Point in Time: No. 23 Falcons Silence No. 12 NIU As BGSU Hosts College Gameday

The BGSU Athletics Department is celebrating 50 years of Doyt L. Perry Stadium this season, culminating on Oct. 1, 2016 at Homecoming. The Falcons will host Eastern Michigan on the 50th anniversary of the first football game in Perry Stadium history, a 13-0 Falcons win over Dayton on Oct. 1, 1966.

In leading up to Homecoming, BGSU Athletics is taking a look back at a few of the great Bowling Green games in Doyt Perry Stadium history. Today, we look back at the day ESPN's College Gameday came to Bowling Green and No. 23 BGSU beat No. 12 Northern Illinois on Oct. 25, 2003.

No. 23 BGSU 34, No. 12 NIU 18 (Box Score) -- Quotes -- Notes

Point in Time: Falcons' Huge Second Quarter Crushes Ball State in 1994
Point in Time: BGSU Downs Dayton 13-0 in Doyt Perry Stadium Debut
Point in Time: Falcons Set Stadium Record for Points Against Ohio in 2002
Point in Time: Miraculous Finish Leads to Win Over Miami in 1985
Point in Time: Falcons Fly Past Missouri in 2002

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Celebrating 50 Years Of The Doyt

Bowling Green was nationally ranked and 8-0 when Northern Illinois upset the Falcons in 2002. One year later, the roles were reversed. The Falcons were still ranked, but NIU was the undefeated team when they invaded Doyt Perry Stadium on Oct. 25, 2003. In the only visit ever to a MAC stadium by ESPN's College Gameday, the No. 23 Falcons took down the No. 12 Huskies, 34-18.

A sellout crowd of 31,007, the second-largest in Doyt Perry Stadium history, witnessed Josh Harris throw for a then-stadium-record 437 yards and total a BGSU record 527 yards of offense. Those 527 yards were the second-most in a single game in MAC history at the time. He threw for three touchdowns and directed an offense that piled up 634 yards on 93 plays.

The Falcons stormed to a 14-0 lead after just three minutes and led 24-3 at halftime behind two Harris touchdown passes and a scoring jaunt by P.J. Pope. BGSU sealed the win in the third quarter with a 55-yard touchdown reception by Charles Sharon, his second score of the game. Sharon caught six passes for 123 yards to lead the team.

BGSU's defense allowed NIU just 227 yards of total offense and only 62 on the ground, as the Huskies held the ball for just 20:38. Mitch Crossley earned 2.5 sacks, and Janssen Patton picked off three passes. It tied the school record and was the third game in Patton's career with three interceptions.

Bowling Green vaulted to 7-1 and 4-0 in the MAC with the win. They ultimately captured the MAC's Western Division, won 11 games and hosted the MAC Championship game. The team rose as high as 15th in the Associated Press poll and as high as 16th in the BCS standings in 2003.

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