Bowling Green State University Athletics
GMAC Bowl Game Notes
December 23, 2004 | Football
Dec. 23, 2004
Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery
6th Annual GMAC Bowl BGSU vs. Memphis Post Game Notes
This is the seventh appearance in a bowl game for BGSU (4-3). They have won their last four bowl games.
BGSU has won back-to-back bowl games for the second time in school history (1991 Raisin and 1992 Las Vegas and 2003 Motor City and 2004 GMAC.
Gregg Brandon has tied Gary Blackney for most bowl wins by a Falcon coach.
The MAC is 9-1 in bowl games since 1998.
Memphis was the first C-USA foe the Falcons have faced.
The MAC is 7-0 against C-USA in bowl games.
With P.J. Pope's one-yard TD run in the first quarter, BGSU scored on its opening drive in the last seven games.
Pope has scored a rushing TD in eight straight games.
Junior Mike Crumpler recovered a first-quarter onsides kick.
Junior Mike Thaler recorded his first career fumble recovery.
BGSU outscored opponents 184-34 this year in the first quarter.
BGSU finished the season as the highest scoring team in MAC history (44.3) breaking the old mark of 43.0 set last year by Miami.
Senior Keon Newson had his sixth interception of the season and 10th of his career.
Junior Omar Jacobs was named MVP, junior Mitchell Crossley was named defensive MVP, junior Steve Sanders was named offensive MVP and senior kicker Shaun Suisham was named special teams MVP.
Senior Jovon Burkes led the Falcons with 11 tackles as they held Memphis to just seven points in the second half.
Senior T.J. Carswell had nine tackles and senior Daniel Sayles added eight tackles.
Junior P.J. Pope led the Falcons with 151 yards on 28 carries.
Junior Steve Sanders had seven catches for 123 yards and 2 TDs. Junior Charles Sharon had 5 catches for 117 yards.
Sophomore Omar Jacobs completed 26 of 44 passes for a career-best tying 5 TDs and 365 yards.
Milestones
Sophomore Omar Jacobs has thrown five TD passes and has set a MAC record with 41 TD passes this season (Chad Pennington, 39, 1997). He also has set a new MAC record with 45 TDs responsible for breaking the mark of 40 set by Josh Harris and Ben Roethlisberger in 2003 and Pennington in 1997.
With two TD catches in the first half, junior Charles Sharon has set a new BGSU career record with 28 receiving TDs breaking the old mark of 27 set by Ronnie Redd from 1991-94. He has scored a school-records 15 times through the air this season.
Junior running back P.J. Pope eclipsed the 1000-yard rushing mark for the second straight year. He is the second player in BGSU history (Paul Miles, 1971-73) to post consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons. With 34 TD's, Pope is tied for third place with Bernard White in career TD's scored at BGSU. He also moved into third place all-time with 2,670 rushing yards for a career.
Junior receiver Charles Sharon surpassed the 1000-yard mark with 1,060 yards on the season. He also posted his seventh 100-yard game of his career with 117 yards versus Memphis.
Junior Steve Sanders had his fifth 100+yard receiving effort this season.
Pope also had his fifth 100+-yard rushing game this season and ninth of his career.
Jacobs set a new BGSU single season passing record with 4,002 yards, breaking the old mark of 3,813 set last season by Josh Harris. He is the first Falcon quarterback to surpass the 4,000-yard passing mark in a season and just the third in MAC history.
Senior Shaun Suisham, with his 37-yard field goal, set a new BGSU career record with 45 breaking the old mark of 44 set by Brian Leaver from 1991-94 and Gehad Youssef from 1981-84.
Senior receiver Cole Magner recorded his 215th career reception, a new BGSU record, which also ranks fifth all-time in the MAC.
BGSU Bowl Game Records
The Falcons have set their own bowl record with 21 points. (14, six previous times). It also tied a GMAC record for points scored in the first quarter.
BGSU also had 558 yards of total offense, a record for the Falcons in a bowl game.
The Falcons set a new bowl game record for them with 35 first half points, breaking their old mark of 28 points against Nevada in the 1992 Las Vegas Bowl. BGSU's 52 points also sets a new BGSU bowl game mark breaking the 35 points against Nevada in 1992.
Jacobs set a BGSU record with four TD passes in the first half (3, Josh Harris vs. Northwestern, 2003; Brian McClure, 1982 vs. Fresno State) and set a GMAC record with five TD scores in the air.
Sharon and junior Steve Sanders have tied a record shared by many with two TD receptions in a bowl game.
P.J. Pope set a school record with three TDs scored in a bowl game (2 rushing and 1 receiving).
