Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Host Owls In Homecoming Contest
September 27, 2005 | Football
Sept. 27, 2005
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TEMPLE (0-4) AT BOWLING GREEN (1-2, 1-0 MAC) Homecoming, Saturday, October 1, 4 p.m. Doyt L. Perry Stadium (23,724) TELEVISION: CN8/Comcast Local RADIO: BGSU Radio Network SERIES: BGSU leads 5-2 LAST MEETING: BGSU 70, at Temple 16, 10/2/04
The Falcons will play their home opener against the Owls after starting the season with three straight road games. Temple also will serve as the opponent for Homecoming at BGSU. The Falcons are 51-22-10 on Homecoming after defeating Ball State, 51-13 last year.
Last year, BGSU also started with a 1-2 record and proceeded to win its next seven games. The Falcons' 70-16 win against Temple began that streak.
For the first time in school history, BGSU has won eight games or more in four consecutive years. The Falcons are picked to win the MAC in 2005. BGSU is 1-0 in the MAC after defeating Ball State on the road, 40-31, September 10.
The Falcons will begin a stretch which will see them play four of their next five games at home. BGSU is 21-2 at Doyt L. Perry Stadium since the 2001 season and 6-0 against non-conference foes during that time. The Falcons also are 14-0 in the month of October since the end of the 2001 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.
BGSU's 38-14 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 (9-5) vs. Division I-A non-conference opponents.
Junior All-American quarterback Omar Jacobs, the 2004 MAC Offensive Player of the Year, led the nation in TD passes (41) and points responsible for (22.5). He was second in total offense (358.5) and passing yards (4,002) and third in passing efficiency (165.5). He also set an NCAA record for TD/Interception ratio with the 41 scoring strikes and just four interceptions. This season, he has been named MAC East Player of the Week twice already and leads the nation in points responsible for (27.7) and TD passes per game (4.3).
The Falcons boast two big-play senior wide receivers in Charles Sharon (2,758 yards and 31 TDs) and Steve Sanders (1, 798 yards and 16 TDs). Their 231 yards per game average (Sharon, 111.3/Sanders, 109.7) this season combined is the most balanced effort in the nation of any tandem which averages more than 100 yards per game receiving.
Last year, BGSU finished second nationally in total offense with a MAC-record 506.3 yards per game and were third in passing (338.3 yards per game) and turnover margin (1.25), and fourth in pass efficiency (165.5) and scoring offense (44.3, also a MAC record).
BGSU returns to the MAC's East Division which consists of the Falcons, Akron, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami and Ohio. BGSU spent three years in the MAC West and won a division title in 2003.
