggshell, we got egg all over our faces, and Kent made it look easy.
Postgame Hate:
Dri "Sterling" "Danger Zone" Archer: That little guy killed us.
Kent Cleveland: Might need to get his ears checked, the OL was often seen twisting and pushing Bulls linemen after ever whistle.
Celebrating while down 9 points, this means you Najja Johnson.
Postgame Love:
UB True Blue, student section came out early sounded pretty good not sure how long they stayed, but no one can blame them for leaving if they did.
Hailmary: What an individual effort by Neutz, he proved if you put the ball anywhere near him he can go up and get it. Also shows how few catchable balls were thrown at 19, he only had 1 other catch on the night.
5 Factor Review
1) I said Kent Offense over Buffalo Defense and it proved true, Kent ran until we cheated then beat us for intermediate passes. They didn't complete many passes, but it didn't matter as Archer (minus his big run) ran for 5.4 yards per carry and Durham gained 4.9 yards per carry:
- Kent is passing for 9.6 yards per reception, and completing 63% of their passes
They only completed 46% of their passes, but gained a whopping 12.7 yards per reception - A luxury when you have called 10 more running plays than passing plays.
Kent ran 25 times more than they passed. - Kent State only gains 3.8 yards per rush, so they look to outlast you with the run game, catch you cheating and then beat you for mid-length passes.
Kent ran for 4.5 yards per rush.
3) I said Buffalo Offense over Kent Defense, that Kent would sit on the pass and force us to run on them, we'd run to force Kent up and then beat them deep. Instead, Kent often put 10 men within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, we ran effectively with BO but we never made Kent pay for crowding the box:
- Buffalo runs with Branden Oliver, gaining 4.4 yards per carry against Georgia.
Oliver ran for 4.8 yards per carry in the first half. - Buffalo uses the run to open up the pass, the other 2 members of the Big 3, Alex Neutz and Alex Zordich take over from there.
1st quarter, 11 BO runs for 58 yards, 4 passes (1-4 for -2 yards).
2nd quarter, 6 BO runs for 19 yards and a fumble, 7 passes (1-7 for 36 yards and an interception) - Kent seemed to sit on the pass against Kentucky, holding them to 11.8 yards per reception, but as a result, Kent allowed 6.2 yards per carry. If they continue that strategy, it plays right into Buffalo's hands.
5) Special Teams:
- Dri Archer Kick Returns
We only allowed 1 kick return for 6 yards. - Patrick Clarke is a perfect 1-1 in field goals
Still untested - Kent State's Kicker Freddy Cortez has limited range and accuracy, he is 2 of 5 in field goals this year, with a long of 35 and misses from 31, 45 and 50.
Cortez went 3 for 4, including a upright trick shot, his longest was 33 yards. - Kent out punts Buffalo on average by 10 yards.
Grassman punted for 34 yards on average while Kent's Melchiori punted for 38 yards on average. - They will win the field position battle, but does it matter if you can't kick the field goal?
Kent's average starting position was the 39, UB's the 24. This wasn't due to special teams, but turnovers. Both teams entered with only 1, but Buffalo threw 3 interceptions and lost a fumble against Kent.
7) Key Player:
- Dri Archer - Archer has 132 yards rushing in two games on only 16 carries, 8.3 yards per run. He is the X-factor on special teams, if he can break a big play or two, it gives Kent a great spark.
Archer provided the spark with a 57 yard run and the games first TD. He ran for 127 yards on 14 carries, 9.1 yards per carry. He caught two more balls for 32 yards, and dropped 2 more passes that would have netted at least 50 yards and a touchdown. He beat us. - Branden Oliver - Alternatively, Oliver can extinguish Kent's spark by putting in a classic 30 carry 150 yard game that batters down Kent's defense and forces the safeties to cheat into the box.
BO was halfway to 32 carries and 144 yards until he went out hurt at the half, with no Potts behind him, the offense went with him. - Buffalo can stop Archer with high or long kickoffs, and then they only have to worry about facing him 8-10 plays a game. Kent has to handle BO all night long.
Archer got 16 touches, Bo got 16 touches..advantage Kent.
9) Key situation:
- 3rd Downs: Was important because our conversion % was awful, however the real story was the play calling on our first two downs. You always want 3rd and short, our average 3rd down was 3rd and 6.
Kent 35% Average 3rd down: 3rd and 6. Average when converted 3rd and 3. Average when not converted: 3rd and 8
Buffalo 23% Average 3rd down: 3rd and 6. Average when converted 3rd and 3. Average when not converted 3rd and 7.
On 1st down we ran 19 times gaining 4 yards per rush and passed 10 times gaining 3 yards per pass. This means, it only made sense for Kent to stack the box and force us to throw we only gained 3 yards per pass on 1st down!
Our QB's went 3 for 9 on 1st down were sacked once and threw 3 ints. If you throw an INT on 1st down, I'm going to blame coaching we have 2 more downs, no need to force anything on 1st down especially in a game that was within 1 possession for the majority of play.
On 2nd down we ran 13 times gaining 4 yards per run and passed 8 times gaining 10.25 yards per pass. The average is skewed by the 36 yard pass and the long hail mary, the only two passes completed on 2nd down.
Our QB's went 2 for 8 on 2nd down with a Touchdown. Basically if we are running for 4 yards a pop, we should have had open receivers on 2nd down...of course that comes down to play calling and scheme, and then accuracy when the play is called.
On our first 19 1st downs, we ran 15 times and thew 4 times. The lack of creativity let Kent creep up to the line on 1st, and we never did anything about it, a screen pass? a reverse? anything to keep Kent from aggressively targeting the run on 1st and 10, no we didn't do it.
On 9 of our first 16 series, we ran on both 1st and 2nd down. Three times that resulted in a first down, six times it set up 3rd and 4.5, and we were awful at converting from more than 3rd and 3.
When you saw RG3's NFL debut, analysts spoke at how the Washington coaching staff "got him into the game" with screen passes and quick throws to the wide receiver to get the QB in a good rhythm. Quinn did the opposite, took the ball out of the struggling QB's hands on 1st and 2nd downs, then asked him to bail us out on 3rd and long, a losing strategy.
Next week or so, we lick our wounds and feast on Jonathan the Huskie, hopefully not literally, and we look to find something stronger than Four Loko to prepare for the boring rage of Quinn/Pasqualoni Unimaginative Borefest II.