Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Open Season at #23 Florida
August 26, 2012 | Football
Game 1: Sat., Sept. 1 • 3:30 p.m.
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548)
Gainesville, Fla.
Series vs. Florida: 0-0-0
Series Streak: First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting
Television: ESPN -- Mark Jones (play-by-play) and Brock Huard (analyst)
Radio: Falcon Sports Radio Network -- Todd Walker (play-by-play) and John Gibson (analyst)
WBGU 88.1 FM: None
BGSU Game Notes
Florida Game Notes
Live Stats (Coming Soon)
DaveMeyerBG (Twitter)
Media Center
Watch Live
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548)
Gainesville, Fla.
Series vs. Florida: 0-0-0
Series Streak: First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting
Television: ESPN -- Mark Jones (play-by-play) and Brock Huard (analyst)
Radio: Falcon Sports Radio Network -- Todd Walker (play-by-play) and John Gibson (analyst)
WBGU 88.1 FM: None
BGSU Game Notes
Florida Game Notes
Live Stats (Coming Soon)
DaveMeyerBG (Twitter)
Media Center
Watch Live
BGSU Quick Hits
• The Bowling Green State University football team begins its 94th season of football and has an all-time record of 497-346-51 (.585).
• Bowling Green finished the 2011 season at 5-7 overall, a three-game improvement from the 2-10 Falcons in 2010.
• Head coach Dave Clawson finished his third season at the helm of the football team and has an all-time record of 72-72 and is 14-23 at BGSU.
• The Falcons graduate just four senior starters (Ben Bojicic, Eugene Cooper, Kamar Jorden and Kevin Moore) from the 2011 season.
• BGSU will return 20 starters, including seven on offense, 10 on defense and three on special teams.
• Chris Jones led the MAC in sacks with 8.5.
• Linebacker Dwayne Woods was sixth in the conference with 111 tackles.
• Jones (14.0) and Woods (14.0) combined for 28 tackles for loss, the second-most among any duo in the conference.
• Anthon Samuel finished third in the country in rushing yards/game among freshmen at 93.8 and was named MAC Freshman of the Year.
• Matt Schilz finished fourth in the conference with 3,024 passing yards and was tied for the MAC lead with 28 passing touchdowns.
• Punter Brian Schmiedebusch was a semi-finalist for the Ray Guy Award in 2011 and earned first-team All-MAC honors in his first year with the Falcons.
• Anthon Samuel (Doak Walker), Chris Jones (Rotary Lombardi), Dwayne Woods (Rotary Lombardi and Butkus), Brian Schmiedebusch (Ray Guy) and Alex Bayer (John Mackey) were all named to preseason watch lists.
• According to philsteele.com the Falcons have the 10th youngest roster in the country with 66.7 percent of the roster underclassmen.
Your 2012 Falcons
After a bowl game in 2009 under then first year head coach Dave Clawson, the Falcons had a two-year rebuilding plan that saw the Falcons win just two games in 2010 and five games in 2011. In that plan Clawson redshirted most of the roster in each of those years, but those two years of pain seem to have the Falcons back on track as 2012 begins.
What Returns?
The Falcons return 20 starters from last year's squad, including seven on offense, 10 on defense and three on special teams. Of those 20 returning starters, only four are seniors (Jordon Roussos, Chip Robinson, Chris Jones and Dwayne Woods).
Offense Returns...
• 96.3 percent of its passing yards (3,024 of 3,139).
• 94.6 percent of its rushing yards (1,396 of 1,475).
• 26.2 percent of its receiving yards (821 of 3,139).
Defense Returns...
• 88.6 percent of its tackles (775 of 875).
• 92.9 percent of its sacks (19.5 of 21)
• 90.5 percent of its tackles for loss (57 of 63).
• 100 percent of its interceptions (6 of 6).
• 100 percent of its forced fumbles (11 of 11).
Youth Still Served
Even with 20 starters returning and all those impressive numbers above, the Falcons still have the 10th youngest team in the country according to PhilSteele.com. According to that website the Falcons have 66.7 percent of its roster as under-classmen. The entire roster breakdown is below.
Seniors 10 (9.5%)
Juniors 25 (23.8%)
Sophomores 26 (24.8%)
Freshmen 44 (41.9%)
Not Clawson's First Rebuild
It would not be hard to argue that the Falcons were rebuilding in 2010 and 2011, as things seem to be lining up well for the Orange and Brown in 2012. It's not the first time head coach Dave Clawson has rebuilt a program from the ground up.
In his first year as head coach, Fordham finished the 1999 season 0-11. By 2002 and 2003 the Rams went 10-3 and 9-3 in Clawson's final two seasons. In 2004 he led Richmond to a 3-8 record and by the fourth year the Spiders were 11-3.
Take Me To Your Leader
The Falcons will have six captains in 2012: Dominic Flewellyn (OL), Ronnie Goble (DE), Chris Jones (DT), Matt Schilz (QB), Paul Swan (LB) and Bart Tanski (WR).
The Series
The meeting between Florida and Bowling Green is the first meeting between the two schools. It will also be just the fourth time in BGSU history when facing a team from the Southeastern Conference. The Falcons are 1-3 all-time versus the SEC, with its lone win coming at Kentucky in 1985. Bowling Green is 2-4 all-time in the state of Florida with wins over Central Florida (1999) and Florida International (2006).
Urban Legacy
Urban Meyer led the Florida Gators to a pair of National Championships in 2006 and 2008, but what most may not know is that he began his head coaching career at Bowling Green. In two years with the Falcons, Meyer went 17-6 and helped build a foundation that saw BGSU advance to bowl games in 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2009.
Home Away From Home
Despite traveling from Bowling Green, Ohio, all the way to Gainesville, Fla., several members of the BGSU football team will be returning home. Obviously, the Falcons will have a majority of its roster from the state of Ohio (44), Florida (13) is tied for second-most on the team.
Ohio 44
Florida 13
Michigan 13
Pennsylvania 10
Indiana 6
Illinois 5
California 3
New York 2
Virginia, Maryland, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Hawaii and Ontario, Canada (All With One)
Falcons Versus Ranked Teams
The Falcons have beaten a nationally-ranked team just four times in school history. BGSU downed No. 25 Pittsburgh (2008), No. 12 Northern Illinois (2003), No. 16 Purdue (2003) and No. 18 Purdue (1972). Only the Northern Illinois win came inside Doyt Perry Stadium.
Holding Their Own
Since 2003 the Falcons have squared-off with nine teams ranked in the top-25 and have come away with three wins.
at #16 Purdue (2003) W, 27-26
at #4 Ohio State (2003) L, 24-17
vs. #12 Northern Illinois (2003) W, 34-18
vs. #14 Miami (OH) (2003) - MAC Champ. L, 49-27
at #2 Oklahoma (2004) L, 40-24
at #1 Ohio State (2006) L, 35-7
at #25 Pittsburgh (2008) W, 27-17
vs. #4 Boise State (2009) L, 49-14
at #21 Michigan (2010) L, 65-21
at #22 West Virginia (2011) L, 55-10
Schilz By The Numbers
• Threw for 3,024 yards in 2011, the sixth-most yards in school history and just the fifth BGSU quarterback to throw for over 3,000 yards in a single season.
• Threw 28 touchdown passes, the second-most in BGSU history.
• His 245 completions were eighth-most in school history.
• His 412 attempts ranked seventh.
Running By the Records
Freshman Anthon Samuel finished the year with 844 yards on the ground in 2011, the most by a freshman running back at Bowling Green history. He added five 100-yard games and earned MAC Freshman of the Year honors for his efforts.
Anthon Samuel (2011) - 844
Chris Bullock (2006) - 769
Godfrey Lewis (1998) - 753
Bayer Named to John Mackey Watch List
Alex Bayer has been named to the Preseason John Mackey Award Watch List, announced by the Nassau County Sports Commission, sponsored by Briarcliffe College on July 10. The award is given annually to the most outstanding collegiate tight end.
Bayer, a junior, started all 12 games in 2011, finishing the year with 20 catches for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Bayer's best game came in week three versus Wyoming where he finished with 62 receiving yards on three catches versus the Cowboys. A week later he caught a four-yard touchdown pass in a 37-23 win at Miami. Bayer has started 16 and played in 24 games as a Falcon. For his career he has 42 catches for 540 yards and three scores.
Jones'n For Sacks
Chris Jones has led the Falcons in sacks in each of the past two seasons, finishing 2010 with 6.0 and added 8.5 (led MAC) in 2011. Combined with his one sack in 2009, Jones has 15.5 career sacks, ranking fifth in BGSU history.
BGSU Career Sack Leaders
Kevin O'Brien (1989-92) - 31.0
Diyral Briggs (2005-08) - 26.0
Devon Parks (2003-06) - 22.0
Brandon Hicks (1998-2001) - 20.0
Mitch Crossley (2001-04) - 18.0
Chris Jones (2009-PR) - 15.5
Jones and Woods Named to Rotary Lombardi Watch List
Chris Jones and Dwayne Woods were named to the Rotary Lombardi Watch List this summer. The award is given to the nation's top college lineman or linebacker.
Jones was one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the conference last season, en route to earning First-Team All-MAC honors. The now senior, finished 2011 with 47 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. His sack total led the Mid-American Conference and was tied for fourth in tackles for loss.
Woods has been a tackling machine over the past two years. In 2011 he led the Falcons with 111 tackles and in 2010 was sixth in the country with 134 stops. The senior has 269 career tackles, 100 tackles shy of cracking into the top-10 in BGSU history.
Samual Named to Doak Walker Watch List
Anthon Samuel, was named to the Doak Walker Candidate List, annually given to the nation's top running back. A total of 52 student-athletes were named to the list.
Samuel finished 2011 as the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year after recording 844 rushing yards and five touchdowns in nine games. His rushing total was the most-ever by a Falcon freshman and was third in the nation among first-year tailbacks. Samuel also earned Third-Team Freshman All-American honors by Phil Steele.
Gates Named To Paul Hornung List
Booboo Gates, was named to the Paul Hornung Award Watch List on Aug. 2. The award is given to the nation's most versatile player in college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend Paul Hornung.
It would be hard to find a more versatile player in all of college football than Gates. In 2011, in his first year as a starter, Gates finished the season second on the team with 73 tackles from his rover position. He added a team-high two interceptions, added two tackles for loss, one sack, three pass breakups and a forced fumble. As impressive as that was, he may have been even better as a kick returner.
Gates earned second-team All-MAC honors as a kick returner in 2011, finishing the year with 38 returns for 981 yards and a touchdown. His yardage total was the highest single season in BGSU history. Gates added an 88-yard touchdown return versus arch-rival Toledo and had a school record 233 return yards versus West Virginia, including a 77-yard return.
Schmiedebusch Named to Ray Guy Watch List
The Augusta Sports Council has announced the preseason watch list for the 2012 Ray Guy Award, which honors the nation's top collegiate punter and BGSU's Brian Schmiedebusch was named to that list.
Schmiedebusch had one of the best punting performances in Mid-American Conference history in 2011 after averaging 45.3 yards per punt, eighth-best in conference history and second-best in BGSU history. For his efforts Schmiedebusch earned First-Team All-MAC honors and was named a Ray Guy semi-finalist midway through the 2011 season. The junior finished 2011 with 19 punts over 50 yards, including punts of 81, 76 and 73 yards and downed 18 kicks inside the opponent's 20-yardline.
• The Bowling Green State University football team begins its 94th season of football and has an all-time record of 497-346-51 (.585).
• Bowling Green finished the 2011 season at 5-7 overall, a three-game improvement from the 2-10 Falcons in 2010.
• Head coach Dave Clawson finished his third season at the helm of the football team and has an all-time record of 72-72 and is 14-23 at BGSU.
• The Falcons graduate just four senior starters (Ben Bojicic, Eugene Cooper, Kamar Jorden and Kevin Moore) from the 2011 season.
• BGSU will return 20 starters, including seven on offense, 10 on defense and three on special teams.
• Chris Jones led the MAC in sacks with 8.5.
• Linebacker Dwayne Woods was sixth in the conference with 111 tackles.
• Jones (14.0) and Woods (14.0) combined for 28 tackles for loss, the second-most among any duo in the conference.
• Anthon Samuel finished third in the country in rushing yards/game among freshmen at 93.8 and was named MAC Freshman of the Year.
• Matt Schilz finished fourth in the conference with 3,024 passing yards and was tied for the MAC lead with 28 passing touchdowns.
• Punter Brian Schmiedebusch was a semi-finalist for the Ray Guy Award in 2011 and earned first-team All-MAC honors in his first year with the Falcons.
• Anthon Samuel (Doak Walker), Chris Jones (Rotary Lombardi), Dwayne Woods (Rotary Lombardi and Butkus), Brian Schmiedebusch (Ray Guy) and Alex Bayer (John Mackey) were all named to preseason watch lists.
• According to philsteele.com the Falcons have the 10th youngest roster in the country with 66.7 percent of the roster underclassmen.
Your 2012 Falcons
After a bowl game in 2009 under then first year head coach Dave Clawson, the Falcons had a two-year rebuilding plan that saw the Falcons win just two games in 2010 and five games in 2011. In that plan Clawson redshirted most of the roster in each of those years, but those two years of pain seem to have the Falcons back on track as 2012 begins.
What Returns?
The Falcons return 20 starters from last year's squad, including seven on offense, 10 on defense and three on special teams. Of those 20 returning starters, only four are seniors (Jordon Roussos, Chip Robinson, Chris Jones and Dwayne Woods).
Offense Returns...
• 96.3 percent of its passing yards (3,024 of 3,139).
• 94.6 percent of its rushing yards (1,396 of 1,475).
• 26.2 percent of its receiving yards (821 of 3,139).
Defense Returns...
• 88.6 percent of its tackles (775 of 875).
• 92.9 percent of its sacks (19.5 of 21)
• 90.5 percent of its tackles for loss (57 of 63).
• 100 percent of its interceptions (6 of 6).
• 100 percent of its forced fumbles (11 of 11).
Youth Still Served
Even with 20 starters returning and all those impressive numbers above, the Falcons still have the 10th youngest team in the country according to PhilSteele.com. According to that website the Falcons have 66.7 percent of its roster as under-classmen. The entire roster breakdown is below.
Seniors 10 (9.5%)
Juniors 25 (23.8%)
Sophomores 26 (24.8%)
Freshmen 44 (41.9%)
Not Clawson's First Rebuild
It would not be hard to argue that the Falcons were rebuilding in 2010 and 2011, as things seem to be lining up well for the Orange and Brown in 2012. It's not the first time head coach Dave Clawson has rebuilt a program from the ground up.
In his first year as head coach, Fordham finished the 1999 season 0-11. By 2002 and 2003 the Rams went 10-3 and 9-3 in Clawson's final two seasons. In 2004 he led Richmond to a 3-8 record and by the fourth year the Spiders were 11-3.
Take Me To Your Leader
The Falcons will have six captains in 2012: Dominic Flewellyn (OL), Ronnie Goble (DE), Chris Jones (DT), Matt Schilz (QB), Paul Swan (LB) and Bart Tanski (WR).
The Series
The meeting between Florida and Bowling Green is the first meeting between the two schools. It will also be just the fourth time in BGSU history when facing a team from the Southeastern Conference. The Falcons are 1-3 all-time versus the SEC, with its lone win coming at Kentucky in 1985. Bowling Green is 2-4 all-time in the state of Florida with wins over Central Florida (1999) and Florida International (2006).
Urban Legacy
Urban Meyer led the Florida Gators to a pair of National Championships in 2006 and 2008, but what most may not know is that he began his head coaching career at Bowling Green. In two years with the Falcons, Meyer went 17-6 and helped build a foundation that saw BGSU advance to bowl games in 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2009.
Home Away From Home
Despite traveling from Bowling Green, Ohio, all the way to Gainesville, Fla., several members of the BGSU football team will be returning home. Obviously, the Falcons will have a majority of its roster from the state of Ohio (44), Florida (13) is tied for second-most on the team.
Ohio 44
Florida 13
Michigan 13
Pennsylvania 10
Indiana 6
Illinois 5
California 3
New York 2
Virginia, Maryland, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Hawaii and Ontario, Canada (All With One)
Falcons Versus Ranked Teams
The Falcons have beaten a nationally-ranked team just four times in school history. BGSU downed No. 25 Pittsburgh (2008), No. 12 Northern Illinois (2003), No. 16 Purdue (2003) and No. 18 Purdue (1972). Only the Northern Illinois win came inside Doyt Perry Stadium.
Holding Their Own
Since 2003 the Falcons have squared-off with nine teams ranked in the top-25 and have come away with three wins.
at #16 Purdue (2003) W, 27-26
at #4 Ohio State (2003) L, 24-17
vs. #12 Northern Illinois (2003) W, 34-18
vs. #14 Miami (OH) (2003) - MAC Champ. L, 49-27
at #2 Oklahoma (2004) L, 40-24
at #1 Ohio State (2006) L, 35-7
at #25 Pittsburgh (2008) W, 27-17
vs. #4 Boise State (2009) L, 49-14
at #21 Michigan (2010) L, 65-21
at #22 West Virginia (2011) L, 55-10
Schilz By The Numbers
• Threw for 3,024 yards in 2011, the sixth-most yards in school history and just the fifth BGSU quarterback to throw for over 3,000 yards in a single season.
• Threw 28 touchdown passes, the second-most in BGSU history.
• His 245 completions were eighth-most in school history.
• His 412 attempts ranked seventh.
Running By the Records
Freshman Anthon Samuel finished the year with 844 yards on the ground in 2011, the most by a freshman running back at Bowling Green history. He added five 100-yard games and earned MAC Freshman of the Year honors for his efforts.
Anthon Samuel (2011) - 844
Chris Bullock (2006) - 769
Godfrey Lewis (1998) - 753
Bayer Named to John Mackey Watch List
Alex Bayer has been named to the Preseason John Mackey Award Watch List, announced by the Nassau County Sports Commission, sponsored by Briarcliffe College on July 10. The award is given annually to the most outstanding collegiate tight end.
Bayer, a junior, started all 12 games in 2011, finishing the year with 20 catches for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Bayer's best game came in week three versus Wyoming where he finished with 62 receiving yards on three catches versus the Cowboys. A week later he caught a four-yard touchdown pass in a 37-23 win at Miami. Bayer has started 16 and played in 24 games as a Falcon. For his career he has 42 catches for 540 yards and three scores.
Jones'n For Sacks
Chris Jones has led the Falcons in sacks in each of the past two seasons, finishing 2010 with 6.0 and added 8.5 (led MAC) in 2011. Combined with his one sack in 2009, Jones has 15.5 career sacks, ranking fifth in BGSU history.
BGSU Career Sack Leaders
Kevin O'Brien (1989-92) - 31.0
Diyral Briggs (2005-08) - 26.0
Devon Parks (2003-06) - 22.0
Brandon Hicks (1998-2001) - 20.0
Mitch Crossley (2001-04) - 18.0
Chris Jones (2009-PR) - 15.5
Jones and Woods Named to Rotary Lombardi Watch List
Chris Jones and Dwayne Woods were named to the Rotary Lombardi Watch List this summer. The award is given to the nation's top college lineman or linebacker.
Jones was one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the conference last season, en route to earning First-Team All-MAC honors. The now senior, finished 2011 with 47 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. His sack total led the Mid-American Conference and was tied for fourth in tackles for loss.
Woods has been a tackling machine over the past two years. In 2011 he led the Falcons with 111 tackles and in 2010 was sixth in the country with 134 stops. The senior has 269 career tackles, 100 tackles shy of cracking into the top-10 in BGSU history.
Samual Named to Doak Walker Watch List
Anthon Samuel, was named to the Doak Walker Candidate List, annually given to the nation's top running back. A total of 52 student-athletes were named to the list.
Samuel finished 2011 as the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year after recording 844 rushing yards and five touchdowns in nine games. His rushing total was the most-ever by a Falcon freshman and was third in the nation among first-year tailbacks. Samuel also earned Third-Team Freshman All-American honors by Phil Steele.
Gates Named To Paul Hornung List
Booboo Gates, was named to the Paul Hornung Award Watch List on Aug. 2. The award is given to the nation's most versatile player in college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend Paul Hornung.
It would be hard to find a more versatile player in all of college football than Gates. In 2011, in his first year as a starter, Gates finished the season second on the team with 73 tackles from his rover position. He added a team-high two interceptions, added two tackles for loss, one sack, three pass breakups and a forced fumble. As impressive as that was, he may have been even better as a kick returner.
Gates earned second-team All-MAC honors as a kick returner in 2011, finishing the year with 38 returns for 981 yards and a touchdown. His yardage total was the highest single season in BGSU history. Gates added an 88-yard touchdown return versus arch-rival Toledo and had a school record 233 return yards versus West Virginia, including a 77-yard return.
Schmiedebusch Named to Ray Guy Watch List
The Augusta Sports Council has announced the preseason watch list for the 2012 Ray Guy Award, which honors the nation's top collegiate punter and BGSU's Brian Schmiedebusch was named to that list.
Schmiedebusch had one of the best punting performances in Mid-American Conference history in 2011 after averaging 45.3 yards per punt, eighth-best in conference history and second-best in BGSU history. For his efforts Schmiedebusch earned First-Team All-MAC honors and was named a Ray Guy semi-finalist midway through the 2011 season. The junior finished 2011 with 19 punts over 50 yards, including punts of 81, 76 and 73 yards and downed 18 kicks inside the opponent's 20-yardline.
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