Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Eastern Illinois
Falcons Welcome Eastern Illinois on Saturday for a "White Out" in 2023 Home Opener
September 04, 2023 | Football
Falcons Welcome EKU for Home Opener
• Bowling Green State University hosts the Eastern Illinois Panthers for the home opener on Saturday.
• The game will be a "White-Out" at Doyt Perry Stadium, and it will also be "Heroes Day" as members of the military, police, fire, EMS and hospital staff are honored.
• Bowling Green has a 68-31-5 all-time record in home openers.
• The game starts at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+
Bowling Green vs. Eastern Illinois
• BGSU and Eastern Illinois are meeting for the first time in football.Â
• Bowling Green has a perfect 11-0 all-time record against current members of the Ohio Valley Conference, which includes 8-0 against Southern Illinois, 2-0 against Tennessee Teach and 1-0 against SE Missouri State.
• BGSU's last game versus an Ohio Valley Conference team was in 2021 when Murray State visited Doyt Perry Stadium. BGSU won, 27-10. Murray State left the OVC and officially joined the Missouri Valley Conference on July 1, 2023.Â
• The Ohio Valley Conference has merged with the Big South Conference in a football-only alliance starting this season.Â
Five Top Storylines
• WR Odieu Hiliare has a catch in 36-straight games, which includes his career at Alabama A&M (2019-21). It is the fifth-best active streak in the nation. The Belle Glade, Fla., native has 164 career receptions for 2,171 career receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns.
• ILB Joseph Sipp Jr. had a career-high 12 tackles in the season opener at Liberty. It is the second year in a row he led the team in tackles in the season opener. Sipp had 10 stops at UCLA to open 2022 when he became the only freshman in the nation to notch 10+ stops in a collegiate debut.Â
• RB Terion Stewart played his first game at Liberty since 2021 after sitting out the 2022 season. He enters Saturday's game with 762 career rushing yards and nine touchdowns. His 6.7 yards per carry for his career currently ranks No. 1 in program history.
• Bowling Green is one of four schools in the nation with two different international players starting at the placekicker and punter position. Punter Sami Sir hails from Melbourne, Australia while placekicker Alan Anaya is from Queretaro, Mexico. More on page five.
• The Falcons averaged 6.2 yards per rush at Liberty on 191 rushing yards. Both numbers are the best for the BGSU ground game since the 2021 season when the Falcons played at Buffalo. In that game the Falcons rushed for 221 yards on 8.19 yards per carry.
Anders Nears 300 Career Tackles
• Bowling Green's Darren Anders ranks No. 6 in the nation among active players in career tackles.
• Anders needs 18 tackles to reach 300 tackles. When Anders reaches that mark, he will become just the third Falcon since 2000 to do so, joining Dwayne Woods (337, 2009-12) and Brandon Harris (301, 2015-18).
International Kickers
• Bowling Green is one of four schools with two different international kickers starting in the punting and placekicking roles.
• Punter Sami Sir (Australia) and placekicker Alan Anaya (Mexico) represent BGSU.
• Anaya made his collegiate debut at Liberty in game No. 1. He was 3-of-3 on PATs and connected on a 34-yard field goal in the third quarter.
• His older brother Alberto is on the BGSU men's soccer team.
• Below is the FBS list of schools with two different international kickers that handle the kicking duties:
Bowling Green
• P, Sami Sir (Melbourne, Australia)
• PK, Alan Anaya (Queretaro, Mexico)
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Colorado State
• P, Paddy Turner (Ararat, Australia)
• PK, Jordan Noyes (Datford, England)
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Oklahoma State
• P, Hudson Kaak (Seymour, Australia)
• PK, Alex Hale (Frederick, Australia)
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Utah State
• P, Stephen Kotsanlee (Melbourne, Australia)
• PK, William Testa (Bergamo, Italy)
BGSU Football is a Family Afair
• Bowling Green has five players who are the sons of former Falcons.
• ILB Jabari Mitchell (Kinta Mitchell, 1995-2000), Myles Bradley (Chioke Bradley, 1994-96), TE Jacob Harris (Josh Harris, 2000-03), S Trent Simms (Shawn Simms, 1981-84), TE Bryce Boyer (Lee Boyer, 1989-93).
• Boyer is a fourth-generation Falcon. His dad (Lee), grandfather (Chester) and great grandfather (Rodney) all played football at Bowling Green. Research to this point has the Boyers as one of two four-generation families in FBS history and first that is a direct line of son->father->grandfather->great grandfather. Washington State is the other, but it was a direct line of three and a maternal grandfather.
Hiliare's Game Reception Streak
• Bowling Green's Odieu Hiliare owns a 36-game reception streak. It is No. 5 in the nation among active streaks and is best in the MAC behind.
Bazelak Among Active Career Passing Leaders
• BGSU's Connor Bazelak (Dayton, Ohio) is currently No. 19 in the nation with 7,442 career passing leaders among all active players.
