Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Picked for Third in East
August 07, 2006 | Football
Aug. 1, 2006
By JACK CARLE, Sentinel Sports Editor -
DETROIT -- It's not where you start, it's where you finish.
That's the feeling of Gregg Brandon, Bowling Green's head football coach, as he examined the results of the preseason Mid-American Conference News Media Association poll Monday.
The Falcons were picked to win the title last season and finished in a three-way tie at 5-3 in the MAC East, but lost out on a berth in the conference title game on a tiebreaker. This season, BG is picked third in the MAC East behind Akron and Miami. Those three teams were tied for first in the East in 2005.
"This really doesn't mean anything," Brandon said about the poll. "Hopefully if it comes down to a tiebreaker, it will fall our way this time."
Kory Lichtensteiger, who has started 23 straight games on the offensive line for the Falcons, likes the fact that Bowling Green was picked third in the East.
"It takes the pressure off," Lichtensteiger said. "Last year and the year before everybody was gunning for us. This year we're going to be able to gun for a few people ourselves. It will be different to be in that role."
Akron, which won the tiebreaker and beat Northern Illinois, 31-30 in the MAC title game, received 35 of 50 first-place votes and 282 total points in the voting. Miami had 11 firsts and 235 points and the Falcons received two firsts and 176 points.
"I'm a little surprised we were even picked first," said Akron coach J.D. Brookhart. "We are the defending champs and we've got a lot of starters back. But this is a very tough division."
Luke Getsy, a fifth-year senior, returns at quarterback for the Zips. He threw for 413 yards in the MAC title win over NIU, hitting the game-winning TD in the final seconds. Getsy followed that performance with 455 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-31 loss to Memphis in the Motor City Bowl.
"That was a fun ride," Getsy said. "Akron's never been known for getting much fan support in the community, but that all changed last year. It was unbelievable."
"I can see Akron being the first pick ... Any team that has a fifth-year quarterback returning ...," Brandon said.
Northern Illinois was the choice to win the MAC West and the MAC championship.
The Huskies, 6-2 in the MAC West a year ago, received 39 first-place votes and 286 total points. Toledo was picked second with 10 firsts and 244 points.
"Northern Illinois is a good football team. With a kid like (Garrett) Wolfe back, they'll make some hay," Brandon said.
NIU was the choice on 37 ballots to win the MAC title game with Toledo receiving eight votes and Akron three.
"It does mean a lot to us that we've been picked to win the MAC championship game," said Wolfe, NIU's standout running back. "We'll just keep doing what we've been doing throughout our entire lives and keep preparing the way Coach (Joe) Novak (NIU's head coach) has us preparing and I think we'll be all right."
Wolfe said the experience gained last year, especially on the Huskies' defense, should make a difference this season.
"I think that will most definitely help us out a lot this year in big games against Ohio State and Iowa and just with our regular conference schedule," Wolfe said.
Wolfe battled injuries last season, but still led the MAC with 1,580 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns, despite only playing nine games. He rushed for 270 yards, the highest total ever achieved in a Division I conference-championship game, in the loss to Akron. Wolfe also had a 277-yard, five-touchdown game against Western Michigan and rushed for 245 yards in a one-point loss at Northwestern.
"I'm already in better shape than I was at any point last year," Wolfe said.
