MAC Blogger Roundtable: Fleck, First Downs, and Flukes(?)

1: PJ Fleck. He came in, young and brash. They were walking on coals and getting highly ranked recruits. Now a rough season...Fleck says the year has been "100% success." Is Fleck going to succeed or flame out spectacularly?

Oh man.  My heart tells me that the Nicholls game was a fluke, the rest of the schedule was monstrous (it really was), and Bill Cubit wouldn't have done much better than the 4-8 (3-5) I predicted at the start of the season.  Fleck turns it around, figures out this whole coaching thing, and actually turns into a semi-decent coach after some growing pains.  I mean, he can recruit and fund raise, but the X's and O's aren't apparent right now.

However, my gut says he sucks and gets the "Ianello Treatment", especially if he goes 0-fer either this season or next.  Last year's Bronco team was competitive, better than their 4-8 record suggests, but questionable coaching decisions (Carder over TVT against Buffalo, Carder playing late against UConn), bad luck with injuries, and high pre-season expectations made the team look bad.  Now we have this team looking horrible.  They can't score, can't move the ball, and can't stop anything.

Fleck is in deep right now, and HAS to beat UMass next weekend, or the uproar will be deafening.  Lose to CMU and EMU as well?  Oh man, I don't want to think of that.  That would be the first 0 win season in WMU history.  That almost has to get you canned without major improvements in your 2nd year, if you get one (which Fleck will).  It just sucks.  Really bad.  Next question.

2. .NIU had a close call with Akron. Is this just something that happens or do you think it exposed weakness for the Huskies?

Both?  Honestly, I didn't catch the game, so let me look at the stats.......

Hmmm......not too much there.  The way I see it is that Akron got up for another big game, and couldn't finish it off.  The Zips run game appears to have never got going, and Pohl threw a crap-ton for a not-so-bright average (4.7yds/attempt).  Lynch didn't have a great game though either, and the Huskies went 1-for-15 on 3rd down.  I mean, yes the Huskies are vulnerable, but I'm not looking too much at a "down game" in my eyes.  Statistically, both teams stunk, it happens.

3. I have been proposing for some time that first downs be added as an individual stat. What do you think? Any other things you think could be added?

Fantasy owners would love this for "power backs" and "possession WRs" who consistently get called in the middle of the field.  I like it.  Among other things that could be added in my eyes include, but are not limited to:  Bat-Downs (or J.J. Swats), QB Hurries (I know they are counted en masse, but individually?), and WAR (because why not have sabermetrics?