Bowling Green State University Athletics
#BGCamp15 Scrimmage Report (Aug. 22)
August 22, 2015 | Football
Photo Gallery
WATCH: Babers Interview
WATCH: Coppet Interview
WATCH: Turner Interview
WATCH: Knapke Interview
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio—The Bowling Green State University football team participated in their second controlled scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday morning on the practice fields outside of Doyt L. Perry Stadium. With hundreds of loyal Falcon football season ticket holders on hand, the team ran approximately 125 plays in under 90 minutes of action.
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About The Scrimmage
With much of the first-team getting rest on Saturday, it allowed other members of both the offense and defense to step up and earn additional playing time. With just 14 days until kickoff against Tennessee, Saturday's scrimmage was the final time that Falcon fans will have the opportunity to see the team in 'game-action' prior to Sept. 5 in Nashville or on the SEC Network.
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Offensively, the first touchdown of the day came on a strike from Matt Johnson to tight end Derek Lee. Johnson played just a few series, but was sharp during the morning. For much of the scrimmage, James Knapke played with the first-team offense while true freshman James Morgan played with the second-team offense. Knapke accounted for two touchdowns during the session – one a passing touchdown to Gehrig Dieter and the other a rushing touchdown. Fred Coppet also had a good scrimmage, finding the end zone with the first team offense.
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Defensively it was the freshmen class that stood out throughout the morning. The defensive side of the ball was much of the same story as the offensive guy, as some of the veterans took limited reps throughout the scrimmage. For a unit which has shown much improvement from week one of camp to week two of camp, the Falcon defense under defensive coordinator Brian Ward forced two turnovers on the day. Freshman defensive back Jamari Bozeman seemed to be all over the field, recovering a fumble and laying one of the biggest hits of the day. Freshman linebacker Brandon Harris also intercepted a pass, jumping out on a route to snag one and take it the other way.
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Special teams were also an emphasis during the scrimmage, as the kicking game got plenty of opportunities throughout. The kicking game was sharp for the most part, but the field goal block unit did make a big play, as Bobo Jones got his hand on a kick before David Runnoe returned it the other way.
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Following the scrimmage, senior safety Dernard Turner, junior running back Fred Coppet, junior quarterback James Knapke and head coach Dino Babers spoke with the media. Those interviews can be found at the link above.
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Season Ticket Holders Come Out In Full Force
Following the scrimmage, season ticket holders were invited to the Stroh Center for a luncheon, with the opportunity to interact with the team, Coach Babers, Director of Athletics Chris Kingston and more. More than 350 season ticket holders were on hand, as numbers increased for the event by more than 75 people from the 2014 season.
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After a lunch provided by new concessions partner AVI, fans had the opportunity to hear Kingston, Babers and senior Taylor Royster speak. Babers opened his session up for a Q&A, as fans had the exclusive opportunity to ask Babers questions about the team, and even his family. Kingston spoke to the crowd about the appreciation BGSU Athletics has for their loyalty to the University, the new Nike apparel deal and also about his scheduling philosophy for the football program.
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Following the formal program, fans had the opportunity to pick up a schedule poster and have it signed by members of the team, get their picture taken with the Camellia Bowl trophy, and also take pictures with mannequins decked out in the Falcons' new Nike uniforms. A photo gallery from the scrimmage and season ticket holder event can be found above.
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Falcon Football Highlights New Partnership

On Saturday, fans had the opportunity to see first-hand a new partnership between BGSU Athletics and The Marines, as patches which read "Marines. The Few. The Proud!" were displayed on the quarterbacks Nike practice jerseys. The patches will soon be displayed on the practice jerseys for every member of the football team to recognize The Marines and BGSU Athletics' appreciation for all Military personnel serving our country.
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WATCH: Babers Interview
WATCH: Coppet Interview
WATCH: Turner Interview
WATCH: Knapke Interview
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio—The Bowling Green State University football team participated in their second controlled scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday morning on the practice fields outside of Doyt L. Perry Stadium. With hundreds of loyal Falcon football season ticket holders on hand, the team ran approximately 125 plays in under 90 minutes of action.
Â
About The Scrimmage
With much of the first-team getting rest on Saturday, it allowed other members of both the offense and defense to step up and earn additional playing time. With just 14 days until kickoff against Tennessee, Saturday's scrimmage was the final time that Falcon fans will have the opportunity to see the team in 'game-action' prior to Sept. 5 in Nashville or on the SEC Network.
Â
Offensively, the first touchdown of the day came on a strike from Matt Johnson to tight end Derek Lee. Johnson played just a few series, but was sharp during the morning. For much of the scrimmage, James Knapke played with the first-team offense while true freshman James Morgan played with the second-team offense. Knapke accounted for two touchdowns during the session – one a passing touchdown to Gehrig Dieter and the other a rushing touchdown. Fred Coppet also had a good scrimmage, finding the end zone with the first team offense.
Â
Defensively it was the freshmen class that stood out throughout the morning. The defensive side of the ball was much of the same story as the offensive guy, as some of the veterans took limited reps throughout the scrimmage. For a unit which has shown much improvement from week one of camp to week two of camp, the Falcon defense under defensive coordinator Brian Ward forced two turnovers on the day. Freshman defensive back Jamari Bozeman seemed to be all over the field, recovering a fumble and laying one of the biggest hits of the day. Freshman linebacker Brandon Harris also intercepted a pass, jumping out on a route to snag one and take it the other way.
Â
Special teams were also an emphasis during the scrimmage, as the kicking game got plenty of opportunities throughout. The kicking game was sharp for the most part, but the field goal block unit did make a big play, as Bobo Jones got his hand on a kick before David Runnoe returned it the other way.
Â
Following the scrimmage, senior safety Dernard Turner, junior running back Fred Coppet, junior quarterback James Knapke and head coach Dino Babers spoke with the media. Those interviews can be found at the link above.
Â
Season Ticket Holders Come Out In Full Force
Following the scrimmage, season ticket holders were invited to the Stroh Center for a luncheon, with the opportunity to interact with the team, Coach Babers, Director of Athletics Chris Kingston and more. More than 350 season ticket holders were on hand, as numbers increased for the event by more than 75 people from the 2014 season.
Â
After a lunch provided by new concessions partner AVI, fans had the opportunity to hear Kingston, Babers and senior Taylor Royster speak. Babers opened his session up for a Q&A, as fans had the exclusive opportunity to ask Babers questions about the team, and even his family. Kingston spoke to the crowd about the appreciation BGSU Athletics has for their loyalty to the University, the new Nike apparel deal and also about his scheduling philosophy for the football program.
Â
Following the formal program, fans had the opportunity to pick up a schedule poster and have it signed by members of the team, get their picture taken with the Camellia Bowl trophy, and also take pictures with mannequins decked out in the Falcons' new Nike uniforms. A photo gallery from the scrimmage and season ticket holder event can be found above.
Â
Falcon Football Highlights New Partnership
On Saturday, fans had the opportunity to see first-hand a new partnership between BGSU Athletics and The Marines, as patches which read "Marines. The Few. The Proud!" were displayed on the quarterbacks Nike practice jerseys. The patches will soon be displayed on the practice jerseys for every member of the football team to recognize The Marines and BGSU Athletics' appreciation for all Military personnel serving our country.
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