Bowling Green State University Athletics
Sept. 20 - BGSU Looks For A Win This Week
December 19, 1999 | Men's Golf
Sept. 20, 1999
Football players are keeping their bags packed as they make the short trip to Kent to play the Golden Flashes Saturday at 6 p.m. at Dix Stadium. The Falcons have won 23 of the last 25 meetings, but the last five games played at Kent have been decided by an average of just over a touchdown per contest.
THE SERIES: In a series that has been dominated by the Falcons since the mid-60s, BG holds a 47-14-6 edge. The series started in 1920, and the two programs have played every season since 1946. The Kent series is the longest continuous series the Falcons currently play. The two teams have played for the Anniversary Award since 1985, an award established by the respective alumni departments at the two schools commemorating the fact both schools were founded in 1910. BG has won 23 of the last 25 series games with Kent victories in 1988 at home (31-19) and in 1997 at home (29-20) the only time during the period the Falcons have fallen to the Golden Flashes. The Falcons hold a 25-6-2 edge in series games played in Kent, including wins in eight of the last 10. The last five games played in Kent have all been nailbiters, BG has won four of those, with those contests decided by a total of only 36 points. BG holds a 3-2 series edge in games decided by a field goal or less with 1968 the last time a game was decided by three points or less. The Falcons have a 16-8 series edge in games decided by a touchdown or less. The average margin of victory for Bowling Green in its 23 wins in the last 25 games has been 15.7 points. Five of the last nine games have been decided by single digits.
LAST WEEK: The Falcons hung in their tough with the two-time defending champions before losing a 35-16 decision at Marshall. The difference in the game was in the running game of each team and the productivity in the red zone. Marshall ran for 204 yards against a Falcon defense which came into the game ranked #1 in the MAC against the rush while the Falcons managed just 68 yards on the ground. Additionally, Marshall converted all five trips into the red zone into touchdowns while the Falcons made four trips inside the 20-yard line and came away with three field goals and their only touchdown. After BG opened the scoring with the first of three Jason Strasser field goals, Marshall scored on its next two possessions before the Falcons answered with their only touchdown, an 11-yard pass from Ricky Schneider to Kevin Steinke. Another Marshall touchdown midway through the second qaurter made it 21-10 before the Falcons answered with a Strasser field goal. The Thundering Herd then drove 64 yards in nine plays to paydirt just 1:15 before halftime to take a 28-13 lead. BG came right out and drove 76 yards in 17 plays with the first possession of the second half, but again had to settle for a field goal and Marshall came right back on its next possession to drive 66 yards in six plays to complete the scoring midway through the third quarter. Joe Alls led the team in rushing with 37 yards on 11 carries and with five receptions for 55 yards. Schneider was 16-of-36 passing for 179 yards. Marshall, which had a 461-247 edge in total offense, recorded 10 tackles for loss in the game, four of those sacks.
OPTIMISM IS HIGH: With the return of 28 letterwinners, including 15 starters, the Falcon coaching staff and players are enthusiastically looking forward to the 1999 season. After four consecutive seasons under the .500 mark, many think the program will make a serious run at the MAC East Division title. The Falcons offensive unit returns eight starters and players with significant playing time during their careers at the other three spots. On defense, BG returns seven starters.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Falcons have enjoyed a great deal of success at home under head coach Gary Blackney posting a 30-9-1 mark, a 24-7-1 mark in MAC games. Despite a 12-9 mark in their last 21 games at home, BG has averaged 30.2 points (1210 pts.) at home over the last 40 contests while allowing just 18.1 points (726 pts.). In MAC play at home, BG has averaged 30.1 points (964 pts.) and allowed an average of just 17.2 points (551 pts.). Over the last 16-plus seasons, BG has compiled a 62-17-4 (.771) record and in the 33-plus seasons Perry Stadium has been the home of Falcon football, BG has a 106-51-6 (.669) mark. BG has won five of its last six contests at home.
Winningest Active Coaches
(Div. I-A, By Winning Percentage) 1. Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee) .850 (68-12) 2. Joe Paterno (Penn State) .793 (311-80-3) 3. Steve Spurrier (Florida) .785 (116-31-2) 4. Bobby Bowden (Florida St.) .773 (295-85-4) 5. R.C. Slocum (Texas A&M) .770 (96-28-2) 6. Dennis Erickson (Oregon St.) .742 (116-40-1) 7. John Robinson (UNLV) .740 (106-36-4) 8. Lavell Edwards (BYU) .727 (245-91-3) 9. Paul Pasqualoni (Syracuse) .701 (104-44-1) 10. John Cooper (Ohio State) .701 (180-75-6) 11. Lou Holtz (South Carolina) .684 (216-98-7) 12. Bill Snyder (Kansas State) .668 (79-39-1) 13. Dennis Franchione (TCU) .658 (120-62-2) 14. Fisher DeBerry (Air Force) .655 (122-64-1) 15. Jackie Sherrill (Miss. St.) .641 (157-87-4) 16. Gary Pinkel (Toledo) .640 (58-32-3) 17. Sonny Lubick (Colorado St.) .626 (72-43) 18. Randy Walker (Northw'n) .623 (61-36-5) 19. Joe Tiller (Purdue) .617 (60-37-1) 20. Don Nehlen (West Virginia) .616 (192-118-8) 21. Ken Hatfield (Rice) .597 (139-93-4) 22. Gary Blackney (BGSU) .591 (54-37-2) (minimum five years as I-A head coach)
DON'T BEAT YOURSELF: One of the areas head coach Gary Blackney has stressed since coming to the program in 1991 is don't beat yourself with turnovers. In 1996, the Falcons set an NCAA record losing just one fumble all season. Bowling Green has lost just 24 fumbles in the last 35 games, and just 26 fumbles in the last 39 games dating back to the end of the 1995 season. Since the start of the 1993 season, BG has lost the ball by fumble in just 29 of the 69 games. Over that period, BG has run 4,951 plays and returned 376 kicks while losing the ball just 37 times. BG was 12th in the nation in turnover margin (+1.00) in 1996.
SPECIAL TEAMS WERE JUST THAT IN THE WIN: Bowling Green's special teams played a key role in the win over Tennessee Tech scoring one touchdown and setting up the offense deep in Golden Eagle territory two other times which were converted into 10 more points. The Falcons added to their blocked kick total with a pair of blocked punts, one of which was picked up and run in for a touchdown, while the other yielded a field goal after setting up the offense at the Tech 15-yard line. The blocks came on consecutive Tech possessions to start the second half with the Falcon scores giving them some breathing room after enjoying only a 14-6 lead at halftime. The special teams also set up the offense deep in Tech territory recovering a "pooch" kickoff at the 20-yard line which four plays later was turned into seven points and a 37-9 lead. Bowling Green now has 34 blocked kicks since 1991 (15 punts, nine field goals, 10 extra points). BG has scored 12 touchdowns and recorded two safeties as a direct result of the kick block or on its ensuing possession. BG had seven kick blocks in 1991, six in 1992 and 1993, four in 1994, one in 1995, six in 1996, one in 1997, and two last season. The two in the Tennessee Tech game were the first this season.
RECENT SUCCESS AT HOME: The Falcons have won five of their last six home games and in the process have put some impressive numbers on the board. BG has averaged 40 points per game over the six contests and have won the five games by an average margin of over 26 points per contest. In those six games, the Falcons have averaged 419.5 yards of total offense per game with an average of 252.2 coming on the ground. Below is a breakdown of BG's key offensive statistics in its last six home games.
Offensive At Home
Opp TO Rush FD(R) Pts(RTD) TOP C. Florida 304 162 20(10) 31(1) 31:02 Ohio 474 278 24(14) 35(3) 35:41 Kent 502 424 27(23) 42(6) 34:41 Marshall 414 181 26(14) 34(2) 38:23 Akron 558 371 30(23) 58(7) 35:53 Tenn. Tech 265 97 16(6) 40(2) 31:30 TO - total offense, Rush - rushing yards, FD(R) - first downs (rushing first downs), Pts(RTD) - points (rushing touchdowns), TOP - time of possession.
FALCON DEFENSE HAS STOOD TALL: The Falcon defensive unit was not expected to be the strength of the team, but if the first three games are any indication, the unit could be one of the best in the MAC. After three games, they have allowed just 50 first downs, 348 rushing yards (116.0 avg./game) on 103 carries (3.4 avg./carry), 192.7 passing yards per game, and just 308.7 yards of total offense per game. Opponents have converted just 31% of their third-down tries against the unit. The Falcons are 33rd in the nation in total defense and 44th against the rush.
A HELPING HAND: The Bowling Green football team and the athletic department have joined forces with the Fifth Third Bank in Bowling Green to assist the United Way of Wood County. The bank has agreed to donate $100 for each touchdown the Falcons score at their five home games this season and $50 for each field goal. In the home opener against Tennessee Tech, BGSU scored five touchdowns and had a pair of field goals to put the total at $600 after one game.
TEAM FAST FACTS: BG is 8-1 in MAC openers under head coach Gary Blackney...the Falcons are 18-13-1 on the road under head coach Gary Blackney in MAC play...overall on the road during Blackney's tenure the Falcons are 22-28-2 and they have a 4-13 mark in non-league road contests with the wins coming against Temple (1995), Cincinnati (1994), Navy (1994), and Missouri (1995)...after compiling a 14-1-1 mark on the road in conference play between 1991 and 1994, BG has struggled to a 3-13 mark in their last 16 MAC road games...BG put an end to a six-game MAC road losing streak and a nine-game overall road losing skid with its win in the 1998 season finale against Northern Illinois...BG has posted a 6-3 mark against non-league schools at home during the tenure of head coach Gary Blackney...the Falcons have posted an 18-29 overall record the last four-plus seasons after BG teams posted a record of 36-8-2 the previous four years...BG has held 19 of 32 MAC foes to two touchdowns or less at home since 1991, while in all MAC games, BG defensive units have held 36 of 65 league foes to two touchdowns or less...BG has a 565-321 edge in points off of turnovers over the last eight-plus seasons...BG has had fewer turnovers than its opponent in 47 of the 93 games played since 1991, and in only 29 of those contests have they committed more turnovers than their opponent...BG is 34-13 in the 47 games in which they have had fewer turnovers than the opposition since 1991...over the last eight-plus seasons, BG has not had a turnover in 19 games and has committed just one in 27 others...BG has lost more than one fumble only seven times in the last 78 games (a total of 40 lost fumbles in those 78 games)...BG has held 24 of its last 36 opponents to fewer rushing yards than what they came into the game averaging...the Falcons topped the 2,000-yard barrier in rushing in 1998 becoming only the third team since 1980 to do that...dating back to the beginning of last season, BG has scored on 48 of its last 54 possessions in the red zone (20-yard line or inside) with 36 of the 48 conversions touchdowns...for the second successive year, Bowling Green was recognized by the American Football Coaches Association for its high graduation rate...the Falcon program was one of 26 programs in Div. I-A from across the country with a 70% or higher rate for the 1993-94 freshman class.
OFFENSIVE LINE IS THE CORNERSTONE: One of the most experienced offensive lines in Div. I-A this season will be the cornerstone of the team. Senior center Doug Dorley (Normal, Ill./Normal H.S./Southern Illinois), senior right tackle Chad McCarthy (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic), senior left guard Mark Kautzman (Bainbridge, Ohio/Kenston), junior right guard Eric Curl (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson), and junior left tackle Rob Fehrman (Byesville, Ohio/Meadowbrook) comprise the fivesome which should be one of the best in the country. The group started all 11 games last season as a unit with McCarthy the most experienced with 32 career starts before this season. They started a total of 104 games among the five before this season, the third-highest total in the country behind only Buffalo (113 starts among its returning starting linemen) and Wisconsin (108). The right side of the line, Kautzman and Fehrman, have started the last 26 games side-by-side. Dorley is joined by sophomore flanker Kurt Gerling as the only returning All-MAC players. Dorley was an honorable mention selection last season. Obviously, the line played a large role in the Falcons enjoying their best season in more than 20 years running the ball last season. Senior Kevin Steinke (Wausau, Wis./Everest) moves into the starting role at tight end having played in all 33 games in his career before this season while starting eight times.
LEWIS ONE OF 38 ON WALKER LIST: Sophomore tailback Godfrey Lewis (Toronto, Ontario/Michael Power) is one of 38 Div. I-A running backs being considered for the Doak Walker Award. Lewis is one of four backs from the Mid-American Conference on the list and one of only three sophomores. The award is presented annually to the nation's premier running back for his accomplishments on the field, achievement in the classroom, and citizenship in the community. Eight semifinalists will be named by the 182 people on the selection committee in late November with the winner announced Dec. 9 on the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN2. Lewis led the team last season with 753 yards on 163 carries, both freshman records at BGSU.
ON THE MARK: Senior place-kicker Jason Strasser (Toledo, Ohio/St. Francis) was fourth in the nation last season in field goal accuracy converting 11-of-12 attempts for a 91.7 percentage and he has picked up this season where he left off in 1998. Strasser converted all three attempts in the Marshall game and he has hit all six this season. Strasser has now hit each of his last 12 field goal tries, and 17 of his last 18. He has hit field goals from 43, 37, 35, 31, 21, and 19 yards this season. He is tied for seventh nationally averaging 2.00 field goals per game. He is now within reach of the MAC record for consecutive field goals set in 1993-94 by former Falcon place-kicker Brian Leaver of 14 straight made field goals. His present run of 12 in a row ties him for second on that list with another former BG player, John Spengler, who hit 12 straight in 1979-80. His three field goals in the Marshall game equalled his career high set first in the 1997 game vs. Louisiana Tech. He joins eight other Falcon kickers who have hit three field goals in a game, which is third on the BG single-game list. Starsser has scored 24 of BG's 66 points this season. His 32 career field goals ranks fifth on the BG all-time list just one behind Don Taylor (1972-75) who sits in the #4 spot.
ALLS MAKES HIS PRESENCE FELT: Red-shirt freshman Joe Alls (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson) earned the first extensive playing time of his career in the Tennessee Tech game and had a major impact. Alls led the team with 62 rushing yards on 13 carries from the tailback position, nine of those carries for 49 yards in the fourth quarter. Alls scored his first career touchdown to get the Falcons on their way to the win with a five-yard run midway through the first quarter. He also blocked a Tech punt early in the third quarter which was picked by a teammate and run in for a touchdown. Alls backed that up with another solid performance in the Marshall game leading the team with 37 yards rushing on 11 carries and five receptions for 55 yards.
INDIVIDUAL FAST FACTS: Red-shirt freshman Pat Fleming (Ottawa, Ontario/Earl of March) was one of the areas of concern for the coaching staff coming into the season having never played in a collegiate game...but, in the first three games he has turned in solid performances...he is 21st in the country and 2nd in the MAC averaging 43.2 yards per kick...he has five kicks of 50 or more yards, including his best of the season, a 68-yarder in the Pittsburgh game...junior quarterback Ricky Schneider (Amherst, Ohio/Steele) has completed 52.3% (45-of-86) of his passes in the first three games with four touchdowns and a like number of interceptions...he has a 106.82 efficiency rating...the sophomore receiving duo of Robert Redd (Dayton, Ohio/Wayne) and Kurt Gerling (Sterling Heights, Mich./Henry Ford) continue to be Schneider's favorite targets having caught 12 passes each this season...both have one scoring reception with Gerling averaging 13.9 yards per catch and Redd a 10.7 average...Gerling has caught at least one pass in each of the 14 career games he has played in...the 11-yard scoring reception in the Marshall game by senior tight end Kevin Steinke (Wausau, Wis./Everest) was just the seventh catch of his career, but the second touchdown reception...he had a scoring reception in the Western Michigan game last season...Steinke has played in all 36 possible games during his career...sophomore Chad Long (Clyde, Ohio) led the team with a 16 tackles in the loss the Marshall, five more than he had been credited with in a game before...he also had a pair of pass break ups...he leads the team with 37 tackles...senior Joe O'Neill (Twinsburg, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) was credited with 11 tackles against Marshall and is second on the squad with 25 stops.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Offense - Joe Alls (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson), Defense - Chad Long (Clyde, Ohio), Special Teams - Jerry Wagner (Dayton, Ohio/Colonel White), Scout Offense - Quinton Ward (Detroit, Mich./Mumford), Scout Defense - Josh Powell (Sylvania, Ohio/Southview).
BG PLAYERS AMONG MAC LEADERS: Passing - 6. Ricky Schneider (165.3/game), Total Offense - 7. Ricky Schneider (161.7/game), Passing Efficiency - 7. Ricky Schneider (106.8), Punt Returns - 8. Robert Redd (6.1 avg.), Kickoff Returns - 9. Steve Holmes (20.8 avg.), Punting - 2. Pat Fleming (43.2 avg.), Scoring - 6. Jason Strasser (8.0/game), Scoring (Kickers) - 1. Jason Strasser (8.0/game), Field Goals - t-1. Jason Strasser (2.00/game).
BG PLAYERS AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS: Field Goals - t7. Jason Strasser (2.00/game), Punting - 21. Pat Fleming (43.2)
BG TEAM AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS: Total Defense - 33. (308.7 yards/game), Rushing Defense - 44. (108.7 yards/game).
KENT NOTES: Head coach Dean Peas, a 1971 BGSU graduate and former coach at nearby Elmwood High School, is in his second season with the Golden Flashes with his teams still looking to give him his first victory having lost all 14 games during his tenure...Kent has struggled on defense again this season ranking last in Div. I-A allowing 326.7 yards per game on the ground while they also rank 95th in passing efficiency defense, 107th in scoring defense, and 112th in total defense...opponents are possessing the ball for an average of 35:43 per game against Kent...KSU has only three seniors on its defensive unit, one of those, free safety Gary McCullough, is the leading tackler with sophomore outside linebacker Rashan Hall second on the squad...on offense, their attack revolves around senior quarterback Jose Davis who has completed 47.3% (43-of-93) of his passes for three scores and he has yet to throw an interception...Davis is 38th in the country in total offense averaging 212.7 yards per game...senior h-back Shawn Shoemaker is the leading receiver with 12 catches for 108 yards...Shoemaker is also 10th in the country in kickoff returns averaging 31.6 yards, which includes a 96-yard return for a touchdown against Navy...senior tight end Jason Gavadza has 11 catches and is averaging 18.7 yards per reception with three going for touchdowns...the two running backs have almost identical statistics with sophomore Chante Murphy with 133 yards (4.4 avg.) and sophomore DeMarlo Rozier with 125 yards (5.7 avg.)...right tackle Dan Goodspeed is only senior on the offensive line...Kent has been outscored 65-20 in the first half of games this season, 31-3 in the second quarter...Kent is looking to put an end to a six-game home losing streak...Kent is coming off a 30-23 loss at Pittsburgh, a team which Bowling Green lost to by a score of 30-10 in the season opener...Murphy rushed for 107 yards, the first 100-yard game of his career while Davis threw for 251 yards with Gavadza and Shoemaker making seven receptions apiece...Kent gained 432 yards in the contest, just 36 yards less than they gained in the first two games combined...sophomore place-kicker Dave Pavich had three field goals in the game.
NEXT WEEK: The Falcons return home for the annual battle for Northwest Ohio bragging rights against Toledo. The game, presented by Kroger, will begin at 7 p.m. It is only the fifth night game in Perry Stadium history. There will be numerous activities for fans to enjoy before and after the game including a band, the Homewreckers, who will be playing before the game adjacent to the stadium, a kids zone with inflatable toys, a pregame flyover, and fireworks after the contest. Fans are urged to get their tickets early for the game with a possible record crowd expected.
Compare The Teams
() - MAC Rank BGSU Total Offense: 282.3 (9) Rushing Offense: 108.7 (9) Passing Offense: 173.7 (7) Scoring Offense: 22.0 (5) Total Defense: 308.7 (2) Rushing Defense: 116.0 (2) Passing Defense: 192.7 (8) Scoring Defense: 26.7 (6) Turnover Margin: -0.67 (9) 3rd Down (Off.) - 20/52 (7) 3rd Down (Def.) - 12/39 (3) 4th Down (Off.) - 3/5 Avg. Time of Poss. - 33:18 (2) Kickoff Return - 19.6 (9) Punt Return - 10.4 (3) Net Punting - 33.0 (9)KENT Total Offense: 300.0 (7) Rushing Offense: 121.3 (7) Passing Offense: 178.7 (6) Scoring Offense: 18.0 (7) Total Defense: 497.0 (12) Rushing Defense: 326.7 (13) Passing Defense: 170.3 (6) Scoring Defense: 39.7 (10) Turnover Margin: -1.00 (t-10) 3rd Down (Off.) - 13/41 (9) 3rd Down (Def.) - 24/47 (10) Avg. Time of Poss. - 24:17 (13) Kickoff Return - 24.5 (4) Punt Return - 11.2 (2) Net Punting - 36.4 (4)
Bowling Green Two-Deep
Offense (Pro I) LT 79 Rob Fehrman (6-7, 300, r-Jr.) 78 Dennis Wendel (6-7, 275, r-Fr.) LG 73 Mark Kautzman (6-5, 305, Sr.) 68 Mike Bodnar (6-3, 290, r-So.) C 60 Doug Dorley (6-4, 290, r-Sr.) 72 Jon Mazur (6-2, 280, r-Fr.) RG 63 Eric Curl (6-2, 280, r-Jr.) 66 Greg Kupke (6-3, 255, r-Fr.) RT 62 Chad McCarthy (6-4, 280, r-Sr.) 71 Matt Tyla (6-2, 275, r-Jr.) TE 87 Kevin Steinke (6-4, 250, Sr.) 86 Ross Durham (6-6, 245, r-Fr.) FL 4 Kurt Gerling (6-2, 195, r-So.) 18 Matt Bunsey (5-9. 180, Jr.) SE 5 Robert Redd (5-10, 195, So.) 12 Aaron Alexander (6-0, 195, r-So.) QB 1 Ricky Schneider (6-3, 210, r-Jr.) 15 Andy Sahm (6-6, 200, r-Fr.) FB 43 Brent Martin (6-1, 240, r-Sr.) 40 Eric Clark (5-10, 240, So.) 46 Eric Jones (5-11, 230, r-Sr.) TB 25 Godfrey Lewis (5-9, 190, So.) 27 John Gibson (5-10, 215, r-So.) 22 Joe Alls (5-10, 185, r-Fr.)Defense (4-3) OLB 10 Garry Fisher (5-10, 210, r-So.) 33 Geno Burden (6-1, 205, r-Fr.) E 90 Ryan Wingrove (6-3, 235, r-So.) 57 Casey Williams (6-1, 240, r-So.) NG 92 Brandon Hicks (6-2, 250, Jr.) 88 D.J. Owchar (6-3, 265, r-Fr.) T 97 Malcolm Robinson (6-4, 290, r-So.) 58 Rodney Dawson (6-3, 260, r-Jr.) E 44 D.J. Durkin (6-2, 240, r-Jr.) 51 Larry Witherspoon (6-3, 230, r-Fr.) OLB 32 Joe O'Neill (6-2, 225, r-Sr.) 50 Chris Haneline (6-1, 215, r-Fr.) MLB 2 Khary Campbell (6-1, 210, r-So.) 28 Marcus Allen (6-0, 195, r-Fr.) BC 8 Will Sullivan (5-10, 175, Sr.) 38 Justin Turk (5-10, 190, r-Fr.) SS 26 Chad Long (6-0, 195, r-So.) 9 Sergio Lund (6-0, 185, So.) FS 3 Karl Rose (6-0, 185, So.) 34 Andre Davis (6-2, 185, Fr.) FC 19 Chris Hubbard (5-7, 175, r-So.) 24 Ken Dobbs (5-10, 170, Jr.)
Specialists PUNT 48 Patrick Fleming (6-2, 190, r-Fr.) 1 Ricky Schneider (6-3, 210, r-Jr.) PK 11 Jason Strasser (6-3, 170, Sr.) 89 Mike Knapp (5-9, 150, r-Fr.) HOLD 15 Andy Sahm (6-6, 200, r-Fr.) 18 Matt Bunsey (5-9. 180, Jr.) LS 99 Ryan Diepenbrock (6-2, 215, r-Jr.) 87 Kevin Steinke (6-4, 250, Sr.) KOR 22 Joe Alls (5-10, 185, r-Fr.) 5 Robert Redd (5-10, 195, So.) PR 5 Robert Redd (5-10, 195, So.) 26 Chad Long (6-0, 195, r-So.)
