Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Host Key MAC East Game Against Akron
October 25, 2005 | Football
Oct. 25, 2005
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AKRON (3-4, 2-2) AT BOWLING GREEN (4-3, 3-1) Saturday, October 29 • 4 p.m. • Doyt L. Perry Stadium (23,724) BGSU Radio Network (Todd Walker, John Gibson and Jason Aldrich) TV: BCSN-Delayed (Dave Horger, Jon Mazur, Greg Franke) SERIES: BGSU leads 8-5 LAST MEETING: BGSU 16, at Akron 11 (10/20/01)
The Falcons and Zips will meet for the first time in four years when they square off on Saturday. The Falcons are finishing up a stretch which will see them play four of five games at home in the month of October. BGSU will go on the road next week to face Kent State.
This will be just the 14th meeting between the two squads. BGSU holds an 8-5 advantage in the series including a 4-2 record against Akron in Perry Stadium. The Falcons captured the last meeting, 16-11 in 2001, while Akron took home a win in 2000, 27-21, in its last visit to Bowling Green.
With their loss against Western Michigan, BGSU saw its 17-game October winning streak and 14-game winning streak vs. MAC West opponents at home end with the loss. BGSU has not lost back-to-back home games since the 2000 season.
BGSU has been ranked in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls in each of the last three seasons. The Falcons received votes in both polls in the preseason and were ranked 21st by The Sporting News and 23rd by Sports Illustrated in their preseason publications. They also were picked to win the MAC East and MAC Championship game by the MAC News Media Association.
BGSU's 41-15 record since 2001 is the best among all MAC schools over that time span. BGSU also is the only MAC team with a winning record (10-5) vs. Division I-A non-conference opponents.
Junior All-American quarterback Omar Jacobs, who is the NCAA active leader in total offense (299.6), passing yards per game (280.2) and passing efficiency (165.5) missed the majority of the Western Michigan game after suffering an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. He will be evaluated each day, undergo rehabilitation and will start if healthy. He leads the MAC in total offense (307.9), passing (299.6) and TD passes (20).
Redshirt freshman Anthony Turner saw his most extensive action under center and completed 20 of 38 passes for 242 yards. He led Dayton's Chaminade-Julienne to the Ohio Division II State Championship in 2002.
The Falcons boast two big-play senior wide receivers in Charles Sharon (3,194 yards and 33 TDs) and Steve Sanders (2,127 and 20 TDs). Sharon has the second most TD passes among active NCAA players with 33 and Sanders is tied for the MAC lead in scoring at 9.4 points per game.
Sharon needs 10 receptions to become BGSU's all-time career leader in receptions with 216 surpassing former teammate Cole Magner who finished with 215 from 2001-2004.
The Falcons lead the MAC in pass offense (334.1), first downs (176) and punt returns (13.8).
LAST TWO GAMES WITH AKRON DECIDED LATE
The last time the two teams got together, the defenses dominated the action as the Falcons captured a 16-11 victory in the Rubber Bowl in 2001.
BGSU rallied from a 9-0 deficit in the first half and took the lead for good on a five-yard pass from Andy Sahm to Robert Redd with 5:42 left in the game.
With a less than healthy Sahm at quarterback, and backup Josh Harris unavailable due to injury, the Falcons turned to 145-pound true freshman Cole Magner under center and he responded with 86 yards rushing on 14 carries, including a 38-yard run for a score in the first half.
In the last meeting in BG, a 27-21 Akron win, the Zips held BGSU five times from the one-yard line in the fourth quarter to hold on and defeat the Falcons.
Current BGSU radio analyst John Gibson had 149 yards rushing that day, but was stopped all five times he tried to crack the end zone in the final quarter.
