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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Clawson Era Begins; Falcons Open Spring Ball
March 27, 2009 | Football
March 27, 2009
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Bowling Green State University head football coach Dave Clawson and the Falcons will begin Spring practice this afternoon (Fri., Mar. 27). Prior to the day-one events, Clawson sat down with BGSUFalcons.com to talk about the next month of Spring ball.
Coach Clawson Audio Interview2009 Spring Prospectus (44 pages) 
On December 12, 2008 Dave Clawson was named the 17th head coach in Bowling Green State University history. In his brief time at BGSU he hired seven new coaches and 22 players to National Letters of Intent, leading up to his first spring practice (Mar. 27) and Spring Game (Apr. 25).
Offensively the Falcons return seven starters from a team that finished sixth in the MAC, averaging 27.7 points per game. Senior Tyler Sheehan returns for his third year as the Falcons' starting quarterback. Sheehan, who was named to the third-team All-MAC as a sophomore in 2007, threw for 2,610 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2008. The Falcons also return three starting offensive linemen (Brady Minturn, Shane Steffy and Ben Bojicic), pass catchers Freddie Barnes and Jimmy Scheidler and senior tailback Chris Bullock.
On the defensive side of the ball the Falcons said goodbye to seven starters, including three defensive linemen and two linebackers and defensive backs. The front seven returning starters include senior defensive lineman Mike Ream and linebacker Jerett Sanderson. In the secondary P.J. Mahone and Jahmal Brown return for their fourth years with the Orange and Brown. Ream was second among defensive linemen with 27 tackles, while Mahone, Brown and Sanderson finished first, third and sixth on the team in tackles.
Scouting the Falcons
Quarterbacks
Lettermen Returning: 2, Lettermen Lost: 0
Starters Returning: 1, Starters Lost: 0
Under center the Falcons will return Tyler Sheehan, who has started 25 games the past two seasons. Last year the Cincinnati, Ohio, native threw for 2,610 yards and 20 scores, while chipping in with 237 yards on the ground and a team-high seven rushing scores. He completed 66.8% of his passes on the year, the second-highest competition percentage in school history, and was named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week twice in his junior campaign.
Sheehan will be joined by fellow classmate Andrew Beam, who saw limited action in 2008. Beam joined the Falcons in 2008 after a successful two-year stint at San Joaquin Delta (JC), threw just one pass last season, completing it to Sheehan for a 22-yard score. He chipped in with 108 yards on the ground and three rushing scores.
To continue reading a spring preview download the 2009 Spring Prospectus at the top of this page
