Bowling Green State University Athletics
Football Travels To Florida International
September 12, 2006 | Football
Sept. 12, 2006
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BOWLING GREEN (1-1) at FLA. INTERNATIONAL (0-2) Saturday, September 16 • 6 p.m. FIU Stadium (17,000) TELEVISION: None RADIO: BGSU Radio Network (Todd Walker, Paul Braverman and Jason Aldrich) SERIES RECORD: First Meeting LAST WEEK: at BGSU 48, BUFFALO 40 3 OT; at S. FLA. 21, FLA INT. 20
First and Ten
BGSU and Florida International will begin a two-year series with the first game scheduled for this season in Miami. The two teams will meet again next year on September 15 in Bowling Green. The Golden Panthers are a member of the Sun Belt Conference and are 0-1 in their league. This will be the Falcons' first-ever contest against a Sun Belt opponent.
The Falcons are the MAC leader in total offense (435.5) and total defense (282.0). The Falcons are fifth nationally in rushing gaining 287.5 yards per game on the ground.
The quarterback position at BGSU is averaging an national-best 192 yards per game on the ground in the first two games. Redshirt freshman quarterback Freddie Barnes is second in the MAC and eighth nationally in rushing averaging 128.5 yards per game. He had 156 yards rushing against Wisconsin. Sophomore Anthony Turner rushed for a career-high 127 yards in his first game of the season against Buffalo. The Falcons are the only school in the country to have two different quarterbacks rush for 100 yards in a game this season.
A pair of BGSU linebackers had big games for the Falcons against Buffalo. Senior Terrel White had 22 tackles including three for a loss and a pass deflection. Sophomore Erique Dozier had 19 stops, a sack and a pass deflection. He leads the MAC in tackles per game at 14 which is rated fifth in the country.
The three overtime game against Buffalo was the longest in school history. The Falcons played Toledo in a double overtime tilt in Perry Stadium last November.
Last year, the Falcons posted their fifth straight winning season with a 6-5 record last season. BGSU was nationally ranked in one or both major polls in 2002, 2003 and 2004. They finished 24th in the final BCS poll in 2003.
The Falcons boast one of the youngest teams in the country having played 22 true or redshirt freshmen. Thirteen players have made their first career start this season.
BGSU's .710 winning percentage since 2001 (44-18) is the best among all MAC schools over the last five years.
The Golden Panthers have suffered two one-point losses on the road this season, 7-6 at Middle Tennessee State and 21-20 at South Florida. FIU is coached by former Miami Dolphin quarterback Don Strock.
This will be the third visit to Florida for BGSU since 1999. BGSU defeated Central Florida in overtime in 1999, 33-30 and lost at South Florida, 29-7 in 2002.
Odds and Trends
BGSU has won 21 games in a row when holding an opponent below 100 yards rushing and are 21-2 when accumulating 500 yards or more of total offense since 2001... BGSU is 39-1 when leading after three quarters since the 2001 season ... the Falcons have scored on their opening drive in each of the first two games this season... BGSU was 4-0 on the road in MAC play last season... since the 2001 season, the Falcons are 12-2 against teams whose head coaches are in the first year of their tenure... the Falcons' 356 yards on the ground against Buffalo was the most for BGSU since it racked up 367 against Liberty in 2003... BGSU allowed just 25 yards of total offense by Buffalo in the final 18:32 of regulation ... Anthony Turner rallied his team from a fourth quarter deficit in just his third career start ... Josh Harris did so in his fourth career start (at Northwestern) and Omar Jacobs did in his 14th start (at Ball State) ... senior Devon Parks did not start for the first time in 39 career games ... the Falcons have won six straight home openers since the 2001 seasons... BGSU has the best MAC record against non-conference opposition since the 2001 season at 12-6.
Florida Falcons Zach Charles, WR, FR, Winter Haven/Winter Haven Aaron Davis, LB, SO, Seffner/Armwood Kelvin Davis, WR, FR, Ocala/Vanguard Sean Ellis, K, FR, Merritt Island/Cocoa Eugene Fells, LB, FR, Palatka/Palatka Calvin Marshall, DB, FR, Miramar/Dillard Alonso Rojas, P, FR, Miami/Killian Antonio Smith, CB, SO, Miami/Central
