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
Two-part series of interviews highlighting the decade of the 2000s

TURN BACK THE CLOCK SERIES
1919-1929
1930-1939
1940-1949
1950-1959
1960-1969
1970-1979
1980-1989
1990-1999

The 2000s

Overall Record: 70-51 (.579)

The Bowling Green football program exploded onto the national scene in the 2000s, thanks to some of the top offensive performers in school history. After winning two games in 2000, the 2001 team rebounded to win eight games, with Josh Harris taking over quarterback duties for the final three wins. Harris was one of three All-Americans to play on the 2001 team. Nose guard Brandon Hicks earned the honor in 2001, and defensive back Janssen Patton joined Harris on the 2003 team. In 2002, the Falcons won nine games, scoring a program-record 490 points in the process. Receiver Robert Redd, the lone first team All-MAC selection for the Falcons, finished his career with 211 catches for 2,726 yards and 27 touchdowns. At the time, those were all school records. Although head coach Urban Meyer departed at the end of the 2002 season, the Falcons continued to improve and reached national stardom the next season.

After promoting Gregg Brandon from offensive coordinator to head coach, the 2003 Falcons faced a daunting schedule that featured three games against ranked teams. The season began with a 50-point drubbing of Eastern Kentucky, followed by a thrilling win over the nationally-ranked Purdue Boilermakers. Only a seven-point loss to fourth-ranked Ohio State kept the Falcons from starting the first half of the season 7-0. With No. 12 Northern Illinois and ESPN's College Gameday crew coming to the Doyt, BGSU needed a strong performance to give themselves a shot at a conference title and national recognition. A crowd of over 31,000 witnessed Harris gain over 500 yards of offense, leading the Falcons to a 34-18 victory. The Falcons would finish the season with a victory in the Motor City Bowl, their first bowl appearance in over a decade.

BGSU carried their momentum into the 2004 season, finishing the regular season 8-3. Sophomore quarterback Omar Jacobs went from an unknown backup to the MAC's top offensive player, throwing 41 touchdowns in 12 games. He won the GMAC Bowl MVP, throwing five touchdowns and leading the Falcons to a 52-35 victory. Jacobs was selected honorable mention All-American, the second consecutive year a BGSU quarterback earned All-American honors. The Orange and Brown scored a school-record 44.3 points per game, the highest scoring average in school history. The Falcons scored more than 30 points in nine consecutive games that season, scoring more than 50 in five of those games.

Coach Brandon led the Orange and Brown to winning records in 2005 and 2007, with a bowl appearance coming in 2007. In that span, two linemen earned first team All-MAC honors twice. Defensive end Diyral Briggs and center Kory Lichtensteiger were mainstays for the Falcons, with Lichtensteiger playing 93 games in the NFL. From 2007-2009, Tyler Sheehan led the Falcons aerial attack. He finished his career with 10,117 passing yards, just the second Falcons to throw for over 10,000 yards. Sheehan also became the first Falcon to throw over 70 touchdowns. He is also BGSU's leading passer in terms of attempts (1,494) and completions (966).

In 2009, the Falcons' high-powered offense featured Sheehan and All-Americans Freddie Barnes and Chris Bullock. The trio helped BGSU overcome a slow start to earn a bowl berth. After losing four of their first five games, including two losses to ranked opponents, Barnes and Sheehan paired up for a historic performance to help the Falcons beat Kent State. This spurred a strong second half for BGSU, closing the season with six wins in seven games. In that span, Bullock brought his career rushing total to 1,756 yards. BGSU lost a heartbreaking 43-42 game against Idaho in the Humanitarian Bowl, but Barnes closed his career with 17 receptions for 219 yards.

BGSU's four bowl game appearances are tied for the most in a single decade, and their 70 wins are the highest of any decade in program history. The Falcons won three of their four bowl games, the highest total in any decade. The 2002 coaching staff featured several future head coaches, including Gregg Brandon, Tim Beckman, and Dan Mullen. The 2003 team ended the season ranked No. 23 in the final AP and Coaches' poll and No. 24 in the final BCS standings. Behind record-breaking quarterbacks and receivers and strong coaching staffs, the Falcons made a name for themselves on a national platform, leading to one of the program's most successful decades.

LONGEST WIN STREAK
In just two seasons, Urban Meyer led the Falcons to a 17-6 record. Eleven of those wins came consecutively when BGSU closed the 2001 season with three wins and opened the 2002 campaign with eight consecutive wins. Entering the final stretch of the 2001 season, the Orange and Brown had a 5-3 record. They shut out Ohio 17-0 before winning memorable games against Northwestern and Toledo.

Trailing Northwestern 42-28 with under four minutes to go, quarterback Josh Harris ran for a touchdown to cut the deficit in half. Although the Wildcats recovered the onside kick, BGSU captain Ryan Wingrove recovered a fumble with 1:35 left. Harris, who finished with 498 total yards and six touchdowns, threw a touchdown to Robert Redd to pull the Falcons within one. Rather than kicking the extra point and taking the battle to overtime, Meyer choose to go for two and run a reverse. Cole Manger, who threw a touchdown pass to Harris in the second quarter, ran the ball into the end zone to give the Falcons the 43-42 win. In the 2001 season finale, BGSU hosted archrival Toledo. Harris was dominant again, totaling 385 yards and six touchdowns. Robert Redd caught six passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Falcons beat the Rockets 56-21. This was BGSU's largest margin of victory over Toledo in 30 years.

The Orange and Brown carried their momentum into the 2002 season, winning eight straight games to begin the year. In September, the Falcons defeated Missouri 51-28, marking the program's first win against a Power Five team in the Doyt. Harris totaled 411 of the team's 577 yards, scoring three touchdowns. Receiver Cole Manger threw two touchdowns, including a 34-yard toss to Harris. Two weeks later, the Falcons set the Doyt L. Perry scoring record when they shellacked Ohio 72-21. BGSU outgained the Bobcats 692-205, holding them to just 12 passing yards. Harris and Andy Sahm combined for 343 passing yards and five touchdowns, and P.J. Pope ran for 117 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Shaun Suisham, BGSU's all-time leading scorer, converted on 8 of 9 extra points and one field goal. The Falcons finished the season with a program-record 490 points, shattering the previous record of 391.

NOTABLE WINS
September 6, 2003: BGSU 27, #16 Purdue 26
Entering the 2003 season with aspirations for national recognition, the Falcons burst onto the scene with an upset victory over the nationally-ranked Boilermakers. Josh Harris lived up to high expectations, throwing for 357 yards and three touchdowns. His final touchdown pass came with less than three minutes remaining. Facing fourth and 14 at the 32-yard line, Harris completed a miraculous pass to Charles Sharon, who fought through double coverage to score and give the Falcons a 27-24 lead. Sharon finished his career with 3,450 receiving yards, 34 receiving touchdowns, and 4,519 all-purpose yards, all BGSU records.

October 25, 2003: #23 BGSU 34, #12 Northern Illinois 18
For the first time in history, ESPN's College Gameday visited the MAC. Setting up outside Doyt Perry Stadium, the Gameday crew and a crowd of over 30,000 witnessed the Falcons fly by the previously undefeated Huskies. Josh Harris had one of the best games of his career, gaining a school-record 527 yards of offense and scoring three touchdowns. The offense totaled 634 yards, with Cole Manger and Charles Sharon combining for 223 yards on 13 receptions. Running back P.J. Pope had 21 carries and five receptions to total 144 yards of offense. The defense was outstanding, holding NIU to 227 total yards. Janssen Patton intercepted three passes, tying the school record for the third time in his career. The win gave the Falcons a 7-1 record, helping them earn a berth in the MAC Championship. That season, the Falcons were ranked as high as No. 15 in the AP poll and No. 16 in the BCS standings.

December 26, 2003: BGSU 28, Northwestern 24 (Motor City Bowl)
Despite a disappointing loss in the MAC Championship, BGSU still earned a berth in the Motor City Bowl. Playing Northwestern for the first time since their thrilling 2001 victory, the Falcons looked to clinch their 11^th win of the season. Josh Harris closed his record-breaking BGSU career by throwing for 386 yards and three touchdowns, completing a Motor City Bowl and school-record 38 passes. His final touchdown, a three-yard toss to Cole Manger, gave the Falcons a 28-24 lead with four minutes to go. Manger set a Motor City Bowl record with 12 receptions, totaling 97 yards and two scores. The Falcons ended the season ranked No. 23 in the final AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls. They were also ranked No. 24 in the final BCS Standings, marking the only season BGSU ended the season ranked in the top 25.

December 22, 2004: BGSU 52, Memphis 35 (GMAC Bowl)
Behind MAC Offensive Player of the Year Omar Jacobs, the 8-3 Falcons entered the GMAC Bowl searching for the program's fourth bowl win. The first half was a shootout, with BGSU taking a 35-28 lead into the break. Jacobs threw four touchdowns in the first half, with two going to Charles Sharon. The Orange and Brown scored 17 unanswered points in the second half to put the game out of reach, giving BGSU their fourth bowl win in their last four appearances. The offense finished with 558 total yards, with Jacobs throwing for 365 yards and five touchdowns. Running back P.J. Pope totaled 164 yards from scrimmage, running for two touchdowns and catching one. Receivers Steve Sanders, Charles Sharon, and Cole Manger combined for 21 receptions, 308 yards, and four touchdowns. The Falcons ended the season with a MAC record 44.3 points per game

NOTABLE PERFORMANCE
With a 1-4 record, the 2009 Falcons traveled to Kent State needing a win to keep their postseason hopes alive. Senior receiver Freddie Barnes delivered, recording one of the greatest receiving games of all time. The captain recorded 22 catches, 278 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. His reception and yardage totals are still BGSU single-game records, and he came just one reception short of tying the NCAA Division I record. Trailing 35-23 with 4:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, Barnes reeled in a 45-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Sheehan to cut the lead to five.

After a Kent State three-and-out, Sheehan orchestrated a 14-play, 74-yard drive in just over three minutes. Barnes and Justus Jones each caught three passes on the drive. Facing third and goal from the nine, Sheehan lowered his shoulder and scored on a quarterback draw with five seconds left. This gave the Orange and Brown the 36-35 win. Sheehan finished with a school-record 505 passing yards and the Falcons improved to 2-4. Sheehan finished his career with 10,465 yards gained, the highest total in school history. BGSU won six of their last seven regular season games to clinch a berth in the Humanitarian Bowl.

NOTABLE COACH
After a dismal 2000 season that featured just two wins, BGSU turned to a first-year head coach named Urban Meyer. Meyer, who had been an assistant at four schools over the past 15 years, was a native of Ashtabula, Ohio. He spent just two seasons at Bowling Green, but he went 17-6 to earn a winning percentage of .739. This ranks second in school history, behind Hall of Fame coach Doyt L. Perry. In those two seasons, the Falcons went 10-1 at home, including a 35-point win over Toledo. Meyer's first win came in the 2001 season opener when the Falcons traveled to Missouri to face former Toledo coach Gary Pinkel. The Orange and Brown won 20-13, the first of eight wins for the 2001 squad.

Despite spending just two seasons in Bowling Green, Meyer coached four All-Americans. Brandon Hicks earned fourth team Sporting News honors in 2001, Janssen Patton and Josh Harris were honored in 2003, and Omar Jacobs was selected in 2004. Meyer departed for Utah in 2003, where he led the Utes to back-to-back conference titles. In 2004, Utah went 12-0 and won the first BCS Bowl in program history. Following that season, Meyer took the head coaching position at Florida. In six years, the Gators won two national titles and two SEC titles. In 2007, Tim Tebow became Meyer's first Heisman Trophy winner.

Meyer resigned from Florida at the start of 2011 but accepted the head coach position at Ohio State just 11 months later. In his inaugural season in his home state, Meyer led the Buckeyes to a 12-0 record and third overall ranking. Two seasons later, Meyer led Ohio State to a national championship, the third of his career and the first in the new playoff format. He retired from coaching after winning last year's Rose Bowl, ending his career with a 187-32 record. His winning percentage of .854 is third all-time in Division I. Meyer, the 2001 MAC Coach of the Year, was named the Coach of the Decade by Sports Illustrated in 2009.

NOTABLE PLAYERS
Josh Harris (QB): Beginning his BGSU career as a running back and kick returner, Josh Harris quickly transitioned into one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks of the decade. In 2001, Harris started and won the final three games of the season, including a thrilling 43-42 comeback victory over Northwestern. His 498-yard performance set the school record for yards gained, a record he would break two years later. In seven matchups against BCS opponents, Jacobs led the Falcons to six wins.

In 2002, Jacobs scored a program-record 22 touchdowns, rushing for 20 and catching two. He also threw 19 touchdowns, leading the Orange and Brown to a 9-3 record. The following season, Jacobs set school passing records in completions, attempts, yards, completion percentage, and touchdowns. While leading BGSU to 11 wins, Jacobs went 325 for 494 for a completion percentage of 65.8, totaling 3,813 yards and 27 touchdowns. The Motor City Bowl MVP finished his BGSU career with 9,976 yards gained, 55 passing touchdowns, 43 rushing touchdowns, and four receiving touchdowns. He played in the 2003 Senior Bowl and was selected a Collegefootballnews.com All-American.

Omar Jacobs (QB): Entering the 2004 season, Omar Jacobs faced a tall task: fill the shoes of All-American quarterback Josh Harris. Jacobs proceeded to break NCAA and school passing records while leading the Falcons to their second bowl win in as many seasons. Jacobs threw 41 touchdowns in 12 games, leading the NCAA and breaking the BGSU record. He only threw four interceptions, giving him a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 41/4. This still stands as the NCAA single-season record. Jacobs led the Falcons to a victory in the GMAC Bowl, throwing for 365 yards and five touchdowns. He finished the season with 4,002 passing yards, the third player in MAC history and first in BGSU history to eclipse 4,000 yards. In just 25 career games, Jacobs threw a then-school-record 71 touchdowns. He was named 2004 MAC Offensive Player of the Year and was selected Honorable Mention CNNSI.com All-American.

P.J. Pope (RB): Both Harris and Jacobs had the opportunity to share the backfield with P.J. Pope. Pope finished his career with 3,116 rushing yards and 1,148 receiving yards. He is the only player in school history to total over 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in his career. He ranks third in program history with 4,300 all-purpose yards. Pope ran for 1,005 yards in 2003 and 1,098 yards in 2005, becoming the second player in BGSU history to have more than one 1,000-yard season. He finished his career with 41 touchdowns, tied for third in program history. Pope, a two-time All-MAC selection, played in the 2005 Hula Bowl. In his four-year career, the Falcons went 35-14 overall, with two bowl wins and a 19-4 record at home and a 24-8 record in the MAC.

Freddie Barnes (WR): In a four-year span, Freddie Barnes set school receiving records in several single game, season, and career categories. His 22-reception, 278-yard performance against Kent State broke the single-game school records in receptions and receiving yards. Barnes had two 17-reception performances in 2009, including a 219-yard performance in the Humanitarian Bowl. That season, Barnes finished with an NCAA-record 155 receptions and a school-record 1,770 yards and 19 touchdowns. His total of 1,965 all-purpose yards is also the BGSU single-season record. Barnes finished his illustrious career with 3,290 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns on a program-record 297 receptions. In 2009, Barnes caught a touchdown pass in a school-record eight consecutive games. His postseason honors included BGSU MVP, first team All-MAC, first team FWAA All-American, and Biletnikoff Award finalist.

Year	Overall Record	Head Coach	Team Captains	Season Scoring Totals
2000	2-9	Gary Blackney	D.J. Durkin, Eric Curl, Rob Fehrman	Bowling Green 174, Opponents 289
2001	8-3	Urban Meyer	Khary Campbell, Kurt Gerling, Ryan Wingrove, Malcolm Robinson	Bowling Green 333, Opponents 215
2002	9-3	Urban Meyer	Chris Haneline, Robert Redd, Andy Sahm, Jon Mazur	Bowling Green 490, Opponents 304
2003	11-3	Gregg Brandon	Jovon Burkes, Josh Harris, Mitch Hewitt, Craig Jarrett	Bowling Green 470, Opponents 304
2004	9-3	Gregg Brandon	Jovon Burkes, Mike Thaler, Scott Mruczkowski, Cole Manger	Bowling Green 532, Opponents 282
2005	6-5	Gregg Brandon	Steve Sanders, Teddy Piepkow, Rob Warren, Mike Thaler, Omar Jacobs	Bowling Green 372, Opponents 304
2006	4-8	Gregg Brandon	Ken Brantley, Devon Parks, Kory Lichtensteiger, Brad Williams	Bowling Green 234, Opponents 340
2007	8-5	Gregg Brandon	Kory Lichtensteiger, Loren Hargrove, Antonio Smith, Corey Partridge, Sean O'Drobinak	Bowling Green 392, Opponents 417
2008	6-6	Gregg Brandon	Corey Partridge, Antonio Smith, John Haneline, Jeff Fink, Brandon Curtis	Bowling Green 332, Opponents 278
2009	7-6	Dave Clawson	Freddie Barnes, Cody Basler, Jahmal Brown, Jimmy Scheidler, Tyler Sheehan	Bowling Green 370, Opponents 357

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Turn Back The Clock: BGSU Football In The 2000s

The 2000s

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Turn Back The Clock: BGSU Football In The 2000s

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