Bowling Green State University Athletics

Falcons Host Ohio To Begin Midweek #MACtion
October 29, 2015 | Football
Bowling Green Falcons (6-2, 4-0 MAC)
vs
Ohio Bobcats (5-3, 2-2 MAC)
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vs
Ohio Bobcats (5-3, 2-2 MAC)
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GAME INFORMATION | Wednesday, Nov. 4, 8:00 pm |
LOCATION | Bowling Green, Ohio (Doyt L. Perry Stadium) |
TELEVISION | ESPN2 (Dave Lamont, Desmond Howard, Quint Kessenich) |
RADIO | Falcon Radio Network (Todd Walker, John Gibson) |
LIVE STATS | BGSUFalcons.com |
WATCH ONLINE | ESPN3.com/WatchESPN |
LISTEN ONLINE | BGSUFalcons.com |
GAME NOTES | BGSU | Ohio | MAC |
Falcons Host Ohio To Begin Midweek #MACtion
Coming off a dominating 48-0 shutout win on the road at Kent State, the Bowling Green State University football team returns home for a crucial MAC East Division showdown with the Ohio Bobcats. The Falcons, winners of five consecutive games, became bowl eligible for the fourth straight season with their win at KSU. It was their first shutout since a 49-0 win against Ohio on Nov. 12, 2013. BGSU and Ohio will kickoff on Wednesday night at 8:00 pm on ESPN2.
A Win Against Ohio Would...
• Make the Falcons 7-2 overall for the first time since the 2004 season which saw the Falcons begin the year 8-2
• Give the Falcons a 5-0 start in MAC play for the first time since the 2003 campaign
• Be BGSU's 17th straight win over a MAC East foe, making them 21-1 against teams from the East Division since the start of the 2012 season
• Mark the Falcons' fourth consecutive win in the series against the Bobcats, dating back to a 29-28 loss on Nov. 16, 2011
Falcon Facts From The Win Over Kent State
• Bowling Green's 48-0 win marked their first shutout since defeating Ohio 49-0 on Nov. 12, 2013 at Doyt L. Perry Stadium.
• The 48-point margin of victory was the Falcons' largest all-time against the Golden Flashes – the previous best was 45 in a 45-0 win.
• The shutout against the Golden Flashes was the first for the Falcons in the series since a 44-0 win in 1970.
• BGSU improved to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in the MAC with the win and became bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season.
• Matt Johnson passed for 430 yards and five touchdowns in the game, marking his sixth game this season with more than 400 yards passing. He has now passed for five touchdowns in three straight games and four total games this season (6 at Maryland).
• Johnson also rushed for 45 yards and a score in the game, accounting for 475 yards and six total touchdowns.
• Lewis had four catches for 102 yards and two TDs. For Lewis, it was his fourth straight 100-yard receiving performance.
• BGSU had two interceptions in the game – Eilar Hardy and Alfonso Mack. For Mack, it was his third straight game with an interception.
• Ryan Burbrink, who had eight receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown, surpassed 2,000 career receiving yards in the game.
• BGSU's 602 total yards of offense marked the third time this season – and the fourth time under Dino Babers – that they have gone over 600 yards of offense. It was the ninth straight game in which BGSU has totaled at least 500 yards of total offense.
Head Coach Dino Babers
• Dino Babers is in his second season at the helm of the Orange and Brown, and his fourth season overall as a head coach. He has a career record of 33-15 and has won a championship in all three seasons thus far.
• Babers has impressed in his Bowling Green tenure to date, compiling a record of 14-8 in just his second season.
• In his first season, Babers led a team which lost its starting QB in week one, winning eight games. In those eight wins were a victory over a Big Ten foe (Indiana), a MAC East Division championship, and Bowling Green's first bowl win since the 2004 season.
• The Falcons went 2-2 through one of the nation's toughest nonconference schedules this season, defeating two Big Ten Conference opponents on the road. Babers has compiled an impressive 3-1 record against Big Ten opponents - defeating Indiana, Maryland and Purdue.
Falcons Defense Trending UpWARD
• The Bowling Green defense has shown steady improvement in each game this season under first year defensive coordinator Brian Ward, and the results have been evident in each of the past two weeks.
• During the last two games, the BGSU defense has allowed just 437 total yards and 10 points, as the Falcons have outscored opponents 107-10 during that stretch.
• The Falcons earned a shutout against Kent State last week, the first shutout for BGSU since Nov. 12, 2013 in a 49-0 win against Ohio. It was the first shutout for the Falcons against KSU since 1970.
• The week before, BGSU allowed just 10 points to Akron while surrendering 271 total yards.
• BGSU has allowed less than 300 yards of total offense to an opponent in back-to-back games.
Don't Forget About The Offense, Though
• Bowling Green has scored 169 points over the last three weeks, the Falcons' most prolific offensive stretch in school history.
• The Falcons have totaled 22 touchdowns during the last three games.
• BGSU, which has never scored 48 points or more in three consecutive games until this season, has scored 62, 59, and 48 points in the last three games.
• The 2015 season marks just the fourth time in school history that a BGSU team has had two performances scoring 59-or-more points in a game. The Falcons have never done so three times in the same season.
• The last time a BGSU team won back-to-back games by scoring 50-plus points came in 2004 when the Falcons scored 52 and 56 in consecutive games.
The Ziggy Warriors Are Road Warriors
• With their 48-0 win at Kent State, the Falcons are now 4-0 on the road this season.
• Bowling Green is one of just six teams in the country with four road wins, and one of just five teams with an umblemished road record. The game against Tennessee was a neutral site contest.
• The four teams to join the Falcons at 4-0 this season are all ranked inside the top 25. TCU, Houston, Memphis and Temple all are a perfect 4-0 with the Falcons away from home in 2015.
Midweek #MACtion Returns
• Bowling Green will play four midweek games on national TV during the month of November, as the Falcons look to clinch the MAC East Division for the third straight season.
• BGSU, who has not lost a midweek #MACtion night game at home in November since Nov. 16, 2011, will host both Ohio (Nov. 4) and Toledo (Nov. 17) in #MACtion.
• The Orange and Brown will also travel on the road to play at Western Michigan (Nov. 11) and at Ball State (Nov. 24).
Bowl Eligible For The Fourth Straight Season
• With their sixth win of the season, BGSU is bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season. The Falcons have gone to three consecutive bowl games and will look to make it a fourth straight in 2015.
Johnson A Star In Babers' Offense
• Quarterback Matt Johnson (Harrisburg, Pa.) has been a star under head coach Dino Babers. Despite missing 13 games a season ago due to injury, Johnson has passed for 3,634 yards in just nine starts under Babers.
• To start the 2015 season, Johnson passed for 400 yards in each of his first four starts. He is the first player in school history to ever pass for 400 yards in back-to-back games, three times in a season, and four times in a career.
• In all, Johnson has passed for 400 yards-or-more in six of his first eight games this season.
• Although Johnson's streak of consecutive 400-yard games ended at four, only three players have ever had a longer streak within the same season.
• In his nine starts under Babers, Johnson has completed 267-of382 (69.9%) passes for 3,634 (403.8 ypg) yards and 30 touchdowns. More impressively, Johnson has just three interceptions in nine starts under Babers.
Babers' #FalconFast Offense Has Clicked
• Ever since he took over at Bowling Green, Dino Babers has made it clear that his offensive system usually clicks between games four and six of the second season.
• Against UMass (game six of the second season), Bowling Green set a new school record with 725 yards of total offense.
• Babers' Falcons have had at least 532 offensive yards in all eight games this season, and are fourth in the country averaging 595.3 yards per game.
• In his 22 games at BGSU, Babers' teams have had 500-or-more yards of offense 14 times, including nine consecutive games dating back to last year' Camellia Bowl.
• The Falcons offense leads the MAC in scoring offense (43.9) and is sixth in the nation in that category.
• For the eighth consecutive week to begin the season, a BGSU offensive player has earned MAC East Offensive Player of the Week.
• Matt Johnson was honored for the sixth time already this season following a 48-0 win at Kent State. Johnson passed for 430 yards and five touchdowns, while rushing for 45 yards and another touchdown.
• Roger Lewis has also earned the award twice this season, following a 261-yard, three TD performance against Memphis and a 201-yard performance at Buffalo.
Falcons Among Nation's Best In Passes Defended
• Defending the pass has been a total team effort for the Orange and Brown this season, as 13 players have recorded at least one pass defended.
• As a team, the Falcons have registered 38 pass breakups and 10 interceptions this season. BGSU is third in the MAC in interceptions and first in the conference with a plus-9 turnover margin.
#MattyJHeisman Leading NCAA
• BGSU quarterback Matt Johnson leads the nation in passing with 3,321 yards through eight games this season.
• He has completed 242-of-345 passes (70.1%) with 29 touchdown passes compared to just three interceptions.
• Johnson leads the nation in total passing yards (3,321), pass yards per game (415.1), total offense (434.1) and passing TDs (29).
• Through eight games this season, Johnson's 3,321 yards are the fourth-most in FBS football since 2000
Huettel Set To Start 50th Consecutive Game
• Redshirt senior Alex Huettel (Pickerington, Ohio) has started 49 consecutive games for the Orange and Brown, marking every game in his career. Huettel, after redshirting during his true freshman season, has played in and started all 49 games since. He is set to make his 50th consecutive start on Wednesday against Ohio.
• Below is a list of NCAA FBS players who have active starting streaks of at least 45 games:
50 – Aidan Conlon/Andrew Ness, NIU
49 – Alex Huettel, Bowling Green
48 – Evan Boehm, Missouri
45 – Alonzo Russell, Toledo
45 – Ben Clarke, Hawaii
Lewis A Biletnikoff Award Candidate
• Wide receiver Roger Lewis has caught 58 passes for 1,122 yards and 11 touchdowns through eight games in 2015.
• Lewis, who earned first team All-MAC in 2014 as a true freshman, had 73 catches for 1,093 yards and seven touchdowns a season ago.
• A Pickerington, Ohio native, Lewis has had six 100-yard games, including four consecutive. He has had three 200-yard games this year, more than anybody has ever had in their career as a Falcon.
• Lewis, despite ranking just third in the MAC and 13th nationally in receptions per game, leads the country in receiving yards.
• A true sophomore, Lewis leads the MAC and is third in the country with 11 receiving touchdowns.
• For his career, Lewis' 2,215 receiving yards ranks 11th in school history, while his 18 touchdown receptions rank tied for seventh in school history.
Trio Of Falcon Receivers Are On Biletnikoff Award Watch List
• Three Bowling Green receivers are riding impressive streaks, as all three have caught a pass in at least 22 consecutive games. In two cases, those streaks stretch back to the 2013 season. All three are on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
• Roger Lewis leads the Falcons with 1,122 receiving yards and 58 receptions. He has caught a pass in all 22 games of his career.
• Ronnie Moore has caught a pass in 24 straight games. He is second on the Falcons with 50 catches this season for 631 yards. Saturday at Kent State, Moore had 151 reception yards and two touchdowns.
• Sure-handed Ryan Burbrink has caught a pass in 23 straight games, dating back to the 2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Burbrink has 40 receptions for 492 yards and four touchdowns this season.
Johnson A Beast Against Group Of Five Teams
• In 15 career starts against Group of 5 conference opponents, Matt Johnson has a career record of 12-3.
• In those 15 career starts against Group of 5 conference opponents, Johnson and the Falcons have outscored opponents 617-to-288.
• Two of Johnson's losses have come by three points each, while his third loss came at Western Kentucky in 2014 when he was injured midway through the contest and still managed to pass for over 300 yards.
Greene Running Towards History In 2015
Redshirt senior Travis Greene is in his third season at running back for the Falcons in 2015, after coming to BGSU and playing wide receiver his first two years on campus. Greene has set the school record for most rushing yards in a season and nearly broke 1,000 yards a season ago despite missing two games because of injury. What will his third year bring? He is chasing several milestones in the Orange and Brown in 2015, including:
• Currently sits 4th all-time with 3,143 rushing yards...just 280 yards shy of the all-time career record currently held by Dave Preston (1973-76)
• Could become just the second Falcon player ever, behind Paul Miles, to lead Bowling Green in rushing in three consecutive seasons
• Enters November with 16 career 100-yard rushing games...the school record is 20 held by Dave Preston.
Falcons Have Explosive Receivers
• Through the first eight games of the season, Bowling Green has four receivers who rank inside the top 100 in the nation in several prominent statistical categories.
• BGSU is the only program in the nation to have four receivers with 40-or-more receptions. All four rank inside the top 77 nationally for receiving yards, as well.
• Roger Lewis leads the nation in receiving yards with 1,122. He is followed by Ronnie Moore (631, 29th), Ryan Burbrink (492, 66th) and Gehrig Dieter (478, 77th).
Falcons Have Been Beasts Of The East
• Since the start of the 2012 season, Bowling Green has a combined record of 20-1 against foes from the MAC's East Division.
• More impressively, the Falcons have won 16 straight games against MAC East opponents, dating back to a 2012 win over Buffalo in the regular season finale.
• With that success has come results, as the Falcons have won back-to-back MAC East Division titles.
• Bowling Green is undefeated against teams from the MAC East in each of the past two seasons (2013, 2014), directly leading to two MAC Championship Game appearances as the East Division representative.
• BGSU currently sits at 4-0 against teams in the East Division so far in 2015, with this week's game against Ohio left on the schedule.
Johnson Chasing Historic Career
• Matt Johnson has passed for at least 300 yards in nine consecutive games and 11 total games during his career.
• Johnson is one game shy of tying Tyler Sheehan's (2009) school record for most 300-yard passing games in a season. Sheehan did so nine times in '09.
• The signal caller is also just one game shy of tying Omar Jacobs' career record for most 300-yard games with 12. Johnson sits at 11 entering Wednesday's game against Ohio.
Former Falcons In The NFL
• Eight former Falcons were on preseason NFL rosters this season, including four who have played a significant role with NFL teams over the past several years.
• Kory Lichtensteiger is the starting center for the Washington Redskins. He has started every game since the 2010 season.
• Both Chris Jones (PUP list) and Shaun Suisham (IR) have had significant impacts in past seasons for the Patriots and Steelers, respectively. Jones won a Super Bowl last season with the Patriots, while Suisham is signed through 2018 and was a Special Teams captain last season for the Steelers.
• Jude Adjei-Barimah made his debut with the Tampa Bay Bucs a few weeks ago against the Carolina Panthers, playing on special teams and defense. Last week against Washington, he had two tackles.
• Two other Falcons - Alex Bayer (San Diego Chargers) and Gabe Martin (Arizona Cardinals) - are on NFL practice squads.
Senior Class One Of Best In School History
• Bowling Green's senior class has been one of the best in school history, totaling 32 wins to date. If the Falcons can win five games the rest of the season, the 2015 senior class will be the winningest in school history.
37 • 2001-04
36 • 1991-94
34 • 1982-85
32 • 1959-62
32 • 1961-64
32 • 2012-15
#MattyJFor5K
• Matt Johnson has recorded an impressive six 400-yard games through the first eight weeks of a season. Since 2000, there have only been 12 quarterbacks to have as many 400-yard games in a season as Johnson has had.
400 yard passing games in a season
11 – Graham Harrell (Texas Tech) 2007
9 – Colt Brennan (Hawaii) 2006; B.J. Symons (Texas Tech) 2003
8 – Derek Carr (Fresno State) 2013
7 – Case Keenum (Houston) 2009; Keenum 2007
6 – Matt Johnson (BGSU) 2015; Brennan 2007; Shane Carden (ECU) 2014; Sonny Cumbie (Texas Tech) 2004; Connor Halliday (Wash. State) 2014; Harrell 2008
2015 #GutGang Feasting At The All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Buffet
• Bowling Green features one of the most experienced offensive line units in the entire country, and it has showed thus far.
• The Falcons' have 165 offensive line career starts on the roster, second-most in FBS football. Alex Huettel (49), Jacob Bennett (36), Logan Dietz (34), Tim McAuliffe (22), Ben Steward (14), Ryan Hunter (8), and Austin Labus (2) make up the 165.
• Bowling Green was one of just nine schools in the entire country to start the same five players on the offensive line every game last season. The Falcons were joined by Fresno State, UL-Lafayette, Northern Illinois, Ohio State, Rutgers, Tulane, Wisconsin and Rice. BGSU is the only one of those nine that returns all five starters in 2015.
Top 25 Heat Index
• According to College Football Leaderboard (@CFBLB), the Falcons rank No. 9 in the country on their Top 25 Heat Index, which measures a team's performance over the last four weeks.
• During their 4-0 start in MAC play, the Falcons are outscoring opponents by a total of 197-to-70.
• The Falcons are the only Group of 5 conference team to appear on the list.  Â
Forty Point Falcons
• So far through eight games this season, Bowling Green has scored 40 points in five games. It marks just the fifth season in school history that the Falcons have reached at least 40 points in a game five times in the same season.
• The most 40-point games in a season came in 2004, when the Falcons did so nine times. BGSU has also scored 40 points at least five times in 2005 (5), 2013 (6) and 2002 (6).
Knowledge Is Power
• Bowling Green has scored at least 48 points in three straight games for the first time in school history. The 2015 season marks just the third season in school history that a Falcon team has scored at least 40 points in three straight games (also 2004 & 2013).
Fifty Point Falcons
• The 2015 season marks the sixth time in BGSU's 96 years of football history that they have scored 50 points at least two times in the same season.
• The school record for 50-point performances in the same season was four, which the 2004 team did.
• BGSU has also scored 50 points multiple times in the same season in 2002 (3), 1959 (2), 1994 (2) and 2003 (2).
Streaking Falcons
• The Falcons enter Wednesday's contest with Ohio on a five-game winning streak, their longest since 2013.
• The five-game winning streak is just BGSU's 10th winning streak of at least five games since the 1975 season.
Trending Towards 100
• In the first season of Dino Babers' #FalconFast offense at Bowling Green, the Falcons had 11 receiving and nine rushing performances of 100-or-more yards. The 11 receiving games tied a school record for most in a season, while the nine rushing efforts was just two shy of the school record.
• After just eight games this season, BGSU appears to be primed to break the school record for most 100-yard receiving games in a season. The Falcons have had nine-such performances in the first eight weeks.  Â
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Players Mentioned
BG Football Press Conference 10.6
Monday, October 06
BG Football Postgame 9.27 at Ohio
Saturday, September 27
FB: Louisville Game Cinematic Highlight
Tuesday, September 23
BG Football Press Conference 9.22
Monday, September 22