Bowling Green State University Athletics
GMAC Bowl Game Notes
December 13, 2004 | Football
Dec. 13, 2004
Complete BGSU Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Complete Memphis Notes in PDF FormatDownload Free Acrobat Reader
2004 GMAC Bowl Mobile, Alabama Bowling Green (8-3, 6-2 MAC) vs. Memphis (8-3, 5-3 C-USA) Wednesday, December 22 - 7 p.m. (CST) TV: ESPN Ladd-Peebles Stadium (40,646) Series Record: First Meeting Bowl Record: BGSU is 3-3
First and Ten
The Falcons are making their seventh appearance in a bowl game and will play in back-to-back bowl games for the second time in school history (1991 and 1992). BGSU won the Motor City Bowl, 28-24, over Northwestern last year.
The Falcons have clinched their fourth straight 8+ win season for the first time in school history.
BGSU has won three straight bowl games and the MAC has won eight of nine bowl games since the 1998 season, including a 5-0 mark against C-USA schools.
This will be BGSU's first-ever meeting with a C-USA representative since the league formed in 1996.
The MAC will send a league-record five teams to bowl games this season.
BGSU has been ranked in both the AP and USA Today/ESPN Coaches polls in each of the last three seasons.
Sophomore All-American quarterback Omar Jacobs, the MAC Offensive Player of the Year, is currently the national leader in TD passes (36)and points responsible for (21.8). He is second in total offense (357.1), passing yards (3,637) and third in passing efficiency (167.8). He also has thrown just three interceptions in 418 attempts.
Jacobs has been named All-American by Collegefootballnews.com and CNNSI.com.
Senior center Scott Mruczkowski will play in this year's East-West Shrine game which will take place Saturday, January 15 in San Francisco.
The Falcons boast the most potent offense in the MAC, ranking second nationally in pass offense (335.6), fourth in total offense (501.6) and scoring offense (43.6) and fifth in passing efficiency (165.9).
BGSU is second in the nation in fewest turnovers committed with eight and rank third in the country in turnover margin (1.36).
BGSU boasts the only pass catching unit in the country with four players who have more than 1,000 yards receiving in their career.
MORE THINGS TO WATCH FOR
BGSU has won 17 games in a row when holding an opponent below 100 yards rushing and are 17-1 when accumulating 500 yards or more of total offense since 2001... junior running back P.J. Pope has rushed for a TD in eight straight games and has rushed for 549 yards on 76 carries (7.2 average) and seven TDs in the last four games... during his career, BGSU is 8-0 when Pope rushes for more than 100 yards in a game... BGSU has outscored its opponents 163-27 in the first quarter this season... BGSU has limited opponents to under 100 yards rushing this season seven times... BGSU has scored 21 points or more in a quarter seven times this season and has four drives this season for TDs of 90-yards or more... the Falcons have scored 37 non-offensive points this season with two interception returns for TDs, two safeties, a fumble return, a punt return and a kick return... senior first-team All-MAC safety Keon Newson is the Falcons' most disruptive defender and has two interception returns for TDs this season... for his career, he has 11 forced fumbles, eight interceptions, four fumble recoveries and four kick blocks... senior kicker Shaun Suisham, a Lou Groza Award semifinalist holds the NCAA record for PATs with 219 in a career and needs one field goal to set a new BGSU mark with 45... if the Falcons score 37 points or more they will break the MAC's single-season scoring record of 43.0 points per game set last year by Miami... BGSU also needs 543 yards of total offense to set a MAC record breaking the mark of 505 yards per game set by Marshall in 2001.
