Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Are Going Bowling
December 11, 2003 | Football
Dec. 11, 2003
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University football team is preparing for the school's first bowl game in 11 years. The Falcons will take on Northwestern University in the Motor City Bowl, at Ford Field in downtown Detroit, Mich., on Dec. 26. BGSU head coach Gregg Brandon met with the media Thursday afternoon (Dec. 11), and offered a few thoughts on his team and the bowl game...
What is the value of a bowl game to your program?
"Well, it's great for the program. It's immeasurable, because you get an extra spring football (type of experience). Like today, we're gonna go out and scrimmage. My frosh, my redshirts and all of the young guys ... we can get a good couple practices of evaluation on the younger players in the program, and rest the seniors and some of the starters.
"It's great for the mindset of your team. I'm a believer that the bowl season is the best season in football, because the elite teams are playing. And, everybody watches them, because it's Christmas and New Year's. Everybody sits around and eats and drinks and watches bowl games. It's the best time of the year. The last few years, I've watched these bowl games, and I should be enjoying them, but I haven't enjoyed them, because I thought we should have been there. I know what it's like to be 9-3 and sitting at home. It's no fun."
How about the prestige factor of being a bowl team?
"It's huge. You can recruit with it, and sell your program with it. We'll have been on TV six times (this season), which is unprecedented. When you say 'Bowling Green,' they don't think, 'Kentucky.' They know who we are and where we are."
Could you talk about the turnaround the seniors have helped engineer in this program?
"The seniors have been huge in impacting this particular team. When I got the job, and sat down and met with them, it was my philosophy that we would go as far as they would take us. And, they took us to the MAC West championship and to a bowl game, which is pretty far.
"We talked about leadership, the role it has on a football team, and how they can take care of a lot of things for us. ... there are seniors that don't play regularly that have been leaders. (Mitch) Hewitt and (Josh) Harris play a lot, and Jimmy Williams and Robert Haley played a lot, and (Janssen) Patton and (Jason) Morton. But, a guy like (Michael) Malone, he got hurt at Ohio State, but he's still out there leading. He knows his role in that way. Vardan (Mkhitarian) has really started to come on. Vardan's been a great leader; he helps keep guys focused. Patton, Morton, Harris, Hewitt, Craig Jarrett have been players and leaders. It's been a good mix, and it's nice that the kids that aren't playing as much know that they still have a role on this team.
Was there ever a point in time where you realized that these players could get you to a division title and a bowl game?
"When I first came here, I wasn't sure how our talent matched up with some of the upper-echelon teams. After going through the league that first year (2001), I felt we had a chance. But, it wasn't necessarily about having the best players or the most talent; we had to get a mindset like the boys up north (Toledo) have. They expect to play in championship games. And, that's what we talked about before we played them this year. We pounded that into them: 'You're playing a team that knows how to win this game. We don't.' To play at that level, you have to expect to win, you can't just show up. We were able to get over that hump this year, and now, the hardest thing to do will be to stay there. I'm already talking about that with this bowl game.
"This bowl game is a good way to close the season, but it's also a good impetus into next season for our younger players. 'OK, guys, this is where we want to be. We want to be playing in December, so this is what we have to do to stay there.' That's what I'm stressing with the young guys. And, also, it's a reward for the seniors for a great year."
Senior Defensive End Rick Mauer
On going from injured and possibly never playing again to appearing in the Motor City Bowl...
"It's been crazy. I had a steel plate put in my ankle during the summer and the plate broke during the EKU game. A couple days before the NIU game the doctor said I could play. If you had told me a couple of months ago that this would have happened, I wouldn't have believed you.
On playing in the Motor City Bowl...
"We're not going down there to just play. We're going down there to win. And it will be another chance to showcase our program nationally."
Senior Quarterback Josh Harris
On the pressure of playing in the Motor City Bowl...
"There's less pressure on us, but the same pressure applies to winning the game.
On Northwestern...
"I am sure they will be playing with a little chip on their shoulder so we'll have to be ready to play.
On the overall atmosphere of a bowl game...
"I don't think it will hit until we get up there on Dec. 23. It's a carnival-type setting."
Sophomore Running Back P.J. Pope
On the uniqueness of going to a bowl...
"You don't get to do this every year. So we're looking to have fun. We want to stay focused, but be loose."
On taking Northwestern lightly...
"I don't think it's possible to take them lightly. They're going to come in intense and ready to play."
