Johnson Named MAC Offensive Player Of Year And Vern Smith Leadership Award Recipient

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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Bowling Green State University's Matt Johnson has been tabbed as the 2015 Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year as well as the winner of the 34th Vern Smith Leadership Award.

Johnson has orchestrated one of the best seasons ever out of a quarterback in MAC history, passing for 4,465 yards and a MAC record 41 touchdowns. He has led the Falcons to a 9-3 record through the regular season and BGSU's third consecutive MAC East Division title. The Orange and Brown had several impressive wins throughout the season, including road victories at Maryland and Purdue. The Falcons, behind Johnson's leadership and guidance, were the only team in the Football Bowl Subdivision to win six road games, and one of just 10 teams to go undefeated in road games.

For Bowling Green, Johnson is the first player since Omar Jacobs in 2004 to be named MAC Offensive Player of the Year. He is the fifth player in school history to earn the award, with 2015 marking the eighth time a Falcon player has been named MAC Player of the Year. Johnson is the first Falcon since Erik White in 1992 to earn the Vern Smith Leadership Award, given to the conference's top football player in honor of the former University of Toledo Athletics Director.

Through the 2015 regular season, Johnson has passed for a school-record 4,465 yards. He enters Friday's MAC Championship Game just 22 yards shy of becoming the single-season passing leader in Mid-American Conference history. His 41 passing touchdowns – and 45 total – are tied with Jacobs' for the school and MAC single-season record. Johnson leads the FBS in passing yards and points responsible for, while he is second in passing touchdowns.

Johnson, a six-time MAC East Offensive Player of the Week honoree this season, has passed for 400 yards-or-more in six games this season. Among the many honors from this season, he was a Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist, a Manning Award Midseason Watch List member, and a Johnny Unitas Midseason Watch Lister.

Perhaps Johnson's best performance of the season came in a week two win at Maryland, where he led the Falcons to a 48-27 win on the road. The Falcons, who scored 42 second-half points in the game, were led by Johnson's 491 passing yards and six touchdown passes – both career highs. The six touchdowns tied a school record. Following his first career win over a Power 5 conference opponent, Johnson was recognized as MAC East Offensive Player of the Week, Manning Award Star of the Week, CFPA National Performer of the Week, and the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Week.

Johnson began the season by passing for 400-or-more yards in each of his first four games – all against nonconference opponents – setting a new school record. In fact, no Falcon quarterback had ever passed for 400 yards or more in three games during a season, or four games during a career.

Perhaps Johnson's most effective attribute has been his leadership and decision making throughout the season. Johnson has completed 68.9% of his passes and thrown just six interceptions in nearly 500 passing attempts. During the Falcons seven-game winning streak in the middle of the season, Johnson completed 195-of-273 (71.4%) passes for 2,527 yards and 24 touchdowns. He threw just three interceptions during that impressive seven-game stretch.

Johnson, named Most Valuable Player of the 2013 MAC Championship Game, will once again lead his team into battle at Ford Field this Friday night. For the third straight season, the Falcons (9-3, 7-1 MAC) will square off against the Northern Illinois Huskies (8-4, 6-2 MAC) in the MAC Championship Game. Kickoff on Friday night is set for 8:00 p.m. on ESPN2.

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