Bowling Green State University Athletics
Sanders Serving Notice
August 16, 2005 | Football
Aug. 14, 2005
By MAUREEN FULTON, Blade Sports Writer -
BOWLING GREEN - It can be easy to get lost in the shuffle as a Bowling Green State University wide receiver. After all, there are so many.
Senior Steve Sanders, the team's second-leading returning wideout behind Charles Sharon, is looking for a solution to that. As part of his captain duties, Sanders is helping the receiving corps achieve a goal this preseason: get recognized.
"We're working on getting an identity," Sanders said at the team media day. "We lost three great seniors, three great leaders, in Cole Magner, James Hawkins and Cornelius McGrady. We're trying to rebuild our identity and find out who we are as a group."
Everyone noticed Sanders in BGSU's scrimmage yesterday at Doyt Perry Stadium. Sanders scored two touchdowns, including a 95-yarder that started with a 10-yard pass from Omar Jacobs.
"He's fast," Falcons coach Gregg Brandon said. "Steve's a captain, he's played a lot of football here. He's showing up; he's doing some good things for us."
Last season Sanders caught 55 passes for 984 yards and eight touchdowns. As far as personal goals for the season, his are lofty.
"My goal is to be one of the top receivers in the country, to just go out and play every game as hard as I can, and lead this team to a MAC championship," Sanders said.
Sanders' run was the play of the day. Other highlights included tight end Ruben Ruiz's catch over the middle with three defenders on him, a 30-yard completion from Jacobs to Corey Partridge and redshirt freshman linebacker John Haneline's interception of a tipped Anthony Turner pass. Ruiz, a junior-college transfer who enrolled in the spring, also had two touchdown receptions.
"I liked the way our 'ones' protected Omar, and the offense executed fairly well in the red zone," Brandon said.
BG has one more preseason scrimmage on Saturday. Brandon said the team will likely use it to focus on its first opponent, Wisconsin.
KICKING WATCH: Senior Joe Timchenko and walk-on Nick Goss shared kicking duties yesterday. Neither had a superb day. Timchenko was 1-of-3 on field goals and missed an extra point off the right goal post. Goss missed a field goal and an extra point.
The Falcons are faced with the task of replacing Shaun Suisham, the NCAA record holder in extra points made. Brandon assessed the kickers' performance yesterday as "kind of up and down.
"Timchenko, if he's focused he can do it," Brandon said. "It wasn't what it needed to be."
PARKS FIERY ON D: Brandon had to calm junior Devon Parks a few times yesterday, but that was fine by him.
"Parks is having a good camp, that's why he's such a good player, he plays like his hair's on fire," Brandon said. "He goes like an egg beater."
Parks, 6-3, 252 pounds, is the team's "Leo Linebacker," a position Brandon described as a "pseudo-defensive end." He batted down one of Jacobs' passes in one of the defense's highlights.
"That has to be a special guy [in that position]" Brandon said.
