DETROIT -- Bowling Green coach Dino Babers feels the need for speed.
The Falcons' first-year leader -- one of the hottest offensive innovators in college football -- is a movie buff, someone who likes to quote lines from cinematic gems such as "Top Gun" and "Star Wars."
Asked at the Mid-American Conference's media day Wednesday if his frenetic offense were a film what film would it be, Babers' rat-a-tat mind momentarily hit pause.
"I'm trying to think of something supersonic fast," Babers said, a strained look coming to his face. "Dang, I'm not going to do it justice. Let me get back to you on that. That's the best question I've been asked in three years."
An instant later, Babers blurted out the perfect answer.
It wasn't a Scorsese or Spielberg joint. It was, of all things, a YouTube video: The Peregrine Falcon.
In the clip, two parachuters tandem leap from a hot air balloon holding a lure, hurtling toward earth. Seconds later, a trainer releases "Lady," the falcon from the balloon. The bird, at speeds exceeding 180 mph, snatches the lure out of the parachuter's hand.
"It's the fastest animal in the world," Babers said of the creature that happens to be the Bowling Green mascot. "Everyone thinks the cheetah is the fastest animal in the world. The cheetah is the fastest land animal.
"That's how fast I want us to be."
Babers brings his rapid attack from Eastern Illinois, where he compiled a 19-7 record in the past two seasons, averaged 48.2 points and 87 plays in 2013 and turned quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo -- now with the New England Patriots -- into a millionaire. Garoppolo threw for 5,050 yards and 53 touchdowns, leading EIU to a Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinal.
The shotgun-based set is predicated on controlling tempo, averaging a play every 10 to 12 seconds, netting 85 snaps per game and scoring points like pinball.
Successful execution could be difficult without the right personnel, but Babers hasn't inherited a bare cupboard. He takes charge of a team that finished 10-4 and won the MAC championship, unseating favored Northern Illinois and Heisman Trophy candidate Jordan Lynch.
The most important returnee is junior quarterback Matt Johnson. Johnson completed 64.2 percent of his passes in 2013 for 3,467 yards and 25 touchdowns and is brimming with confidence after outplaying Lynch in a 47-27 rout the league title game.
Johnson enjoys a bevy of weapons in receivers Ronnie Moore, SMU transfer Gehrig Dieter and Roger Lewis.
Johnson's ability to quickly absorb the read-and-react nature of the offense largely will determine if the Falcons live up to their billing as the team to beat in the conference.
The learning curve is steep, Johnson said, but he is catching on.
"It's night and day from spring," Johnson said. "Myself and the wide receivers, we go back and watch film from the spring and it looks so bad.
"Our minds were rolling and rolling. We thought we were going as fast as (Babers) wanted, but we weren't anywhere close. The receivers were tired, the running backs were tired, the linemen were tired and I was tired.
"It feels good to look back at that and say we started there but look where we are now. And to imagine where we'll be by the middle of the season."
Imagination must translate to reality and fast. Babers puts his team's chances of sinking or swimming squarely on his quarterback's shoulders.
"I told him if you try to compare this offense to the offense you ran last year, you're not going to learn it fast enough to have success," Babers said. "The best way to learn this offense is to flush everything and start like you don't know anything, even though you do. You will learn it and hold more information and grow from there.
"We can only do as much as he can handle. MJ is very, very sharp and I don't think there are going to be any limitations on what we can do."
Johnson is excited to be given the keys to what Babers calls, "the Cadillac."
"I like being in the shotgun," he said. "What quarterback wouldn't want to be in the shotgun and sling that rock around.
"The biggest thing is just keeping everyone moving, keeping everyone at a very up-tempo pace that coach likes. You have to keep the big guys moving up front. You have to complete passes. First downs are what is going to make this offense go. In the end it's about it's accuracy, accuracy, accuracy."
Babers is no Johnny Come Lately to the college game. He has made stops at 12 programs before landing with the Falcons. Along the way, he has studied under offensive gurus Homer Smith, June Jones, Mike Martz and most recently Art Briles at Baylor with Robert Griffin III at the offensive controls.
Bowling Green will look a lot like Baylor, Babers said, estimating that 70 percent of his game plan is borrowed from the Bears with the other 30 percent being adapted to the weather in northwest Ohio versus Waco.
"It is the most aggressive style of offense I've ever been a part of," Babers said. "I didn't believe in it at the beginning, but I did by the time I left Baylor.
"People say you want to be aggressive on defense. You take that '46' Bears defense, you take the Pittsburgh Steelers' 'Steel Curtain,' you take the Minnesota Vikings' 'Purple People Eaters,' you take all that aggressiveness and put it on offense and that's what this is."
What it is is fast.
Falcon Fast.
Babers looks to speed it up at BG this season
The Falcons' first-year leader -- one of the hottest offensive innovators in college football -- is a movie buff, someone who likes to quote lines from cinematic gems such as "Top Gun" and "Star Wars."
Asked at the Mid-American Conference's media day Wednesday if his frenetic offense were a film what film would it be, Babers' rat-a-tat mind momentarily hit pause.
"I'm trying to think of something supersonic fast," Babers said, a strained look coming to his face. "Dang, I'm not going to do it justice. Let me get back to you on that. That's the best question I've been asked in three years."
An instant later, Babers blurted out the perfect answer.
It wasn't a Scorsese or Spielberg joint. It was, of all things, a YouTube video: The Peregrine Falcon.
In the clip, two parachuters tandem leap from a hot air balloon holding a lure, hurtling toward earth. Seconds later, a trainer releases "Lady," the falcon from the balloon. The bird, at speeds exceeding 180 mph, snatches the lure out of the parachuter's hand.
"It's the fastest animal in the world," Babers said of the creature that happens to be the Bowling Green mascot. "Everyone thinks the cheetah is the fastest animal in the world. The cheetah is the fastest land animal.
"That's how fast I want us to be."
Babers brings his rapid attack from Eastern Illinois, where he compiled a 19-7 record in the past two seasons, averaged 48.2 points and 87 plays in 2013 and turned quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo -- now with the New England Patriots -- into a millionaire. Garoppolo threw for 5,050 yards and 53 touchdowns, leading EIU to a Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinal.
The shotgun-based set is predicated on controlling tempo, averaging a play every 10 to 12 seconds, netting 85 snaps per game and scoring points like pinball.
Successful execution could be difficult without the right personnel, but Babers hasn't inherited a bare cupboard. He takes charge of a team that finished 10-4 and won the MAC championship, unseating favored Northern Illinois and Heisman Trophy candidate Jordan Lynch.
The most important returnee is junior quarterback Matt Johnson. Johnson completed 64.2 percent of his passes in 2013 for 3,467 yards and 25 touchdowns and is brimming with confidence after outplaying Lynch in a 47-27 rout the league title game.
Johnson enjoys a bevy of weapons in receivers Ronnie Moore, SMU transfer Gehrig Dieter and Roger Lewis.
Johnson's ability to quickly absorb the read-and-react nature of the offense largely will determine if the Falcons live up to their billing as the team to beat in the conference.
The learning curve is steep, Johnson said, but he is catching on.
"It's night and day from spring," Johnson said. "Myself and the wide receivers, we go back and watch film from the spring and it looks so bad.
"Our minds were rolling and rolling. We thought we were going as fast as (Babers) wanted, but we weren't anywhere close. The receivers were tired, the running backs were tired, the linemen were tired and I was tired.
"It feels good to look back at that and say we started there but look where we are now. And to imagine where we'll be by the middle of the season."
Imagination must translate to reality and fast. Babers puts his team's chances of sinking or swimming squarely on his quarterback's shoulders.
"I told him if you try to compare this offense to the offense you ran last year, you're not going to learn it fast enough to have success," Babers said. "The best way to learn this offense is to flush everything and start like you don't know anything, even though you do. You will learn it and hold more information and grow from there.
"We can only do as much as he can handle. MJ is very, very sharp and I don't think there are going to be any limitations on what we can do."
Johnson is excited to be given the keys to what Babers calls, "the Cadillac."
"I like being in the shotgun," he said. "What quarterback wouldn't want to be in the shotgun and sling that rock around.
"The biggest thing is just keeping everyone moving, keeping everyone at a very up-tempo pace that coach likes. You have to keep the big guys moving up front. You have to complete passes. First downs are what is going to make this offense go. In the end it's about it's accuracy, accuracy, accuracy."
Babers is no Johnny Come Lately to the college game. He has made stops at 12 programs before landing with the Falcons. Along the way, he has studied under offensive gurus Homer Smith, June Jones, Mike Martz and most recently Art Briles at Baylor with Robert Griffin III at the offensive controls.
Bowling Green will look a lot like Baylor, Babers said, estimating that 70 percent of his game plan is borrowed from the Bears with the other 30 percent being adapted to the weather in northwest Ohio versus Waco.
"It is the most aggressive style of offense I've ever been a part of," Babers said. "I didn't believe in it at the beginning, but I did by the time I left Baylor.
"People say you want to be aggressive on defense. You take that '46' Bears defense, you take the Pittsburgh Steelers' 'Steel Curtain,' you take the Minnesota Vikings' 'Purple People Eaters,' you take all that aggressiveness and put it on offense and that's what this is."
What it is is fast.
Falcon Fast.
Babers looks to speed it up at BG this season
