Dave Clawson’s first fall camp at BGSU begins Wednesday and without wasting much time, we’re going to dive into some different topics related to Falcon football in our first series of questions. We’ll continue to answer our own questions throughout the rest of this week while also giving you coverage from camp.

Have you been impressed by Clawson throughout the near eight months he’s been on campus?

Yes, but who doesn’t like the new coach? He has yet to lose a rivalry game, has yet to call for a fullback run on third-and-four, and has yet to berate BG fans for their poor turnout in a huge game (here’s to hoping he won’t). People are going to like that guy. A fan base’s affection for a new coach is similar to a guy going crazy for a girl after just one date. It’s not uncommon when after a few weeks he’s complaining about her snoring problem and that she goes out with her friends too much. Let’s see if Clawson has a snoring problem before we judge him. But yes, I do like him so far. He did a great job of putting together a solid recruiting class despite showing up late to the party, and his plans for the program are very clear. His failed experience as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator leaves reason for skepticism, but his head coaching results at Fordham and Richmond suggest he has some game. So far, I like the hire.

You mentioned Clawson did a good job of putting the finishing touches on last year’s recruiting class; which freshmen do you like?

Running back John Pettigrew, receivers Jordan Hopgood and Ali Alaboody, and defensive end Jairus Campbell and all showed great athleticism on their respective highlight videos. I’m especially interested in Pettigrew, who verbally committed to Clawson but may have come to BG regardless because his twin sister had already signed with the Falcons track team. Pettigrew produced some crazy numbers at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, ranking eighth on Ohio’s all-time rushing list with 6,389 yards. That’s big time. Also, my guess is he’s a good kid as his high school has already retired his jersey number. That kind of respect isn’t shown for punks. Ideally, I think you’d like to see Pettigrew start out as the third running back behind Willie Geter and Chris Bullock. Clawson absolutely wants to run the ball more than we’re accustomed to seeing, and I’m guessing with a good camp Pettigrew will be able to find himself 6-8 carries a game.

Will Clawson completely overhaul Gregg Brandon’s offense in order to put in his own?

No, and if you ask me, Rich Rodriguez made a mistake of doing this at Michigan a year ago. Ever told a funny story that had a few fabricated details but you just expect your audience to play along? That’s where Clawson’s at right now. He looks at his roster, realizes he has two capable quarterbacks and a host of promising receivers, and tells himself to just play along for a year or two. Brandon left the fullback and tight ends cupboards pretty much bare, so don’t expect a significant change in scheme unless the offense is able to absorb new information quickly. When all is said and done, Clawson will have turned BG into a power offense. But it’ll take time.

Will Gregg Brandon experience success as Virginia’s offensive coordinator?

Thought you were done with him, huh? Look, I agreed that Brandon needed to go after a truly disappointing 6-6 season in which his teams gave up fourth-quarter leads in four different MAC games. But the guy knows how to construct a good offense, and I can see him doing it again in Charlottesville. A source in Virginia told me that Brandon’s offensive players love his schemes, and the defensive players hate them. That should tell you a lot about his potential. I think Brandon will be alright, and I hope he is. He always treated me well.

What is Tyler Sheehan’s potential?

I know this will sound arrogant since I asked the question — but that’s a good question. I can say this much, I’m sure Tyler doesn’t think he’s reached it yet. He did some things very well last year and improved from his freshman season, but I have to believe there is more out there for him to achieve. Will Clawson’s offense be more conducive to Sheehan’s strengths? I say yes. He was asked to run the ball way too much last year, and I expect that to be toned down greatly under Clawson. Also, I thought the Sheehan/Scheidler combination was grossly underused last year. I mean, what quarterback doesn’t like a running back that can pick up short yardage and a tight end that’s good for medium gains? With an emphasis on bolstering both positions in Clawson’s system, I think Sheehan is primed for a very good year!