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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Prepare To Face Miami
October 28, 2003 | Football
Oct. 28, 2003
#17/20 Bowling Green (7-1, 4-0)
at
Miami (7-1, 4-0)
Tuesday, November 4, 7:30 p.m.
Yager Stadium (30,012)
Series Record: Miami leads 36-18-5
Last Meeting: Miami 24, at BGSU 21 (11/3/01)
TV: ESPN2 (Mike Tirico, Craig James, Rob Stone)
Miami Game Notes in PDF Format
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BRANDON GUIDES THE FALCONS
First-year head coach Gregg Brandon, the 16th head coach in the history of the BGSU football program, joined Don Nehlen and Urban Meyer as the only BGSU football coaches to begin their career with a 3-0 record. With the Falcons' 27-26 win at #16 Purdue, and last week's 34-18 win against #12 NIU, Brandon is the only BGSU coach to ever defeat two nationally-ranked opponents. Brandon had more than 22 years of coaching experience at the Division I level, including the last two years at BGSU where he served as assistant head coach and directed the Falcons' record-setting offensive attack.
2003 First-time Head Coaches Gregg Brandon, Bowling Green -- 7-1 Bill Doba, Washington State -- 7-1 Bobby Petrino, Louisville -- 7-1
FALCONS ARE BALANCED
As a team the Falcons lead the MAC in total offense and defense, while ranking high nationally in several categories. The Falcons are second in the nation in total offense (529.5), fifth in passing offense (327.8), 13th in pass efficiency (150.6), 14th in scoring (36.4) and 19th in rushing (201.8). On defense, the Falcons are 13th in scoring defense (allowing a MAC-low 16 points per game), 19th in total defense (305.4), 28th against the rush (114.6) and 28th against the pass (190.8).
PATTON, HARRIS COME UP BIG
Only once in school history has the BGSU football team had a pair of players earn All-American distinction in the same season. In 1959, halfback Bernie Casey and tackle Bob Zimpfer were rewarded after leading the Falcons to the college division national championship. If Josh Harris and Janssen Patton continue to shine under the national spotlight, they may just become the second duo to garner such consideration. Patton, who tied his school record (for the second time in three weeks) with three interceptions against NIU, is currently second in the nation in interceptions with seven. Harris, who set a school-record and had the second highest single-game total offense output in MAC history with 527 yards against the Huskies, ranks third in the nation and leads the MAC in that category, averaging 334.38 yards of offense per game.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Falcons are rated 17rd in the AP poll, 21st by The Sporting News, 16th by CBSSportsline.com and 20th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.
BGSU REMEMBERS MIAMI
For some of each teams loyalists, the Miami/BGSU rivalry is the most important to them. Last season, a 52-year streak of uninterrupted meetings ended when the Falcons moved to the MAC West Division. The teams last met in 2001 when Miami captured a 24-21 win in Bowling Green. Follwing that game, Josh Harris was inserted as the starting quarterback and has led the Falcons to a 19-4 record in the 23 games that BGSU has played since. The Falcons also will make their first trip to Oxford since the 2000 season, when Miami posted a 24-10 win. In that game, an injury-depleted Falcon team started an unknown freshman named Josh Harris at tailback and he proceeded to rush for 103 yards on 18 carries in his only start as a running back.
MILESTONE WATCH
Harris rushed for 89 yards against NIU and now ranks eighth on the school's all-time rushing list with 2,033 yards. He is the top rushing quarterback in school history.
He also now has a career total of 37 rushing TDs at BGSU and needs three more running scores to set a new school-record.
RUSHING TDs IN A CAREER 39 - Dave Preston, 1973-76 37 - Josh Harris, 2000-SA
Harris now has a total of 40 touchdowns (three receiving) in his BGSU tenure, and also ranks second on that Falcon career list.
TOTAL TDs IN A CAREER 41 - Dave Preston, 1973-76 40 - Josh Harris, 2000-SA
Additionally, Harris now has scored a total of 242 points as a Falcon, ranking him third on that BGSU career list.
POINTS IN A CAREER 247 - Brian Leaver, 1991-94 246 - Dave Preston, 1973-76 242 - Josh Harris, 2000-SA
With his career-high 438 yards passing against NIU, Harris needs 25 yards to become the fourth player in school history to eclipse the 6,000 yard mark in passing. Only three players in school history have reached the 6,000-yard mark (Brian McClure-10,280; Rich Dackin-6,862; and Erik White- 6,072).
Harris' 41 career TD tosses rank him third on the BGSU all-time list.
TD PASSES IN A CAREER 63 - Brian McClure, 1982-85 46 - Ryan Henry, 1992-95 41 - Josh Harris, 2000-SA
With his school-record 527 yards of total offense against NIU, Harris continues to challenge for the school's all-time record of 9,774 yards set by Brian McClure from 1982-85. Harris has accumulated 8,008 total yards, whicih ranks ninth all-time in MAC history.
MORE HARRIS NOTES
He is 20-5 in his career as a starting quarterback, and has started the last 23 consecutive games leading the Falcons to a 19-4 mark in that time. Harris is averaging a career-high 8.4 yards per pass, 285.6 passing yards per game, and 334.4 yards of total offense per game. His completion percentage of 65.5 percent also is a career-best, a 9.4 percent improvement over his 56.1 percent mark of 2002.
THE NATION'S MOST BALANCED OFFENSES
BGSU is one of six schools in the country who are averaging more than 200 yards rushing and passing per game.
School Rushing Passing Total Bowling Green 201.8 327.8 529.5 Minnesota 285.8 206.7 492.5 Louisville 223.8 246.4 470.2 Oklahoma State 235.5 209.1 444.6 Texas A & M 202.8 204.6 407.4 Arkansas 204.6 201.7 406.3
Last year, the Falcons averaged 219.1 yards on the ground and 229.8 yards through the air and ranked eighth in the country in total offense (448.9)
LEADERS OF THE MAC
BGSU is ranked first in the MAC in the following categories.
Rushing - 201.8 Passing - 327.8 Scoring Defense - 16.0 Total Offense - 529.5 Total Defense - 305.4 First Downs - 28.4 3rd Down Conversion Defense - 27.3 Sacks - 27 4th Down Conversion Defense - 31.2 Fewest Rushing TDs Allowed - 4
FALCON TRADITION
The Falcons, who are in their 52nd season as a Mid-American Conference member, rank second in MAC history in both conference wins (216) and championships (10). The Falcons' .619 winning percentage ranks third all-time. BGSU has finished either first or second in the MAC standings in 22 of their previous 51 seasons in the league.
PATTON EARNING HIGH PRAISE
Count NIU Coach Joe Novak as a member of the Janssen Patton Fan Club. After watching the Falcon senior pick off three passes for the second time in three weeks, Novak already cast his All-Conference vote in Patton's way.
"There are not a lot of stars, except for Patton, he gets my all-conference vote right now," said Novak.
INTERCEPTIONS IN A GAME
3 - Janssen Patton vs. Northern Illinois, 10/25/03 3 - Janssen Patton at Western Michigan, 10/11/03 3 - Janssen Patton at Kent State, 2000 3 - Carlos Brooks vs. Kent State, 1992 3 - Martin Bayless vs. Ball State, 1983 3 - Shawn Simms vs. Toledo, 1981 3 - Jac Tomasello vs. Kent State, 1981 3 - Arch Tunnell vs. Cal Poly SLO, 1960 3 - Jack Harbaugh vs. Delaware, 1959
INTERCEPTIONS IN A CAREER (BGSU)
27 - Martin Bayless, 1980-83 18 - Janssen Patton, 2000-SA
INTERCEPTIONS IN A CAREER (MAC)
27 - Martin Bayless (BGSU), 1980-83 19 - Lou Harris (Kent State), 1965-67 18 - Janssen Patton (BGSU), 2000-SA 18 - Joe Callen (Ohio), 1976-79
