Falcons Set To Host VMI In Home Opener

Bowling Green State University Falcons
vs.
Virginia Military Institute Keydets
ESPN3 (Dan Gutowsky and Dustin Fox)
BGSU Radio Network (Todd Walker, John Gibson)
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
Live Stats | Live Audio

Television
* Saturday's game will be available live on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app
* Dan Gutowsky (PxP) and Dustin Fox (anaylyst) will be on the call

Radio
* Falcon Radio Network with Todd Walker (PxP) and John Gibson (analyst)
* Radio coverage can be heard on the flagship station for BGSU Football WFRO 99.1 FM in Fremont, Ohio as well as WWSR 93.1 FM (Lima, Ohio), WCIT 940 AM (Lima, Ohio), WXKR 100.7 FM (Toledo, Ohio), WONW 1280 AM (Defiance, Ohio), WHKW 1220 AM (Cleveland, Ohio), WFXN 102.3 FM (Mansfield, Ohio), WXXF 107.7 FM (Ashland, Ohio) and WHKW 1420 AM (Cleveland, Ohio).
* The Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization (BGRSO) broadcasts home games and select road games on 88.1 FM in Bowling Green.

Websites
* BGSUFalcons.com is the internet home of Bowling Green State University athletics
* Coverage of Virginia Military Institute athletics is available at VMIKeydets.com

Social Media
* Falcon fans can follow Falcon football all season long through several social media outlets which will provide in-game updates throughout the year.
* On Twitter, fans can follow @BGAthletics or @BG_Football (in-game updates), while on Instagram Falcon Athletics can be found at bgfalcons.

Online Coverage
* Live stats can be found at BGSUFalcons.com
* Live audio can be heard via the Falcon Radio Network on BGSUFalcons.com
* Live video can be accessed online via WatchESPN.com

Polls
* Bowling Green is not currently ranked in either the AP or USA Today/Coaches Polls
* The Keydets are not ranked or receiving votes in the FCS National Polls

The Teams
* Bowling Green is coming off a 59-31 loss at Western Kentucky to open the season on Friday night.
* VMI has started the season 0-1 following a loss at Bucknell, 42-38, on Saturday night

Series Info
* Saturday's meeting will be the first between Bowling Green and Virginia Military Institute

Diving Into The Home Opener
• Bowling Green State University is in its 95th season of football in 2014 with an all-time record of 515-355-52 (.587).
• The Falcons are coming off a loss at Western Kentucky on Friday night. Bowling Green lost the season opener at L.T. Smith Stadium to the Hilltoppers, 59-31.
• Saturday's game will mark the fourth straight season that the Falcons have faced an FCS opponent. The Falcons are 3-0 against such opponents during the past three seasons, having outscored them by a combined score of 154-28.
• Bowling Green holds an all-time record of 65-27-3 in home openers. The Falcons have won five consecutive openers at Doyt L. Perry Stadium.

What A Win Would Mean
• A Bowling Green win would improve the Falcons' record to 1-1 on the season. Following this weekend's game, the Orange and Brown will play two straight Big Ten opponents in Indiana and Wisconsin.
• A win would be BGSU's ninth consecutive victory against current FCS members. The last loss against a current FCS opponent for Bowling Green came in 1987, when the Falcons lost to Youngstown State 20-17.
• A win on Saturday would mark the first win of the Dino Babers era at Bowling Green.

Head Coach Dino Babers
• Dino Babers is in his first season at Bowling Green in 2014, and his third as a head coach overall.
• He has an 0-1 record at Bowling Green, but holds a career record of 19-8. Babers has won a conference title in each of his first two seasons as a head coach.
• Babers has also been named conference coach of the year in both seasons as a head coach, after taking a last-place team and winning two Ohio Valley Conference crowns at EIU.
• Babers has an impressive pedigree of mentoring NFL-caliber players. His quarterback at EIU, Jimmy Garoppolo, was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. In total, Babers has coached more than 30 NFL players.
• On top of individual player success, Babers knows how to get the most out of his teams. Babers' teams have been to the postseason eight times in the past 10 seasons.

Falcons Fly On Scoring Drives
• Bowling Green had five scoring drives on Friday night at Western Kentucky, including four touchdowns and a field goal.
• The Falcons' longest scoring drive spanned just 2:37, while their shortest scoring drive was :39 seconds.
• BGSU's average scoring drive lasted just 1:51, spanning just over six plays and more than 60 yards.

Several Falcons See First Action Of Career At WKU
• Four Falcons which had never appeared in a Bowling Green uniform picked up starts on Friday night at WKU.
• Gehrig Dieter (WR), Roger Lewis (WR), Tim McAuliffe (C), and Nate Locke (LB) all started at WKU.
• In addition to those four, eight other Falcons saw the first action of their careers against the Hilltoppers.
• Nick Johnson (CB), Austin Valdez (LB), Monti Phillips (LB), Gus Schwieterman (DL), Joe Davidson (P), Ryan Hunter (OL), John Klingerman (WR), and Shannon Smith (DL) all saw their first career action in the season opener.

Captains At WKU
• Offensive captain: Matt Johnson (Quarterback)
• Defensive captain: Gabe Martin (Linebacker)
• Special Teams captain: Tyler Tate (Placekicker)

Greene Means Go
• Travis Greene (Carol City, Fla.) rushed the ball 18 times for 91 yards and a touchdown in the season opener at Western Kentucky.
• A redshirt junior, Greene has rushed for 1,695 career yards. He is just 305 yards from becoming the 12th player in school history with more than 2,000 yards rushing.
• Greene set a school record in 2013 with 1,594 rushing yards.
• He also set a school record last season with nine games of 100-plus rushing yards a season ago.
• A versatile back, Greene scored touchdowns in eight games, including three multi-rushing touchdown contests.
• Of the five games that Greene did not reach 100 yards, he recorded more than 88 yards in three of those games.
• Eight of Greene's performances over the century mark saw him rush for 125-plus yards.
• Greene also recorded 18 receptions and two touchdowns in 2013. He had a season-high four catches for 71 yards and a score against Akron.

Mr. 300 In 2014
• Matt Johnson (Harrisburg, Pa.) passed for 314 yards on 25-of-36 passing in Friday night's season opener at Western Kentucky.
• The 25 completions tied a career high for Johnson, who also completed 25 passes last season against Indiana.
• Johnson's performance of 314 yards marked his third career 300-yard performance. Last season he did such against both Kent State and Northern Illinois.
• Last season, Johnson passed for 3,467 yards on 64.2% passing. He threw for 25 touchdowns to just seven interceptions.
• Johnson has earned all of the preseason recognition he has received in 2014, after earning MAC Championship Game MVP honors with 393 yards and five touchdowns against Northern Illinois last season.
• The redshirt junior has been named to the watch lists for the Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award, Davey O'Brien Award, and Manning Award.
• Additionally, Johnson was named First Team Preseason All-MAC by Phil Steele, Sporting News, and Athlon.

The Great Tate
• Tyler Tate (Carroll, Ohio) recorded seven points on Friday night. He was a perfect 4-for-4 on extra point attempts and also tied his career high with a 52 yard field goal late in the second quarter.
• Tate recorded the most prolific scoring season out of a kicker in BGSU history during the 2013 season.
• Tate scored 113 points on the season, most by a kicker in school history.
• On the season, the redshirt sophomore (in 2013) made 59-of-61 extra point attempts and 18-of-22 field goals.
• Tate's 59 PATs made, his 61 attempts, and his 18 field goals made were all second-most in school history for a single season.

Sutton Stands Out In Opener
• Brian Sutton (Fishers, Ind.) recorded a team-high 18 tackles (14 solo, 4 assisted) in the season opener at WKU.
• Sutton also had two tackles for loss.
• His 18 tackles and two TFLs were both career highs.
• Sutton previously set a career high last season with eight tackles and one tackle for loss.

Martin Returns To The Field
• Gabe Martin (Grand Blanc, Mich.) returned to the field on Friday night after missing the final six games of the 2013 season. It was his first appearance since Oct. 26, 2013 against Toledo, when he suffered a knee injury.
• The redshirt senior finished Friday night with 12 tackles, including 11 solo stops.
• Martin also recorded one tackle for loss and a forced fumble in the game.
• The linebacker was selected as the defensive captain of the game against WKU, after serving as a team captain in 2013.
• Martin has earned All-MAC honors each of the last two seasons.
• Following the 2012 season, the now redshirt senior was named first team All-MAC, recording a team-high 70 tackles.
• Last season, despite only playing in seven games, Martin earned second team All-MAC honors at linebacker. He recorded 36 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks last season.

Coppet Finds Paydirt
• Fred Coppet (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) will prove to be an integral part of Bowling Green's up-tempo attack in 2014.
• In Friday night's season opener, the sophomore rushed for 65 yards on six carries, including two rushes of 24 yards.
• Coppet led the team with an average of 10.8 yards per rush.
• With 6:54 remaining in the second quarter at WKU, Coppet took a pitch from Johnson and scampered into the end zone for the score.
• Not only was it Coppet's first career touchdown, but it also marked the first points of the 2014 season for the Falcons.

The Lynchpin
• D.J. Lynch (Pontiac, Mich.) has proven to be one of the most important parts of the Bowling Green defense in recent years. That will be no different in 2014.
• The redshirt senior finished with five tackles in the season opening loss to WKU.
• Last season, Lynch led the Falcons in tackles with 85, earning second team All-MAC honors.
• An outside linebacker, Lynch was tied for the team lead with 8.0 tackles for loss in 2013.
• A menace in the opposing back field, Lynch had four QB hurries, two sacks, and a fumble recovery a season ago.

Huettel Up
• Alex Huettel (Pickerington, Ohio) was named second team All-MAC in 2013 at right guard. He was one of three offensive linemen to be named All-MAC from the Falcons last season.
• Huettel became a part of one of the best interior offensive lines in the country, as they paved the way for the Falcons' offense to record over 6,400 yards.
• On the ground, BGSU rushed for 2,707 yards, including 30 touchdowns.
• Through the air, the Orange and Brown passed for 3,725 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Sure-Handed Heath
• Heath Jackson (Ada, Ohio) has become one of Matt Johnson's most reliable targets since the latter half of 2013.
• Jackson continued as one of BGSU's top receivers in the season opener, recording five catches for 58 yards.

Falcons In The Spotlight
• All but two BGSU football games will air on the ESPN family of networks in 2014, with the recently announced MAC television contract extension with ESPN.
• The WKU game will air on CBS Sports Network, while the Wisconsin game is still TBD.
• Saturday's game against VMI will air on ESPN3, while next week's contest against Indiana will be live on either ESPNU or ESPNews.

Dieter Finds Way Back To Field
• Gehrig Dieter (South Bend, Ind.) made his debut for the Orange and Brown on Friday night, starting at wide receiver against the Hilltoppers.
• After starting his career at Southern Methodist (SMU), Dieter transfered to Bowling Green following the 2012 season.
• Due to NCAA Transfer rules, Dieter was forced to sit out the entire 2013 campaign.
• In his debut for the Falcons, Dieter did not disappoint, tying for the team lead with 78 receiving yards on seven receptions.

How #FalconFast Was Born
• After the departure of Dave Clawson for Wake Forest following the 2013 season, Director of Athletics Chris Kingston announced the hiring of Dino Babers on Dec. 18, 2013.
• A protege of Art Briles at Baylor, Babers brings with him an up-tempo and exciting brand of football to Bowling Green and Doyt L. Perry Stadium.
• Inheriting a team that averaged 34.8 points per game last season, Babers and his staff will have the opportunity to use a talented and deep roster to elevate the Falcon offense to greater heights in 2014.
• What can fans expect to see out of Bowling Green this season? Well, last year at Eastern Illinois, Babers' team outscored opponents by an average of 48.2 to 22.8.
• Quarterback Matt Johnson, who started the final 13 games of the 2013 season, has a veritable plethora of weapons to choose from in 2014. Among those weapons are running back Travis Greene, who set the school record with 1,594 rushing yards in 2013.

Meet The Coaching Staff
• Sterlin Gilbert (Co-Off. Coor./QB) comes with Dino Babers from EIU where he was named the FCS Coordinator of the Year in 2013. Gilbert mentored Walter Payton Award Winner (top FCS player) and second round draft pick Jimmy Garoppolo at EIU.
• Matt Mattox (Co-Off. Coor./OL) also comes to BGSU from EIU, where he was the offensive line coach last season. Mattox, who played at Houston under Art Briles, coached an offensive line which bullied defenses to the tune of over 8,000 yards last season.
• Kim McCloud (Def. Coor.) will be in his first season at BGSU, after serving as defensive coordinator at EIU the past two seasons. Prior to his stint at EIU, McCloud spent time in the MAC at Akron. He also coached with Babers at Baylor prior to that.
• Tom Kaufman (Spec. Teams Coor./LB) has plenty of Ohio ties. After graduating from John Carroll, Kaufman coached in the D3 ranks in Ohio for several years before joining up with Babers at EIU.
• Nick Monroe (Secondary) returns for his fifth season at Bowling Green. Last season, Monroe's secondary helped BGSU finish with the nation's sixth-best passing defense.
• Sean Lewis (Wide Receivers) mentored Erik Lora, the best receiver in FCS during 2013, at EIU. Lora and teammate Adam Drake both totaled over 1,300 receiving yards and combined for 32 touchdowns last season.
• Mike Lynch (Running Backs) comes to BGSU after spending the past nine seasons at Eastern Illinois. Last season, Lynch's running backs combined to rush for over 3,000 yards.
• Tom Freeman (Defensive Line) comes to BGSU with more than 30 years of collegiate coaching experience. He has coached with Babers at Pittsburgh, Purdue, EIU, and now Bowling Green.
• Mike Mickens (Cornerbacks) returns to his home state as an assistant coach under Babers in 2014. He was an All-American at Cincinnati in 2007 and 2008.
• Derek Shay (offense), Vincent Marshall (offense), Ben Olson (defense), and Kevin Anderson II (defense) will serve as graduate assistants in 2014.
• Roy Wittke (Director of Football Operations), Andrew Sowder (Director of Player Personnel/Recruiting), and Sean Edinger (Director of Strength & Conditioning) round out the football staff.

Lewis Leads Falcons In Debut
• Roger Lewis (Pickerington, Ohio) made his debut for the Falcons on Friday night at WKU. Lewis, a former 4-star recruit out of high school, started at wide receiver.
• Lewis led the Falcons with eight receptions, while tying for the team lead with 78 receiving yards.
• While he didn't find the end zone in his debut, several of Lewis' catches put the Falcons in position to score points.

Davidson Delivers On Special Teams
• Joe Davidson (Findlay, Ohio) made his debut for the Orange and Brown at WKU, punting four times for a combined 172 yards.
• Davidson averaged 43.0 yards per punt, with a long punt of 49 yards. The redshirt freshman had one downed inside the 20 yard line.

On Pace
• Travis Greene enters the VMI game with 1,695 rushing yards in his career, just 788 shy of a tie for fifth all-time.
• Matt Johnson has passed for 3,900 yards during his career, 3,038 shy of a fifth place tie all-time.
• Tyler Tate has made 68 career extra points. If he repeats last season's 59 PATs made, he will be second all-time with 123 career makes following the 2014 season. Tate has also made 26 career field goals. He is just 19 field goals shy of a tie for most all-time. Tate made 18 field goals during the 2013 season.
• Gabe Martin (7.5 sacks) and D.J. Lynch (7.0 sacks) could join only 12 other Falcons all-time with at least 10.0 sacks in their careers.

The Falcons By Class
• While the Falcons return a lot of experience in 2014, they are still fairly young. 63% of the roster enters the year with at least three years of eligibility remaining.
• 43 players enter the season with four years of eligibility remaining. The Falcons have 21 true freshmen and 22 redshirt freshmen.
• 20 players enter the year as sophomores eligibility-wise. The Falcons have just five true sophomores and 15 redshirt sophomores.
• The junior class has just 21 players, with 14 of them having redshirted.
• The 2014 senior class will consist of 16 players, while only four of them have not redshirted during their careers.

The Falcons By State
• Bowling Green has done a great job of recruiting their backyard in recent years. 70% of the roster hails from Ohio or states that immediately border the state of Ohio.
• 45 players on the 2014 roster are from Ohio. Florida (15) and Michigan (14) have the most student-athletes on the roster besides Ohio.
• The Falcons also have players from Illinois (6), Indiana (6), Pennsylvania (5), Texas (2), California (2), Massachusetts (1), Wisconsin (1), New York (1), Maryland (1), and Canada (1).

Falcons In The NFL
• The Falcons currently have four players on NFL rosters heading into the 2014 season, including two players from the 2013 roster.
• Shaun Suisham recently signed a long-term contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He will remain their placekicker through the 2018 season.
• Kory Lichtensteiger, a member of the Washington Redskins, makes the move to center for the 2014 season. Last year, Lichtensteiger started every game at guard.
• Chris Jones enters his second season in the NFL as a member of the New England Patriots. Jones was named the Patriots Defensive MVP following last season.
• Alex Bayer, an undrafted free agent, had made the St. Louis Rams' 53-man roster. He led the Rams during preseason play with 10 catches.

Back-To-Back In The MAC
• Bowling Green will look to become the first team in the Mid-American Conference to repeat as champion since Miami University in 2003 and 2004.
• In fact, no team from the MAC East Division has even appeared in the Marathon MAC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons since Miami in '03 and '04

Garnering Attention
• Following a 2013 season which saw several Falcons earn postseason accolades and the team win a MAC Championship, it isn't surprising that several members of the Orange and Brown have been named to preseason watch lists.
• Matt Johnson has garnered the most preseason attention after earning MVP honors at the MAC Championship Game last season. Johnson has been named to the Walter Camp, Maxwell, Manning, and Davey O'Brien Preseason Watch Lists.
• Alex Huettel was named to the Rimington Award Watch List for the nation's best center.
• Tyler Tate was named to the Lou Groza Award Watch List for the country's best placekicker.
• Ryland Ward was recognized on the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List, which recognizes the nation's top defensive back.
• Johnson, Tate, Travis Greene, and Ryan Burbrink were also recognized by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) as a top 40 player at their respective position.
• Several Falcons were named Preseason First Team All-MAC by at least one publication. Burbrink (punt returner), Greene (running back), Huettel (offensive line), Johnson (quarterback), D.J. Lynch (linebacker), Bryan Thomas (defensive line), and Ward (defensive back) all garnered first team attention.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Next Event

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Bowling Green State University Athletics

Falcons Set To Host VMI In Home Opener

Next Event

Related Videos