Not OT: Loeffler vs. Wheatley
In a pretty rare/cool situation, former Michigan players made their debuts as first-time (college) head coaches against each other. Bowling Green State (led by former Michigan player and coach Scot Loeffler) beat FCS Morgan State (led by former Michigan player and coach Tyrone Wheatley) by a score of 46-3.
That score doesn't even really tell the whole story of how dominant BGSU was. The Falcons racked up 620 yards to Morgan State's 70, and the Bears had more kickoff return yards (93) than what they did on offense. BGSU ran 101 offensive plays (6.14 yards per play) to Morgan State's 40 (1.75 yards per play).
Hopefully they both do well where they are.
Also, Wheatley's staff includes Will Carr and Derrick Alexander, while Loeffler's staff includes Steve Morrison, Erik Campbell, and Terry Malone, with Kevin Tolbert as the S&C coach.
Lots of former Wolverines involved in that one!
August 30th, 2019 at 6:32 AM ^
Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. is playing as a fifth year senior at Morgan State, too. He didn't play last night, though.
August 30th, 2019 at 7:55 AM ^
Wow. What a fall from grace for TW jr. what happened?
August 30th, 2019 at 9:07 AM ^
I'm curious about this as well. Given his size and athletic ability he seemed like he had the potential to be an elite TE. I know he had injuries, but is that the whole story??
August 30th, 2019 at 9:35 AM ^
I think Ty Jr. also believed he could be an elite TE. The M coaching staff was trying to switch him to OLine though, which probably factored into his decision to move on.
August 30th, 2019 at 8:06 AM ^
I think I remember his dad saying he thought Jr would be best suited for DL when he was in high school. Maybe the old man the was right after all. Or could just be injuries holding him back.
August 30th, 2019 at 8:56 AM ^
I think he should have been a DE (not an OT like some suggested), but the ship has sailed on that, I guess.
August 30th, 2019 at 8:28 AM ^
Magnus - are you putting together a visitor's list for the game this week? I know Theo Johnson is expected along with a couple top basketball recruits (Kessler, Springer)
August 30th, 2019 at 8:36 AM ^
I posted it earlier in the week, but Theo Johnson isn't coming anymore.
(LINK)
August 30th, 2019 at 8:42 AM ^
Thanks! Checked but must have missed it. Sucks that TJ isn't coming now - Malik Carr continues to be an interesting recruitment. Seems like the staff has turned it back up there?
August 30th, 2019 at 8:42 AM ^
Thanks! Checked but must have missed it. Sucks that TJ isn't coming now - Malik Carr continues to be an interesting recruitment. Seems like the staff has turned it back up there?
August 30th, 2019 at 8:51 AM ^
I think Michigan's recruitment of him has stayed pretty steady. I think it just depends on how Carr is feeling. He wants to be split out, not turned into a tight end. Initially Michigan was telling him tight end, and now it seems like they're more flexible with playing him as a flex tight end type of player.
I just think he hasn't seen Michigan do what they want to do with him. I think it would be pointless to make him an in-line blocking TE, because you'll end up with a Devin Funchess situation (all catchy catchy, no blocky blocky). That being said, I don't think Carr can be a difference-maker on the outside. I think he needs to work in the slot, flexed out occasionally, using motion, etc.
August 30th, 2019 at 8:48 AM ^
5th year senior, Dad is coach and you don’t play? Wheatley Jr must have been hurt, right?
August 30th, 2019 at 8:53 AM ^
Mass media coverage of Morgan State is, unsurprisingly, nonexistent. All I know is he wasn't on the participation chart.
August 30th, 2019 at 9:02 AM ^
Come on Magnus I expect you to know everything about current and former Michigan players!
August 30th, 2019 at 9:03 AM ^
I am a failure.
August 30th, 2019 at 9:40 AM ^
He started last year for Stony Brook (FCS) and had half of his production in one game, 3 catches for 14 yards. He's certainly not the player we thought he would be.
August 30th, 2019 at 10:30 AM ^
He was listed as one of two starting TEs on the depth chart. So unless something changed, it's seems (likely?) he was hurt.
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2019/8/27/20834276/2019-mac-football-week-1-game-preview-bowling-green-falcons-vs-morgan-state-bears
Either way, quite a downfall for his career -- Michigan to Stony Brook to (not playing at) Morgan State.
August 30th, 2019 at 6:39 AM ^
Wow!! Domination on the lines of what UM will do to MTSU tomorrow night! But I hope Ty gets that turned around some. Yeah, overmatched against a G5 team, but geez... He's a good coach, though, we saw that in Ann Arbor, so he'll get it going if he gets the chance.
August 30th, 2019 at 6:44 AM ^
My nephew is a walk-on RB at Morgan State....they’re pretty bad! Hopefully by the end of the year with Wheatley’s influence they can get things together at least to a respectable level. They play JMU and Army the next two weeks, so things will not get any easier for the Bears.
August 30th, 2019 at 7:29 AM ^
Eek. Army is going to run them over.
August 30th, 2019 at 7:50 AM ^
Yuck! That's a tough way to start the season! Good to luck to your boy and his teammates! Wheat will eventually get them sorted out, if that schedule ever settles down!
August 30th, 2019 at 8:13 AM ^
Yeah outside of Howard, the MEAC isn’t a murders row, so hopefully they can get a few wins this season.
August 30th, 2019 at 9:15 AM ^
So what's the story with Wheatley Jr.?
August 30th, 2019 at 8:27 AM ^
Tough game for TW. Sounds like he's got a Year 0 situation there. Hope it gets a lot better soon.
As for Loeffler, it is hard to see him as anything but the poster child for Lloyd's Old Boy Club (reflected in how he staffed BGSU). His hiring in 2002 over Harbaugh - while obviously not his fault - was ridiculous. And how he kept getting OC jobs with his statistical track record (offenses generally ranked between 70-120) was mystifying. I guess "I was Tom Brady's bud" works in interviews?
August 30th, 2019 at 9:52 AM ^
There are a lot more coaching jobs than there are good coaches.
He may also end up being a competent executive-style head coach if he can recruit. I have no idea if he can, or if he can manage a staff at all, but I think he's a reasonable choice at Bowling Green. He's from Barberton like Bo was, so he may have some good contacts in the area.
I'd be leery of hiring him at the next level, though, but we'll see if that's ever an option.
August 30th, 2019 at 1:08 PM ^
While it is certainly true that there are more good jobs than good coaches, Loeffler seems to have had an especially pampered coaching career. I don't believe he has ever once been fired, either as a QB coach or a coordinator. He has only traded up or transitioned after head coaching changes. I looked up his full record as OC and it is insanely bad. National rank in total offense:
2011: Temple - 63
2012: Auburn - 118
2013: Virginia Tech - 102
2014: Virginia Tech - 99
2015: Virginia Tech - 74
2016: Boston College - 127
2017: Boston College - 84
2018: Boston College - 68
For some weird reason, people have always placed a lot of value in the guy. Back in the days of DeBord frustration, many Michigan fans suspected that they had a young offensive genius on staff in Loeffler. Now with a pretty big sample size of results, we can see that hunch was WAAAY off.
August 30th, 2019 at 2:00 PM ^
"I was a top 10 rated QB recruit natoinally in my high school class, then blew out my shoulder (so I can speak honestly and convincingly to parents and recruits about why a degree matters), am friends with Greatest Living American Tom Brady and when Lloyd took the reins off and let me call the plays we beat Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer" is a pitch that probably at least gets you in the door for a callback most of the time.
August 30th, 2019 at 2:10 PM ^
Please direct me to the evidence that he called plays in that Citrus Bowl game vs. Florida.
August 30th, 2019 at 2:13 PM ^
I'm not saying that was ever proven. It is, however, at a minimum a pervasive urban legend. And a plausible line for him to drop in an interview, if he so chooses.
August 30th, 2019 at 2:22 PM ^
Less plausible is why anyone might care about an unsubstantiated claim pertaining to one game when he had a consistent track record of sucking as an official OC.
I think the more likely reason he kept getting jobs is that old school coaches like Addazio and Beamer were selecting from a decreasing pool of names in college football who are versed in under center, slow-ball offense.
August 30th, 2019 at 2:36 PM ^
The numbers are bad, but they did improve each year he was at any one stop. Look at Boston College; they were 125th in 2015 before he came but I think those numbers were skewed a bit upwards with two wins over non-1A teams. They scored almost exactly half of their points that year in those two games!
That he got them up to middle of the pack is positive. It might be his ceiling, but that's still positive. We'll see in the next couple of years if he really is head coach material.
August 30th, 2019 at 9:08 AM ^
Wheatley will fix Morgan State. Lots of talent in the Baltimore/DC area. Mix in some transfers who want to come home and they can challenge Hampton in the MEAC within a few years.
Speaking of the "There IS" thread, Derrick Alexander arguably had the second best NFL career out of our #1 WRs. Too bad our high school is no more or else the football field would've been named after him.
August 30th, 2019 at 1:53 PM ^
Would it be Derrick Alexander Field sponsored by Diageo?
I ask on behalf of various stationary objects in Ann Arbor that DA used to unintentionally introduce his car to.
August 30th, 2019 at 11:23 AM ^
I was at the BGSU game. BGSU has limited talent and it looked to me like Morgan State had just about none.
However, especially for a first game, BGSU was remarkably organized and free of the ordinary first-game gaffes that plague most all teams. BGSU was up-tempo, ran a varied offense, and against an awful team, it all worked. BGSU won 9 games (total) in the past 3 years. My guess is, with this staff, they will do a lot better than that. They will get bruised by KSU and ND---but I think they will be improved over the past three years, low bar conceded. Worst case, they will be better conditioned and organized than in the past.
I think Scot is a cerebral and very competent coach. I think it is a mistake to under rate him, Campbell, Malone, Morrison and Tolbert. These guys have been around the block and know what they are doing. Full disclosure, I am a friend of Scot and was sitting next to his wife and family.
I think Tyrone has a harder road.
August 30th, 2019 at 1:03 PM ^
I really liked Loeffler when he was coaching our QB's many moons ago. I wouldn't be surprised if down the road a ways (after Harbaugh retires with 5 B1G titles and 2 Natl Championship's ?), his name doesn't surface in M discussions. Assuming, of course, Loeffler succeeds as HC before then.
August 30th, 2019 at 1:16 PM ^
Concur. I also would not surprised if his name does not surface.
August 30th, 2019 at 1:20 PM ^
Bowling Green was MUCH improved. The previous coach went 2-1 vs FCS. Yes BG lost to an FCS in 2017. The two wins were last second goal line stands. So to win by 6 possessions is a big deal.
Last several teams routinely allowed 600 yards a game. One of those FCS ran for over 300. To allow 70 total yards? Incredible improvement.
Loeffler has already night and day improved the team. He so far has the looks of a great head coach.
August 30th, 2019 at 1:24 PM ^
Something tells me that Loeffler is gonna be in consideration, many years from now, to be coach here. And it'd be ironic if he were to succeed Harbaugh after he hangs it up, because it was Loeffler who Bo and Lloyd chose to be QB coach, over Harbaugh, and was the fuel of the rift Harbaugh had afterward vs our program.
August 30th, 2019 at 1:46 PM ^
Something tells me he won't be.
My something is based on his offenses having an average national rank of 85 over 8 years as a coordinator. What's your "something" based on?
August 30th, 2019 at 4:11 PM ^
Missing some context here. He has walked into bad situations as OC before.
Auburn - Gene Chizik decided to run a pro style offense using Gus Malzahn spread players while already being on some thin ice with the AD. He hired Loeffler as OC. That was a no win scenario.
VT - VT offense bottomed out and the decline of Beamer began before Loeffler arrived. Loeffler made the offense serviceable with pretty low talent and came up with the gameplan to beat eventual national champs OSU.
BC - the offense was historically bad the year before Loeffler areived. BC had won some games while scoring in the single digits. They wasted an amazing Don Brown defense in 2015 on an incompetent offense. Loeffler took over in 2016 and in three years made that inept offense middle of the road and also developed a fringe Heisman candidate in AJ Dillon.
And remember. Loeffler is the head coach. He was not hired simply due to his OC resume. He was hired to build a program and was picked because he is a well connected guy who has salvaged bad situations. The previous coach utterly destroyed BG. This is a salvage job and Loeffler so far is doing everything right. He will turn the BG program around.
August 30th, 2019 at 10:40 PM ^
He had three years at both BC and Va Tech and topped out with a 68th-ranked unit. Coordinators can't blame it on what they inherited by Year 3.
I mean, it's clear you just love Loeffler and will defend him in the face of whatever evidence that he's nothing special. "Had the game plan to beat eventual National Champs Ohio State" - god, what a joke of a take. JT Barrett threw six picks that game. . .just the way Scot drew it up!
August 31st, 2019 at 12:10 AM ^
It is also clear you are not aware of how bad the situation at Bowling Green really was when he was hired. It was dismal. As in players maxing out at 4 reps at 185 on the bench, players who play significant minutes. Incompetent run defense. Aimless on offense. Top in the nation in off season arrests. Everything at the program was in the gutters under the last coach. Loeffler has so far completely shaken up the culture and made the guys work the way college football players should.
Being a HC is about establishing culture. And that is what Loeffler is doing. Come back in a few years and see how BG is doing. The previous head coach only won 7 games in his 2.5 years. I will bet Loeffler will have them turned sharply for the better in that same time, even if year one is rough given the slate he was handed. This is a salvage job and Loeffler has proven he can salvage.
August 30th, 2019 at 1:36 PM ^
Wheatley coaches MSU? Poor guy