Turn Back The Clock: The First Decade Of BG Football
June 21, 2019 | Football
In recognition of the 100th anniversary of Bowling Green State University Football, the BGSU Department of Athletics will be taking a look back at the history of the program throughout the summer. Bowling Green will officially celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first game in program history when the Falcons host rival Toledo Oct. 12. Fans can purchase season tickets today by CLICKING HERE!
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The tradition of the Bowling Green football program began in July 1919, when athletic director and physical education instructor Frederick G. Beyerman announced that Bowling Green State Normal College would field an intercollegiate football team. Under head coach John Stitt, 19 men joined the football team and played three games in 1919. Although the team struggled to win games early, future team captain and All-Northwest Ohio selection Franklin Skibbie scored the program's first points against Findlay in the 1920 season opener. In the 1920 season finale, the Falcons beat Kent State 7-0 to earn the program's first victory. For the next decade, the Falcons began building a successful college football program, winning five conference championships in nine seasons.
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In 1921, coach Earl Krieger led the Falcons to a 3-1-1 record and the school's first conference championship. Defeating Defiance, Findlay, and Toledo by a combined score of 178-7, the Orange and Brown claimed the Northwestern Ohio Intercollegiate Athletic Association title. The next season, coach Allen Snyder took over and led the Falcons to another NOIAA championship. Bowling Green opened the season with two losses but won four of their last five to claim the conference title. Warren Steller took over the program in 1924, leading the Falcons to three NOIAA championships in a five-year span. In those five years, 18 different Falcons were named All-Northwest Ohio conference. Some of the honorees include three-time selection Herb Fish, three-time All-Ohioan Chet Chapman, and future head coach Doyt L. Perry.
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LONGEST WIN STREAK
The 1927 team went 5-1-1 on the year, opening the season with a scoreless tie with Otterbein before running off five straight victories. The Falcons allowed just two points during the streak, beginning with a 6-2 win over Ohio Northern. BGSU shut out four straight opponents following that victory with wins over Kent State, Detroit CC (Wayne State), Findlay and Defiance.
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NOTABLE PERFORMANCE
Searching for the first back-to-back victories in program history, the 1921 Falcons left no doubt with a record-breaking 151-0 victory over Findlay. In this historic game, first-year kicker Carl Bachman set schools records for kicking points (19), extra points made (19), and extra points attempted (22). These records have stood for nearly a century, and the team's 151 points remains a program high. Bachman was also a member of the men's basketball team, leading the team in scoring from 1922-1924. He was inducted into the BGSU Hall of Fame in 1966.
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NOTABLE COACH
Inheriting a program with 11 wins in five seasons, Warren Steller took over in 1924 and led the Falcons to new heights. From 1924-1929, Steller coached the Falcons to a 24-11-8 record and three conference championships. In 1925, the Falcons played at Defiance on Halloween. Entering the game, they were 0-1-3, but had only surrendered 14 points. After a 2-0 victory over Defiance, the Falcons closed the season with two more wins to clinch the NOIAA championship. Steller led the Orange and Brown to NOIAA titles in 1928 and 1929, totaling a 9-2-3 record in those seasons. The 1928 team outscored opponents 84-18, including beating opponents 27-0 in the first three games of the season. In 1929, Bowling Green won four of their last five games, surrendering just two points.
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Steller closed his career with 40 wins, including a 23-9-10 record in home games. Steller also coached the men's basketball team for a season, finishing the 1924-1925 campaign with a record of 9-5. He ended his 11-year Bowling Green with a .619 winning percentage. Steller's 11-year tenure remains the second-longest coaching career in school history. In this time, he achieved several accomplishments, including the program's first undefeated season (5-0-2 in 1928) and the hiring of Paul Landis, the school's first assistant coach. In 1965, Warren E. Steller was inducted into the Bowling Green State University Athletics Hall of Fame.
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NORTHWESTERN OHIO INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (NOIAA) CHAMPIONSHIPS
1921 (3-1-1 record), 1922 (4-2-1), 1925 (3-1-3), 1928 (5-0-2), 1929 (4-2-1)
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NOTABLE PLAYERS
Franklin Skibbie (LE): Playing from 1920-1923, Franklin Skibbie scored the first points in school history with a touchdown against Findlay in the 1920 season opener. The 1921 team captain was selected All-Northwest Ohio Conference in 1922, after leading the Falcons to a school-record four wins. Skibbie was a 1964 induction to the BGSU Hall of Fame.
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Herb Fish (LT): Three-year letter winner Herb Fish was also a three-time All-Northwest Ohio Conference selection. Playing left tackle, Fish earned conference honors from 1926-1928, helping the Falcons to a 14-4-4 record.
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Chet Chapman (G/E/T): In his four-year Falcon career, Chet Chapman saw playing time at guard, tackle, and end. He saw success in each of those positions, earning All-Northwest Ohio Conference and All-Ohio honors at a different position for three straight years. Chapman was awarded BGSU MVP in 1928 and was a captain and team MVP on the 1930 team that won a program-record six games. The first Falcon to be named All-Ohio, Chapman was a member of the BGSU Hall of Fame class of 1965.
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1919-1929
 Overall Record: 35-26-10 (.563)Â
The tradition of the Bowling Green football program began in July 1919, when athletic director and physical education instructor Frederick G. Beyerman announced that Bowling Green State Normal College would field an intercollegiate football team. Under head coach John Stitt, 19 men joined the football team and played three games in 1919. Although the team struggled to win games early, future team captain and All-Northwest Ohio selection Franklin Skibbie scored the program's first points against Findlay in the 1920 season opener. In the 1920 season finale, the Falcons beat Kent State 7-0 to earn the program's first victory. For the next decade, the Falcons began building a successful college football program, winning five conference championships in nine seasons.
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In 1921, coach Earl Krieger led the Falcons to a 3-1-1 record and the school's first conference championship. Defeating Defiance, Findlay, and Toledo by a combined score of 178-7, the Orange and Brown claimed the Northwestern Ohio Intercollegiate Athletic Association title. The next season, coach Allen Snyder took over and led the Falcons to another NOIAA championship. Bowling Green opened the season with two losses but won four of their last five to claim the conference title. Warren Steller took over the program in 1924, leading the Falcons to three NOIAA championships in a five-year span. In those five years, 18 different Falcons were named All-Northwest Ohio conference. Some of the honorees include three-time selection Herb Fish, three-time All-Ohioan Chet Chapman, and future head coach Doyt L. Perry.
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LONGEST WIN STREAK
The 1927 team went 5-1-1 on the year, opening the season with a scoreless tie with Otterbein before running off five straight victories. The Falcons allowed just two points during the streak, beginning with a 6-2 win over Ohio Northern. BGSU shut out four straight opponents following that victory with wins over Kent State, Detroit CC (Wayne State), Findlay and Defiance.
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NOTABLE PERFORMANCE
Searching for the first back-to-back victories in program history, the 1921 Falcons left no doubt with a record-breaking 151-0 victory over Findlay. In this historic game, first-year kicker Carl Bachman set schools records for kicking points (19), extra points made (19), and extra points attempted (22). These records have stood for nearly a century, and the team's 151 points remains a program high. Bachman was also a member of the men's basketball team, leading the team in scoring from 1922-1924. He was inducted into the BGSU Hall of Fame in 1966.
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NOTABLE COACH
Inheriting a program with 11 wins in five seasons, Warren Steller took over in 1924 and led the Falcons to new heights. From 1924-1929, Steller coached the Falcons to a 24-11-8 record and three conference championships. In 1925, the Falcons played at Defiance on Halloween. Entering the game, they were 0-1-3, but had only surrendered 14 points. After a 2-0 victory over Defiance, the Falcons closed the season with two more wins to clinch the NOIAA championship. Steller led the Orange and Brown to NOIAA titles in 1928 and 1929, totaling a 9-2-3 record in those seasons. The 1928 team outscored opponents 84-18, including beating opponents 27-0 in the first three games of the season. In 1929, Bowling Green won four of their last five games, surrendering just two points.
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Steller closed his career with 40 wins, including a 23-9-10 record in home games. Steller also coached the men's basketball team for a season, finishing the 1924-1925 campaign with a record of 9-5. He ended his 11-year Bowling Green with a .619 winning percentage. Steller's 11-year tenure remains the second-longest coaching career in school history. In this time, he achieved several accomplishments, including the program's first undefeated season (5-0-2 in 1928) and the hiring of Paul Landis, the school's first assistant coach. In 1965, Warren E. Steller was inducted into the Bowling Green State University Athletics Hall of Fame.
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NORTHWESTERN OHIO INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (NOIAA) CHAMPIONSHIPS
1921 (3-1-1 record), 1922 (4-2-1), 1925 (3-1-3), 1928 (5-0-2), 1929 (4-2-1)
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NOTABLE PLAYERS
Franklin Skibbie (LE): Playing from 1920-1923, Franklin Skibbie scored the first points in school history with a touchdown against Findlay in the 1920 season opener. The 1921 team captain was selected All-Northwest Ohio Conference in 1922, after leading the Falcons to a school-record four wins. Skibbie was a 1964 induction to the BGSU Hall of Fame.
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Herb Fish (LT): Three-year letter winner Herb Fish was also a three-time All-Northwest Ohio Conference selection. Playing left tackle, Fish earned conference honors from 1926-1928, helping the Falcons to a 14-4-4 record.
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Chet Chapman (G/E/T): In his four-year Falcon career, Chet Chapman saw playing time at guard, tackle, and end. He saw success in each of those positions, earning All-Northwest Ohio Conference and All-Ohio honors at a different position for three straight years. Chapman was awarded BGSU MVP in 1928 and was a captain and team MVP on the 1930 team that won a program-record six games. The first Falcon to be named All-Ohio, Chapman was a member of the BGSU Hall of Fame class of 1965.
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| Year | Overall Record | Head Coach | Team Captain | Season Scoring Totals |
| 1919 | 0-3 | John Stitt | Dale Treece | Bowling Green 0, Opponents 28 |
| 1920 | 1-4 | Walter Jean | Charles Clucas | Bowling Green 41, Opponents 138 |
| 1921 | 3-1-1 (NOIAA Champions) | Earl C. Krieger | Franklin Skibbie | Bowling Green 178, Opponents 34 |
| 1922 | 4-2-1 (NOIAA Champions) | Allen Snyder | Orville Raberding | Bowling Green 98, Opponents 46 |
| 1923 | 3-5 | R.B. McCandless | Robert Younkin | Bowling Green 68, Opponents 131 |
| 1924 | 3-4 | Warren E. Steller | Ralph Castner | Bowling Green 60, Opponents 73 |
| 1925 | 3-1-3 (NOIAA Champions) | Warren E. Steller | Harry Crawford | Bowling Green 34, Opponents 28 |
| 1926 | 4-3-1 | Warren E. Steller | Hayden Olds | Bowling Green 88, Opponents 70 |
| 1927 | 5-1-1 | Warren E. Steller | Ora Knecht | Bowling Green 52, Opponents 14 |
| 1928 | 5-0-2 (NOIAA Champions) | Warren E. Steller | Harry Gwynn | Bowling Green 84, Opponents 18 |
| 1929 | 4-2-1 (NOIAA Champions) | Warren E. Steller | Harold Treece | Bowling Green 76, Opponents 54 |
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