Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU Battles Wisconsin In Clash In Cleveland
August 25, 2006 | Football
Aug. 25, 2006
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WISCONSIN VS. BOWLING GREEN Saturday, September 2 7 p.m. (Eastern) Cleveland Browns Stadium (73,000) Cleveland, Ohio TELEVISION: ESPN Regional (Wayne Larrivee and Chris Martin) RADIO: BGSU Radio Network (Todd Walker, Cal Bowers and Jason Aldrich) 2005 RECORDS: BGSU 6-5, 5-3 MAC • UW 10-3, 5-3 Big Ten SERIES: UW leads, 2-0 LAST MEETING: at Wisconsin 56, BGSU 42 (9/3/05)
First And Ten
The Falcons return 10 starters (six on offense, four on defense) from a team which tied for the MAC East title last season. The Falcons posted their fifth straight winning season with a 6-5 record. BGSU was nationally ranked in one or both major polls in 2002, 2003 and 2004. They finished 23rd in the final BCS poll in 2003.
This will be the third meeting between the two teams. Wisconsin has won both previous meeetings, 39-18 in 1992 and 56-42 last season. Both games were in Madison. This is just the second time that BGSU has played a Big Ten team away from its home facility. The Falcons topped Northwestern, 28-24 in the 2003 Motor City Bowl in Ford Field.
BGSU is picked to finish third in the MAC East behind Akron and Miami. As many as 27 true or reshirt freshmen could be listed on the final depth chart for the Wisconsin game, including redshirt freshman quarterback Freddie Barnes who is expected to make his first career start under center.
This will be the fourth NFL stadium that BGSU has played in since the 2002 season. In addition to playing in Ford Field, the Falcons played South Florida in Raymond James Stadium in 2002 and against Temple in Lincoln Financial Field in 2004. In 1975, BGSU played in Cleveland's Municipal Stadium where it defeated Kent State, 35-9.
BGSU's .717 winning percentage since 2001 (43-17) is the best among all MAC schools over the last five years. BGSU also is the only MAC team with a winning record (10-5) vs. Division I-A non-conference opponents. In that time, BGSU is 3-2 against the Big Ten, having defeated Northwestern twice (2001, 2003 and Purdue (2003), while losing at Ohio State (2003) and Wisconsin (2005).
The Cleveland Browns adopted orange and brown as their colors after the team's first coach and general manager Paul Brown visited Bowling Green in the 1940's and saw the Falcons play. The All-American Football Conference team trained at BGSU from 1946-51.
Whenever BGSU has played two Big Ten opponents in the regular season (1992 and 2003), they have played in a bowl game. BGSU played Wisconsin and Ohio State in 1992 and won the Las Vegas Bowl and played Purdue and Ohio State in 2003 before winning the Motor City Bowl.
BGSU offensive graduate assistant Russ Kuhns earned three letters at Wisconsin (2000-02) where he played linebacker and fullback. BG Associate Athletic Director Scott Seeliger was an assistant coach for the Badgers from 1977-79 and 1984-90 and was a member of Barry Alvarez' first staff.
Coach Gregg Brandon has announced that senior wide receiver Kenneth Brantley, junior center Kory Lichtensteiger, senior defensive end Devon Parks, and senior defensive tackle Brad Williams will serve as captains this season. Sophomore cornerback Antonio Smith will serve as a game captain for the Wisconsin game.
Since the 2001 season, the Falcons are 11-1 against teams whose head coaches are in the first year of their tenure.
WHERE TO WATCH THIS GAME
ESPN Game Plan Yes Network WBNX-Cleveland WNWO-Toledo WHIO-Dayton WISC-Madison WMLW-Milwaukee WLAX-LaCrosse WFRV-Green Bay WAOW-Wausau
