Falcons Host Akron In Friday Night Tilt

Oct. 30, 2007

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -

GAME #9
Akron at Bowling Green

Nov. 2, 2007  Doyt L. Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

RECORDS: BGSU 4-4, 2-2 MAC // Akron 3-5, 2-2 MAC
RADIO: BGSU Radio Network - Todd Walker and Cal Bowers
WBGU (88.1): Mike Castellano (Play-by-Play) and Pat Dougherty (Analyst)
TV: ESPNU  Matt Delvin (Play-by-Play) and Tom Luginbill (Analyst)
For Tickets Call 1-877-BGSU-TICKET

Game Notes vs. Akron (34 pages)
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The Bowling Green State University football team will look to get back on track as they host the Akron Zips in a crucial MAC East contest this Friday. BGSU, who is 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the Mid-American Conference will host the Zips at 7:30 p.m., with the game being carried live on ESPNU.
Notes Following The 38-27 Loss to Ohio
 The Falcons now lead the all-time series with Ohio by a 35-22-2 count. The Bobcats' win snapped a five-game BGSU series winning streak dating to the 2000 season.
 Redshirt junior LB John Haneline led the Falcons with 14 tackles, the sixth time he has reached double digits in that category in this year's eight games. Haneline now has a team-high 91 tackles on the season.
 Three other Falcons had double-digit tackle totals last Saturday. P.J. Mahone had a career-high 12 stops vs. the Bobcats, while Antonio Smith had 11 tackles, also a career best. Erique Dozier rounded out the group with 10 tackles, while Jahmal Brown just missed double figures with nine stops.
 Dan Macon had two receptions in the game, for 56 yards. That total included a 43-yard touchdown catch-and-run from Tyler Sheehan in the fourth quarter, a career best for Macon.
 Sinisa Vrvilo connected on a 48 yard field goal on the Falcons' opening drive versus Ohio. The junior added a 30-yarder midway through the second quarter. Vrvilo has now made nine straight field goals, including 3-of-3 from beyond 40 yards.
 Freddie Barnes caught his sixth touchdown of the season with 1:16 left in the first quarter. It was his first TD since he caught two scoring passes at Boston College on Oct. 6.
 Anthony Turner added his team-leading fourth rushing touchdown of the season on the Falcons' opening drive of the second half, on a 12-yard scamper over right tackle. In the game, Turner saw action at quarterback, running back and wide receiver.
First Six Games.....Category.....Last Two Games
456..................Yards................355
155.................Attempts..............69
2.9................Yards/Carry............5.1
76.0................Ave/Game............177.5

Fast Willie Geter
So what has helped the Falcon ground game? Freshman Willie Geter. Geter, a native of Miami, Fla. entered the contest with Kent State back on Oct. 20 with just 87 yards rushing in his first six games. In his past two games the freshman has ran for 293 yards on 36 carries, an 8.1 yard average.
Geter's Last Two Games
Opponent........Att.....Yards..TD...Long...Ave/Carry
at Kent State.......22......203....1....50....9.2
vs. Ohio............14.......90....0....15....6.4
Total...............36......293....1....50....8.1

Sheehan Impressive In His First Year
Making just eight career starts, Tyler Sheehan is having an impressive start to his Falcon career. The sophomore quarterback is completing 62.3% (203-326) of his passes for 2,152 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also has two rushing touchdowns and even has one 24-yard catch for a touchdown as well. He opened the season (his first career start) with a fourth quarter comeback win over Minnesota, tossing two touchdowns and throwing for 388 yards. The following week he was 32-of-50 for 295 yards versus Michigan State, throwing for one touchdown and rushing for another. He had a career-high four touchdown passes in a win over Temple (also threw for 351 yards). He also had 270 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters of action versus Western Kentucky.
Fastest Show on Turf
With the installation of FieldTurf at Doyt Perry Stadium, the Falcons have played seven of their eight games on artificial surfaces, after hosting Temple, Western Kentucky and Ohio, and road contests with Minnesota, Boston College, Miami and Kent State. In those seven games the Falcons have scored 217 points (31.0/game) and have posted 2,869 yards of offense (409.9/game), including 2,105 yards through the air (300.7/game). From here-on-out the Falcons will play on some sort of artificial surface the rest of the season.
Passing, Rushing and Receiving Record
After much research, and several discussions with all Division I schools, the Falcons are the lone school to have three players on their team that have recorded a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in their career. Freddie Barnes (1 pass, 6 receiving and 9 rushing), Tyler Sheehan (15 pass, 2 rush, 1 receiving) and Anthony Turner (13 pass, 12 rush and 1 receiving) have accomplished this feat, making them the lone trio in the nation with this record. In fact, prior to the contest with Kent State, Sheehan and Barnes were the lone duo in the country with this feat. Turner joined the duo after catching a throw-back pass from Sheehan for a 31-yard touchdown versus the Flashes.
Vrvilo Getting His Kicks
It just keeps getting better for junior kicker Sinisa Vrvilo. This past weekend the Zenica, Bosnia, native banged in a 48 yard field goal versus Ohio. The week prior at Kent State with 3:22 left in the contest the junior made one from 49 yards to put the Falcons up 31-20. The 49-yard kick looked to have been good by a good six or seven yards. On the year Vrvilo has made 10-of-12 kicks (.833), and is 28-of-28 on extra point attempts. Vrvilo has made nine straight heading into the contest with the Zips.
During The Streak
Opponent Make
at Michigan State......31 yards
vs. Temple.............41 yards
vs. Temple.............23 yards
vs. Western Kentucky...28 yards
vs. Western Kentucky...26 yards
at Boston College......40 yards
at Kent State..........49 yards
vs. Ohio...............48 yards
vs. Ohio...............30 yards

Falcons' Dynamic Duo
Batman and Robin have nothing on the Falcons' dynamic duo of pass catchers in Corey Partridge and Freddie Barnes. Partridge, who missed the entire Michigan State contest, has 45 catches in seven games this season, 6.4 a game, which ranks 26th in the country. He also has 433 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Barnes is 23rd in the country with 6.5 catches a game, tops on the team. He also leads the team in receptions (52), receiving yards (593) and touchdowns (6). Combined, the duo averages 12.9 catches a game, 136.0 yards a game and has eight touchdowns.
Show Me The Money
The money catch is defined as catching a first down or touchdown, and the Falcon dynamic duo of Freddie Barnes and Corey Partridge are "showing the money." Of Barnes' 52 catches, 36 (30 first downs and six touchdowns) of them have either resulted in a Falcon first down or touchdown. Partridge is not far off that pace, catching 27 (24 first downs and two touchdowns) money balls of his 45 receptions.
More on the Pass Catchers  Barnes, who opened the 2006 season as the Falcons' starting quarterback, had 20 catches for 203 yards and two touchdowns last season. He has posted career numbers in all three of those categories this year with 52 receptions, 593 yards and six touchdowns. He had his first career 100-yard receiving game with 112 yards versus Boston College back on October 6.
 Partridge led the Falcons in receptions (55), yards (658) and touchdowns (3) last season. He had six catches for 52 yards in the first quarter versus Minnesota before leaving with an injury (he also missed the MSU game and three quarters of the Ohio game), so his 45 catches and 433 yards has been in just 22 quarters of action. He also caught his 100th career reception on his last catch of the game versus Western Kentucky and had his first 100 yard game of the season versus Boston College (12-100).
 Marques Parks had five catches for 30 yards in the entire 2006 season. 2007 has been a bit different as the junior nearly as many touchdowns (4) this year as catches (5) all of last season. His 24 catches, 306 yards and four touchdowns are all career-bests this season.
 Tyrone Pronty also had just five catches last season. This year his 12 catches, 113 yards and two touchdowns are all career-bests.
 Derek Brighton, filling in for an injured Partridge at the Michigan State game, had seven catches and 67 yards. He has eight receptions for 84 yards on the season.
 Zach Charles had a career-long 49-yard reception versus Boston College, nearly doubling his yardage output for the year. For the season the sophomore has 10 catches for 102 yards.
 Chris Wright has slowly been gaining more and more playing time throughout the year, recording nine catches for 104 yards.
Anthony Turner = Slash?
While seeing most of his 2006 action as the Falcon starting quarterback, the emergence of Tyler Sheehan has forced Anthony Turner into a much different role this season. While still playing some quarterback, the junior has also lined up at running back and wide receiver on numerous plays. On the year Turner has attempted just one pass, but has 34 rushes for 155 yards and a team-best four rushing touchdowns. The Dayton, Ohio, native even has one reception (versus Kent State) for a 31-yard touchdown, his first catch of his career.
Falcons And Third Downs
Conventional wisdom says the longer the third down the more difficult it is to convert. That could never be so right when looking at the Falcon defense. On third downs where the opposition has less than three yards to go the opponent is 31-of-42 (.738) this season. On yardage between four and six yards the opposition is 13-of-26 (.500), seven to nine yards they are 6-of-20 (.300) and on third down with 10 or more yards to go the opponent is 2-of-21 (.095).
More on Third Downs
When Bowling Green converts at least 36% of their third downs in a game they are 3-1 on the year with wins over Minnesota (5-14), Temple (5-13) and Western Kentucky (11-18). Their lone lose was at Boston College when they completed 11 of 18 of third downs.
Defensively if the Falcons hold their opponent to under 50% on third downs they are also 3-1, with wins over Temple (7-19), Western Kentucky (4-10), and Kent State (4-13). They also have a win over Minnesota, but allowed them to convert on 11 of 18 third down attempts.