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The Postseason Meal Part 7.2: Game-by-Game Recap: 5-8

By Conrad Mostiller
Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

The Postseason Meal will have to sustain us all until the Bulls return to Columbus, Ohio in 2013. The goal of the postseason meal is to Hydrate, Nutritionate and Reflect on the season that was.


In Part 6, we analyzed the worst games and performances of the season, to recap:
12) Northern Illinois (45-3 loss)
11) Kent State (23-7 loss)
10) Pittsburgh (20-6 loss)
9) Georgia (45-23 loss)

Time to look look at games 5-8.

#8 Game 12: Bowling Green (21-7 loss)
Offensive Performance: #12
Defensive Performance: #3
Overall Performance: #8

The worst offensive game of the year gave us 7 points that the defense set us up for after a turnover. Our defense played well, but the offense was dreadful. Licata's statement game gave us the statement we didn't want to hear...maybe his success was a product of the weaker opposition he faced.

Progress towards a 1st down:
Offense: 47.3% (12th)
Defense: 64.5% (3rd)

47.3% progress is 8.7% lower than the Kent game and 24.4% below the 9th ranked effort against WMU.

Progress towards a 1st down adjusted:
Offense: 17.2% (12th)
Defense: 36.3% (4th)

Taking out the big plays, the offense was 17.7% worse than the NIU game.

Progress towards a Touchdown:
Offense: 7.48% (11th)
Defense: 11.6% (3rd)

All members of "Team Zordich" UB had twice the progress towards a TD at Georgia than Licata at BGSU.

High and Low Lights:
1st Quarter
T4th Worst Offensive Performance
0 Points Scored
PT1: 45.5%
PT1A: 18.4%
PTTD: 2.78%

12 plays for 19 yards in the quarter. To think we had 3 quarters WORSE than that.

2nd Quarter
9th Worst Offensive Performance
0 Points Scored
PT1: 83%
PT1A: 13.5%
PTTD: 3.35%

12 plays for 29 yards and a fumble. Shocking it is only the 9th worse we had...8 worse quarters!

3rd Quarter
Worst offensive performance
O Points Scored
PT1: 10.7%
PT1A: -2.1%
PTTD: 1.61%

5th Worst defensive performance
7 Points Allowed
PT1: 110.5%
PT1A: 56.3%
PTTD: 19.61%

We got a little better on offense, then we got a lot worse. In this quarter, 11 plays for 16 yards. Add it up, through 3 quarters UB ran 35 plays for 64 yards, a meager 1.83 yards per play. The game was lost in the 2nd quarter, a long pass play for a TD. However quarter 3 was statistically worse, with UB bailing themselves out of allowing more points with an interception.

4th Quarter
3rd Best Defensive Performance
0 Points Allowed
PT1: 8.6%
PT1A: 8.6%
PTTD: 0.96%

40% of our top 10 defensive performances came in the 4th, 40% in the 1st and 20% in the 2nd. Only 1 3rd quarter is in the top 15, and only 2 in the top 25. At BGSU like the season, we started and finished strong, just lost a lot in the middle.

#7 Game 4: Connecticut (24-17 loss)
Offensive Performance: #6
Defensive Performance #8
Overall Performance: #7

With the real dreadful games out of the way, it's time to break down how well we did in the final 7 games: Morgan State, 3 wins by a total 18 points and 3 losses by a total 19 points. Possibly one of the most winnable games we blew this year, the UConn game comes in at 7.

Progress towards a 1st down:
Offense: 82.9% (5th)
Defense: 145.6% (12th)

We played well on offense, but it was far an away our worst effort on defense on the year. UConn made 31% more progress towards a first down than Georgia did and 50% more than NIU.

Progress towards a 1st down adjusted:
Offense: 37.2% (7th)
Defense: 38.3% (5th)

When adjusted, our defense looks better. This means UConn was able to exploit UB's defense for much more yards than needed to get a first down.

Progress towards a Touchdown:
Offense: 10.64% (8th)
Defense: 13.9% (7th)

I think this is why the UConn game was seen as the most even all year. Both teams made similar progress up and down the field, but in the end UConn was a little better.

High and Low Lights:
2nd Quarter
4th Worst Defensive Performance:
14 Points Allowed
PT1: 460.1%
PT1A: 45.6%
PTTD: 20.4%

460.1% means UConn on average gained 4 times as many yards as they needed to get a first down each play in the 2nd. That is a ridiculous number and is a major reason why Buffalo was defeated.

4th Quarter
5th Best Defensive Performance
0 Points Allowed
PT1: 21.5%
PT1A: 17.3%
PTTD: 3.79%

Down 10, UB's defense clamped down, and put UB in position to tie the game.

#6 Game 8: Toledo (25-20 loss)
Offensive Performance: #6
Defensive Performance #6
Overall Performance: #6

6's across the board, despite David Fluellen's 2nd half destruction of our defense, it was the #6 performance for the Bulls defense.

Progress towards a 1st down:
Offense: 99.0% (4th)
Defense: 98.6% (9th)

Progress towards a 1st down adjusted:
Offense: 35.2% (9th)
Defense: 40.9% (6th)

Progress towards a Touchdown:
Offense: 10.98% (7th)
Defense: 12.9% (6th)

High and Low Lights:
1st Quarter
8th Best Defensive Performance:
7 Points Allowed
PT1: 46.4%
PT1A: 22.9%
PTTD: 6.97%

2nd Quarter
6th Best Defensive Performance:
0 Points Allowed
PT1: 26.9%
PT1A: 21.7%
PTTD: 3.75%

3rd Quarter
Worst Defensive Performance
18 Points Allowed
PT1: 288.5%
PT1A: 79.9%
PTTD: 38.86%

The 3rd quarter of doom was the worst quarter of the 2012 season. 79.9% adjusted first down percentage means that Toledo gained 80% of the yards needed for a first down on each play, and unlike the UConn game this wasn't the result of big plays, it was a team running the ball down our throats with authority.

#5 Game 10: Western Michigan (29-24 win)
Offensive Performance: #8
Defensive Performance #4
Overall Performance: #5

The worse win of the year UB didn't play particularly well, but were aided by like a million Alex Carder interceptions.

Progress towards a 1st down:
Offense: 71.7% (9th)
Defense: 91.8% (7th)

Progress towards a 1st down adjusted:
Offense: 36.8% (8th)
Defense: 34.6% (2nd)

Progress towards a Touchdown:
Offense: 12.89% (6th)
Defense: 12.8% (5th)

High and Low Lights:
1st Quarter
9th Best Offensive Performance:
7 Points Scored
PT1: 96.1%
PT1A: 48.8%
PTTD: 16.68%

10th Best Defensive Performance:
0 Points Allowed
PT1: 49.2%
PT1A: 25.8%
PTTD: 9.35%

UB basically doubled WMU's numbers in the first quarter, but was only able to jump to a 7-0 lead.

3rd Quarter
6th Worst Offensive Performance:
6 Points Scored
PT1: 35.4%
PT1A: 28.8%
PTTD: 6.78%

UB moved the ball once but had to settle for a field goal. They got the ball in field goal range, but gained 4 yards in 3 plays before kicking another field goal. Instead of taking a 10 point lead into the 4th, UB led by only 2.


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