Saturday, September 12
Columbia, MO
6:00 p.m. CT
Bowling Green State University
at
Missouri
Photo by: Doug Sampson
Falcons Look For 2-0 Start; Face Missouri on Saturday
September 08, 2009 | Football
The Bowling Green State University football team, led by first-year head coach Dave Clawson, will be in search of their first 2-0 start since 2003 as they travel to Columbia, Mo., to face off with the Tigers on Saturday (Sept. 12) at 7 p.m.
COMPLETE RELEASE (28 pages)
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Follow the Falcons
The game is be televised by Fox Sports Midwest, but is only available on a par-per-view basis. Please check with your cable company on how to get this game. For those of you that can't purchase the game, Todd Walker and John Gibson will be live, starting at 6 p.m. on 99.1 FM (or several affiliates) as well as online. Check out the GameDay Central link just above for other ways to follow the game.
Scouting the Falcons
The Falcons are led by first year head coach Dave Clawson, who comes to BGSU after a successful career at Fordham and Richmond.
The Falcon offense is led by third-year signal caller, Tyler Sheehan, who will be making his 27th consecutive start on Saturday. Through his first 26 games as a Falcon he has thrown for 6,405 yards and 45 touchdowns, including 339 yards and two scores last week versus Troy.
Freddie Barnes, who had 15 catches for 157 yards last week versus Troy, leads a handful of wide receivers for Sheehan to throw to, including tight end Jimmy Scheidler (four catches, 72 yards), Adrian Hodges and Chris Wright.
In the backfield the Falcons feature two backs with different styles. Junior Willie Geter, who has a career-average of over 6.0 yards/carry, will see the bulk of the carries, but senior Chris Bullock will gain the tough yards between the tackles.
Defensively the Falcons broke in six players that made their first career start, including two on the defensive line and three in the secondary (BGSU opened in a 3-3-5 look). Two of those players, Roger Williams and Adrien Spencer recorded interceptions, with Spencer returning a pick for a 64-yard score.
Scouting Missouri
Missouri is going off a 37-9 win over Illinois to begin the 2009 season.
Sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who was making his first career start, led the Tigers to seven scores on his nine drives. Gabbert ended the day throwing for 319 yards and three scores and chipped in with 39 yards on the ground and another score.
The Tiger defense was just as strong holding Juice Williams and the Illini to just 179 yards through the air, and did not surrender a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter.
Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel is 5-7 all-time versus BGSU, having served as the head coach of Toledo from 1991-2000.
What Happened Versus Troy?
After falling behind 14-0 in the game's first 20 minutes, the Falcons scored an unanswered 31 points to win 31-14 under first-year head coach Dave Clawson. In the second half the Falcons out gained the Trojans 213-94, while outscoring them 24-0.
Opening With a Bang
For the third consecutive season the BGSU football team has won its season opener, which is impressive, but even more impressive when you know who that have beaten. In 2007 they won in overtime versus Minnesota (32-31), in 2008 they won at Pittsburgh (27-17) and last weekend the Orange and Brown downed Troy (31-14).
Barnes Named MAC East Offensive POW
Helping the Falcons to erase that 14-0 deficit was senior Freddie Barnes, who established a new BGSU and Doyt Perry Stadium record with 15 catches for 157 yards and two scores in the win over the Trojans. Barnes scored the Falcons first two touchdowns of 2009 from a distance of 31 and eight yards to knot the score up at 14-14.
More on Barnes' Night
It did not take long to realize that Freddie Barnes was going to have a special night for the Orange and Brown as Tyler Sheehan threw his first two passes of the night to Barnes. The Chicago Heights, Ill., native finished the first quarter with six receptions and went into half time with 11 catches for 123 yards and one touchdown.
When it was all said and done Barnes finished with 15 catches for 157 yards and two scores. His 15 catches established a new school record, which was held by Robert Redd (2002) and Corey Partridge (2006).
And when you thought we were done talking about records, Barnes' 15 receptions rank eighth all-time in the Mid-American Conference.
Take Me to Your Leader
Barnes' special night has one more twist. Not only was he named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week, set a new Doyt Perry Stadium and BGSU record for catches in a game with 15, but he is also the current NCAA leader with those 15 receptions. He is tied for the lead with Stephen Williams of Toledo.
Going Streaking
First year Falcon head coaches have not lost a season opener since Harry Ockerman and the Falcons lost 12-0 in 1935. Robert Whittaker (1941), Doyt Perry (1955), Bob Gibson (1965), Don Nehlan (1968), Denny Stolz (1977), Moe Ankney (1986), Gary Blackney (1991), Urban Meyer (2001), Gregg Brandon (2003) and now Dave Clawson (2009) are 9-0-1 in games that begin their Falcon careers.
David vs. Goliath
Since 2001 BGSU has played 19 contests with teams from BCS conferences and the Falcons have held their own, winning 11 of those contests, with two of those wins coming against Missouri.
at Missouri (2001) - W, 20-13
Temple (2001) - W, 42-23
at Northwestern (2001) - W, 43-42
Missouri (2002) - W, 51-28
at Kansas (2002) - W, 39-16
at Purdue (2003) - W, 27-26
vs. Northwestern (2003) - W, 28-24
at Temple (2004) - W, 70-16
Temple (2005) - W, 70-7
at Minnesota (2007) - W, 32-31
at Pittsburgh (2008) - W, 27-17
Night of Firsts
After downing the Troy Trojans 31-14 last Thursday night (Sept. 3) the Falcons had a handful of firsts.
• Dave Clawson earned his first win as the head coach at BGSU.
• Roger Williams and Adrien Spencer each had their first career interception.
• Tyler Sheehan threw his first 300 yard game since 2007.
• Nine Falcons made their first career start.
• Nick Torresso had his first career sack.
Percentage Leader
Senior quarterback Tyler Sheehan, the career leader in BGSU history in completion percentage at 64.9 percent, is currently edging out Omar Jacobs (64.4 percent). Sheehan leads by .5 percent. Sheehan completed 66.8 percent of his passes last season, which is second all-time for completion percentage for a season, trailing just Jacobs, who completed 66.9 percent of his passes in 2004.
Sheehan Career Tidbits
• Has completed 64.9 percent of his passes in his career (625 of 963), while throwing for 6,405 yards and 45 touchdowns, while rushing for 10 more. His completion percentage is first all-time in school history.
• He has three career receiving touchdowns.
• Has been responsible for 58 touchdowns in his last 26 games (45 passing, 10 rushing, 3 receiving)
• Has been named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week five times.
• His 963 career passes are fourth all-time in BGSU history.
• His 625 career completions rank third all-time.
• He averages a touchdown pass every 21.4 passes and an interception every 38.5 passes.
Sheehan on Manning Watch List
The Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, announced its 2009 preseason Watch List, with Bowling Green's Tyler Sheehan finding his way onto that list, which included 38 of the top quarterbacks in the nation heading into the 2009 season. The winner will be announced after the bowls in January and will be honored at a February banquet in New Orleans.
The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that takes into consideration the candidates' bowl performances.
Sheehan By The Down - Completion % - 2009
On First Down - 12-18 (66%)
On Second Down - 12-13 (92%)
On Third Down - 6-11 (54%)
On Fourth Down - 2-2 (100%)
Sheehan by the Quarter - 2009
In First Quarter - 8 of 14 (57%), 72 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
In Second Quarter - 8 of 8 (100%) 90 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
In Third Quarter - 9 of 13 (69%) 86 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
In Fourth Quarter - 7 of 9 (78%) 91 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
He May Catch More Than Just TDs in 2009
Senior tight end Jimmy Scheidler had just 17 receptions in 2008, but led the team with seven touchdown receptions, including two versus Pittsburgh to begin 2008. While just one game is in the books, Scheidler looks to be a major force in 2009 throughout the playing field. In the win versus Troy, Scheidler had four receptions for 72 yards, matching his career-high in catches and blowing away his previous best for yards in the game.
Moving On Up
When marching up a record book like Freddie Barnes is doing, a 15-reception game will help the climb in a hurry. The senior, who began 2009 with 142 career receptions climbed from 11th all-time all the way to eighth with his 157 career catches.
1. Charles Sharon (2002-05) 232
2. Cole Magner (2001-04) 215
3. Robert Redd (1998-02) 211
4. Mark Szlachcic (1989-92) 182
5. Corey Partridge (2005-08) 182
5. Stan Hunter (1982-85) 176
7. Reggie Thornton (1986-89) 158
8. Freddie Barnes (2005-PR) 157
9. Steve Sanders (2002-05) 156
10. Kurt Gerling (1998-01) 152
Simply The Best
With three kick returns for 61 yards last Thursday Roger Williams became the all-time leader for kick return yards in a career with 1,275. He is also just eight returns away from etching his name atop another school record (kick returns). Williams, who suffered a broken finger early in 2008 was limited as a return man, but made a name for himself in 2007 when he set school records in returns (39) and yards (954), while also returning a kickoff 78 yards for a touchdown in the GMAC Bowl, the first-ever in that bowl's history.
Career Kickoff Returns
1. Reggie Thornton (1986-89) 65
2. Roger Williams (2006-pr) 58
3. Joe Alls (1999-02) 55
4. Darryl Story (1983-86) 51
5. Terry Wilson (1988-92) 49
Career Kickoff Return Yards
1. Roger Williams (2006-pr) 1,275
2. Reggie Thornton (1986-89) 1,222
3. Joe Alls (1999-02) 1,147
COMPLETE RELEASE (28 pages)
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Follow the Falcons
The game is be televised by Fox Sports Midwest, but is only available on a par-per-view basis. Please check with your cable company on how to get this game. For those of you that can't purchase the game, Todd Walker and John Gibson will be live, starting at 6 p.m. on 99.1 FM (or several affiliates) as well as online. Check out the GameDay Central link just above for other ways to follow the game.
Scouting the Falcons
The Falcons are led by first year head coach Dave Clawson, who comes to BGSU after a successful career at Fordham and Richmond.
The Falcon offense is led by third-year signal caller, Tyler Sheehan, who will be making his 27th consecutive start on Saturday. Through his first 26 games as a Falcon he has thrown for 6,405 yards and 45 touchdowns, including 339 yards and two scores last week versus Troy.
Freddie Barnes, who had 15 catches for 157 yards last week versus Troy, leads a handful of wide receivers for Sheehan to throw to, including tight end Jimmy Scheidler (four catches, 72 yards), Adrian Hodges and Chris Wright.
In the backfield the Falcons feature two backs with different styles. Junior Willie Geter, who has a career-average of over 6.0 yards/carry, will see the bulk of the carries, but senior Chris Bullock will gain the tough yards between the tackles.
Defensively the Falcons broke in six players that made their first career start, including two on the defensive line and three in the secondary (BGSU opened in a 3-3-5 look). Two of those players, Roger Williams and Adrien Spencer recorded interceptions, with Spencer returning a pick for a 64-yard score.
Scouting Missouri
Missouri is going off a 37-9 win over Illinois to begin the 2009 season.
Sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who was making his first career start, led the Tigers to seven scores on his nine drives. Gabbert ended the day throwing for 319 yards and three scores and chipped in with 39 yards on the ground and another score.
The Tiger defense was just as strong holding Juice Williams and the Illini to just 179 yards through the air, and did not surrender a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter.
Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel is 5-7 all-time versus BGSU, having served as the head coach of Toledo from 1991-2000.
What Happened Versus Troy?
After falling behind 14-0 in the game's first 20 minutes, the Falcons scored an unanswered 31 points to win 31-14 under first-year head coach Dave Clawson. In the second half the Falcons out gained the Trojans 213-94, while outscoring them 24-0.
Opening With a Bang
For the third consecutive season the BGSU football team has won its season opener, which is impressive, but even more impressive when you know who that have beaten. In 2007 they won in overtime versus Minnesota (32-31), in 2008 they won at Pittsburgh (27-17) and last weekend the Orange and Brown downed Troy (31-14).
Barnes Named MAC East Offensive POW
Helping the Falcons to erase that 14-0 deficit was senior Freddie Barnes, who established a new BGSU and Doyt Perry Stadium record with 15 catches for 157 yards and two scores in the win over the Trojans. Barnes scored the Falcons first two touchdowns of 2009 from a distance of 31 and eight yards to knot the score up at 14-14.
More on Barnes' Night
It did not take long to realize that Freddie Barnes was going to have a special night for the Orange and Brown as Tyler Sheehan threw his first two passes of the night to Barnes. The Chicago Heights, Ill., native finished the first quarter with six receptions and went into half time with 11 catches for 123 yards and one touchdown.
When it was all said and done Barnes finished with 15 catches for 157 yards and two scores. His 15 catches established a new school record, which was held by Robert Redd (2002) and Corey Partridge (2006).
And when you thought we were done talking about records, Barnes' 15 receptions rank eighth all-time in the Mid-American Conference.
Take Me to Your Leader
Barnes' special night has one more twist. Not only was he named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week, set a new Doyt Perry Stadium and BGSU record for catches in a game with 15, but he is also the current NCAA leader with those 15 receptions. He is tied for the lead with Stephen Williams of Toledo.
Going Streaking
First year Falcon head coaches have not lost a season opener since Harry Ockerman and the Falcons lost 12-0 in 1935. Robert Whittaker (1941), Doyt Perry (1955), Bob Gibson (1965), Don Nehlan (1968), Denny Stolz (1977), Moe Ankney (1986), Gary Blackney (1991), Urban Meyer (2001), Gregg Brandon (2003) and now Dave Clawson (2009) are 9-0-1 in games that begin their Falcon careers.
David vs. Goliath
Since 2001 BGSU has played 19 contests with teams from BCS conferences and the Falcons have held their own, winning 11 of those contests, with two of those wins coming against Missouri.
at Missouri (2001) - W, 20-13
Temple (2001) - W, 42-23
at Northwestern (2001) - W, 43-42
Missouri (2002) - W, 51-28
at Kansas (2002) - W, 39-16
at Purdue (2003) - W, 27-26
vs. Northwestern (2003) - W, 28-24
at Temple (2004) - W, 70-16
Temple (2005) - W, 70-7
at Minnesota (2007) - W, 32-31
at Pittsburgh (2008) - W, 27-17
Night of Firsts
After downing the Troy Trojans 31-14 last Thursday night (Sept. 3) the Falcons had a handful of firsts.
• Dave Clawson earned his first win as the head coach at BGSU.
• Roger Williams and Adrien Spencer each had their first career interception.
• Tyler Sheehan threw his first 300 yard game since 2007.
• Nine Falcons made their first career start.
• Nick Torresso had his first career sack.
Percentage Leader
Senior quarterback Tyler Sheehan, the career leader in BGSU history in completion percentage at 64.9 percent, is currently edging out Omar Jacobs (64.4 percent). Sheehan leads by .5 percent. Sheehan completed 66.8 percent of his passes last season, which is second all-time for completion percentage for a season, trailing just Jacobs, who completed 66.9 percent of his passes in 2004.
Sheehan Career Tidbits
• Has completed 64.9 percent of his passes in his career (625 of 963), while throwing for 6,405 yards and 45 touchdowns, while rushing for 10 more. His completion percentage is first all-time in school history.
• He has three career receiving touchdowns.
• Has been responsible for 58 touchdowns in his last 26 games (45 passing, 10 rushing, 3 receiving)
• Has been named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week five times.
• His 963 career passes are fourth all-time in BGSU history.
• His 625 career completions rank third all-time.
• He averages a touchdown pass every 21.4 passes and an interception every 38.5 passes.
Sheehan on Manning Watch List
The Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, announced its 2009 preseason Watch List, with Bowling Green's Tyler Sheehan finding his way onto that list, which included 38 of the top quarterbacks in the nation heading into the 2009 season. The winner will be announced after the bowls in January and will be honored at a February banquet in New Orleans.
The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that takes into consideration the candidates' bowl performances.
Sheehan By The Down - Completion % - 2009
On First Down - 12-18 (66%)
On Second Down - 12-13 (92%)
On Third Down - 6-11 (54%)
On Fourth Down - 2-2 (100%)
Sheehan by the Quarter - 2009
In First Quarter - 8 of 14 (57%), 72 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
In Second Quarter - 8 of 8 (100%) 90 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
In Third Quarter - 9 of 13 (69%) 86 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
In Fourth Quarter - 7 of 9 (78%) 91 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
He May Catch More Than Just TDs in 2009
Senior tight end Jimmy Scheidler had just 17 receptions in 2008, but led the team with seven touchdown receptions, including two versus Pittsburgh to begin 2008. While just one game is in the books, Scheidler looks to be a major force in 2009 throughout the playing field. In the win versus Troy, Scheidler had four receptions for 72 yards, matching his career-high in catches and blowing away his previous best for yards in the game.
Moving On Up
When marching up a record book like Freddie Barnes is doing, a 15-reception game will help the climb in a hurry. The senior, who began 2009 with 142 career receptions climbed from 11th all-time all the way to eighth with his 157 career catches.
1. Charles Sharon (2002-05) 232
2. Cole Magner (2001-04) 215
3. Robert Redd (1998-02) 211
4. Mark Szlachcic (1989-92) 182
5. Corey Partridge (2005-08) 182
5. Stan Hunter (1982-85) 176
7. Reggie Thornton (1986-89) 158
8. Freddie Barnes (2005-PR) 157
9. Steve Sanders (2002-05) 156
10. Kurt Gerling (1998-01) 152
Simply The Best
With three kick returns for 61 yards last Thursday Roger Williams became the all-time leader for kick return yards in a career with 1,275. He is also just eight returns away from etching his name atop another school record (kick returns). Williams, who suffered a broken finger early in 2008 was limited as a return man, but made a name for himself in 2007 when he set school records in returns (39) and yards (954), while also returning a kickoff 78 yards for a touchdown in the GMAC Bowl, the first-ever in that bowl's history.
Career Kickoff Returns
1. Reggie Thornton (1986-89) 65
2. Roger Williams (2006-pr) 58
3. Joe Alls (1999-02) 55
4. Darryl Story (1983-86) 51
5. Terry Wilson (1988-92) 49
Career Kickoff Return Yards
1. Roger Williams (2006-pr) 1,275
2. Reggie Thornton (1986-89) 1,222
3. Joe Alls (1999-02) 1,147
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