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.

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THE ZIGGYCAST
Todd Walker Interviews Mark Miller and Paul Miles

TURN BACK THE CLOCK SERIES
1919-1929
1930-1939
1940-1949
1950-1959
1960-1969

The 1970s

Overall Record: 54-49-3 (.524)

In the 1970s, BGSU found its identity as a physical team that could run and throw the ball. Don Nehlen and the Falcons recovered from a two-win season in 1970 to win six games in 1971. One of these wins was a 46-33 victory over Kent State that featured a school-record 23 rushing first downs. Two of the most accomplished rushers in program history saw action in the 1970s. Paul Miles, the only Falcon with his number retired, ran for over 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. He finished his career with 3,239 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on 767 attempts.

While those were school records at the time, they were broken just three years later. Dave Preston closed his career with 3,423 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns on 830 attempts. Preston's yardage and scoring records stood for almost 40 seasons. In total, eight Falcons who played in the 1970s ended their career with over 1,000 rushing yards. Preston, Miles, Dan Saleet, Phil Polak, Dave Windatt, Chip Otten, Mike Wright, and Jerry Fields all ran for over 1,000 yards as BGSU student-athletes. Of course, a strong rushing game is not possible without strong men in the trenches. Eleven BGSU linemen earned All-MAC honors in the 1970s, including two-time selections Fred Sturt, Gene Jones, John Czerwinski, and Steve Studer.

Even though the Falcons were dominant in the run game, their passing game was equally strong. Mark Miller became the first Falcon to lead the team in passing yards four consecutive years. He and Brian McClure are the only quarterbacks to do this in school history. Miller threw for 2,103 yards and 12 touchdowns in 1977, which helped him earn Football News and Argosy All-American honors. In 1976, he averaged nearly 15 yards per completion. One of his 126 completions that season was a 96-yard touchdown pass to Dave Dudley, the longest touchdown pass in school history. This was just one of the many historic moments the BGSU football program achieved in the 1970s.

LONGEST WIN STREAK
The Falcons opened the 1975 season with six consecutive victories, their best start to a season since Doyt Perry's final season in 1964. BGSU began with a close 23-21 win at Brigham Young, then another close 16-14 victory over Southern Mississippi. For their third game, the Falcons traveled south to face the Dayton Flyers. Dan Saleet and Dave Preston combined for 349 rushing yards on 61 carries to lead the Orange and Brown to a 21-14 victory.

While not as thrilling as the previous three, BGSU's next three wins showcased their ability to dominate the ground game. After shutting out Western Michigan, the Falcons ousted rival Toledo 34-17 for the 15^th time in 21 meetings. The final victory of the streak occurred in Cleveland Municipal Stadium, where the Orange and Brown beat Kent State 35-9. Dan Saleet ran for 162 yards on 22 carries to help the Falcons. Saleet and Preston were selected All-MAC this season, as were offensive linemen Gene Jones and Steve Studer.

NOTABLE WINS
September 16, 1972: BGSU 17, Purdue 14
The Falcons opened the 1972 season with a thrilling victory over the Boilermakers. Widely regarded as one of the biggest wins in program history, the game was tied at 14 entering the fourth quarter. True freshman kicker Don Taylor made a 29-yard field goal to give BGSU the lead for good, shocking Purdue. The Falcons finished 6-3-1 overall with a 3-1-1 record in the MAC. They finished as the conference runner-up for the second consecutive season.

October 6, 1973: BGSU 49, Toledo 35
Still searching for their first win against the Rockets in Doyt L. Perry Stadium, the Falcons looked to be out of contention at the half. The loss of captain and leading tackler John Villapiano proved detrimental, as did the five first-half turnovers committed by the offense. Trailing 35-17, BGSU needed a dominant second half to pull off the thrilling comeback.

Behind a rejuvenated defense and playmakers Reid Lamport, Paul Miles, and Hal Thomas, the Falcons scored five touchdowns while holding Toledo scoreless in the second half. Lamport completed 11 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns, with Thomas catching five passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. Miles ran for 182 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries, breaking the BGSU career rushing record in the process. This was the Falcons' fourth consecutive victory, helping them to a 7-3 overall record.

November 15, 1975: BGSU 48, Southern Illinois 6
BGSU's final victory of the historic 1975 season occurred in Southern Illinois when the Falcons ran roughshod over the Salukis. For the first time in program history, three players ran for over 100 yards. Jim Gause led the way with 133 yards, Dave Preston ran for 106, and Dan Saleet capped the performance with 100 yards. These 339 combined yards were gained on just 44 carries. The 1975 team holds the program record for most rushing attempts in a season with 655. They finished with an 8-3 record, the winningest season since 1964.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCE
In a 1974 matchup against Dayton, the Falcons looked to put on a show for their home opener. Sophomore running back Dave Preston was a focal point for BGSU, carrying the ball 30 times for 137 yards. He scored five touchdowns, the BGSU single-game record. The Falcons rolled to a 41-21 victory, their first of the season. Preston finished the season with 1,414 yards and 19 touchdowns on 324 carries, leading the Falcons to a 6-4-1 record, their 19^th winning season in 20 years.

NOTABLE COACH
In the 1956 and 1957 seasons, coach Doyt L. Perry relied heavily on quarterback Don Nehlen. The Canton native threw for 861 yards, leading the Falcons to a MAC title and a 14-1-3 record in two seasons. After graduating, Nehlen coached at several prominent high school programs in Ohio, such as Mansfield Senior, Canton South, and Canton McKinley. He was an assistant at Cincinnati for a year before returning to Bowling Green as an assistant to Bob Gibson. When Gibson departed for the NFL, Nehlen took over as the BGSU head coach. In the next nine seasons, the former BGSU signal-caller led the team to a 53-35-4 record. His .598 winning percentage is third-highest among BGSU coaches who were at the helm for more than three seasons.

Under Nehlen, the Falcons won six consecutive games to start the 1975 campaign. That year's Churchman's All-American team featured BGSU running back Dave Preston, who scored 14 touchdowns. Nehlen's teams had winning records in eight of his nine seasons, including the 1972 team that held opponents to less than 13 points per game. Nehlen departed BGSU after the 1976 season to coach quarterbacks at Michigan for three years. He was hired as the head coach at West Virginia in 1980, where he spent the remainder of his coaching career.

By the team he retired in 2000, Nehlen had led the Mountaineers to 149 wins, the most in school history. His career total of 202 wins is 17^th on the Division I all-time list. In 1988, the Mountaineers finished the regular season 11-0 before losing in the Fiesta Bowl. In the season's final official rankings, West Virginia was ranked fifth. For his efforts that season, Nehlen was recognized as Walter Camp Coach of the Year, Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year, and AFCA Coach of the Year. He was also the Big East Coach of the Year in 1993. In 2005, Nehlen was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

NOTABLE PLAYERS
Dave Preston (RB): Nobody in BGSU history has carried the football more than running back Dave Preston, who rushed the ball 830 times in his career. Those attempts totaled 3,423 yards, a record that stood for nearly 40 years. He scored 41 touchdowns in his career and compiled 4,260 all-purpose yards. Preston was named BGSU MVP in 1974, Churchman's second team All-American in 1975, and second team Academic All-American in 1976. He was a three-time All-MAC selection and two-time Academic All-MAC selection. Preston was the recipient of the NCAA Post Grad Scholarship in 1976, and he received the Glenn Sharp Award in 2001.

Paul Miles (RB): The only BGSU player to have his number retired, Paul Miles finished his career with 3,239 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. He was selected first team All-MAC three times and ran for over 1,000 yards in each of those seasons. At the time, Miles was one of just three players to rush for over 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. A two-time letter winner for the BGSU baseball team, Miles was inducted into the BGSU Hall of Fame in 1990.

Phil Villapiano (DE)/John Villapiano (LB): Brothers Phil and John Villapiano were dominant forces on the Falcon defense from 1968-1973. Phil, playing from 1968 to 1970, was a team captain on the 1970 team. That season, he was named BGSU MVP, MAC Defensive Player of the Year, and first team All-MAC. He was also selected to be a College All-Star and played in the Blue-Gray Classic and the Senior Bowl. Villapiano was inducted into the BGSU Hall of Fame in 1976 and the MAC Hall of Fame in 1992. Drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 1971 NFL Draft, Villapiano collected several awards professionally. A four-time Pro Bowler, Villapiano was the 1971 AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-NFL selection. He was selected as a 2019 Senior Class candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In just three seasons as a Falcon, John Villapiano recorded 439 tackles. He totaled 160 in both the 1971 and 1972 seasons, leading the team both years. He was a Second Team All-MAC selection in 1972 and a team captain in 1973. In a 1972 matchup against Miami, Villapiano was voted ABC/CBS Chevrolet Player of the Game. Upon graduation, he played for the WFL's Houston Texans. After his football career, he was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly, serving from 1988 to 1992.

Year	Overall Record	Head Coach	Team Captain(s)	Season Scoring Totals
1970	2-6-1	Don Nehlen	Phil Villapiano, Dave Finley, Vern Wireman	Bowling Green 118, Opponents 178
1971	6-4	Don Nehlen	Don Plusquellic, Jerry Fields, Larry Meador	Bowling Green 263, Opponents 207
1972	6-3-1	Don Nehlen	Bill Montrie, Bill Pittman	Bowling Green 184, Opponents 127
1973	7-3	Don Nehlen	Greg Meczka, John Villapiano	Bowling Green 266, Opponents 209
1974	6-4-1	Don Nehlen	Joe Russell, Hal Thomas	Bowling Green 249, Opponents 203
1975	8-3	Don Nehlen	Steve Studer, Art Thompson	Bowling Green 278, Opponents 166
1976	6-5	Don Nehlen	Greg Davidson, Dan Saleet	Bowling Green 292, Opponents 249
1977	5-7	Denny Stolz	Doug Smith, Mark Miller, Alex Prosak	Bowling Green 275, Opponents 296
1978	4-7	Denny Stolz	Dirk Abernathy, Joe Studer	Bowling Green 277, Opponents 267
1979	4-7	Denny Stolz	Bob Harris, Mike Wright	Bowling Green 194, Opponents 265

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Turn Back The Clock: BGSU Football In The 1970s

The 1970s

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Turn Back The Clock: BGSU Football In The 1970s

The 1970s

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