Bowling Green State University Athletics
1985 Football Team to be Inducted into BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2027
October 12, 2026 | Football, General, Falcon Club, Hall of Fame
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University Department of Athletics has announced that the 1985 Falcon football team will be inducted into the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2027.
The announcement, made on Monday (Oct. 12), comes on the heels of a successful and memorable weekend, as the Class of 2026 was officially enshrined on Friday night (Oct. 9) and recognized on Saturday at the Falcon football game, a 38-10 win over Sacramento State.
"We are excited to announce that the 1985 football team will go into the Hall of Fame next fall," said Vice President of Athletics Strategy Derek van der Merwe. "The '85 Falcons were a special group who put together a magical season, from thrilling wins over Kentucky and Miami early in the season to a dominant performance against Toledo in a win that clinched the MAC championship. The players and coaches on that 1985 team represent the best of what we have achieved in athletics here at BGSU, and we are honored to recognize this special group for their contribution to our amazing story."
The 1985 Falcons went a perfect 11-0 in the regular season, winning the Mid-American Conference title and breaking into the national rankings. A thundering defensive performance led to a 31-6 win at Ball State in the season opener, with cornerback Melvin Marshall returning two interceptions for touchdowns and linebacker Erik Johnson scoring a touchdown as well.
Week two saw the Falcons head to Kentucky and send a message that this BGSU team would be a force in the coming football season. Trailing by a 26-21 score with under three minutes left, quarterback Brian McClure moved the Falcons downfield, completing 7-of-11 passes for 81 yards on the game-winning drive. After McClure found Greg Meehan for the final 11 yards and a score with just 23 seconds left, a safety capped the scoring and gave the Falcons a 30-26 win.
As exciting as that game was, it was perhaps topped by the "Miami Miracle" the following weekend at Perry Stadium. The Falcons trailed Miami, 24-14, with 3:45 left in the game and McClure sidelined due to injury. Fifth-year Rick Neiman, who entered the game with career totals of two completions and nine passing yards, drove the Falcons downfield and completed a fourth-down pass to Bernard White for a touchdown with 1:24 to play. Then, Rick Howard recovered Paul Silvi's onside kick, and Neiman hit Meehan for a 40-yard gain to the MU seven, before Neiman scrambled the final seven yards. BGSU had scored twice in a 21-second span, and Paul Schweitzer deflected a Miami pass on the final play of the game to secure a 28-24 victory.
BG picked up a 27-22 win over Akron in the Falcons' final non-conference game, then posted convincing road victories over Western Michigan (48-7) and Eastern Michigan (42-24). A home matchup with Central Michigan saw the Falcons intercept a season-high four passes to offset nearly 500 total yards from the Chippewas, as BG completed a sweep of the MAC's Michigan schools with a 23-18 win.
The defense again rose to the occasion the following week, as Kent State was unable to capitalize on five drives that started in BG territory. The Flashes scored first and last, but the Falcons scored 26 consecutive points in between, en route to a 26-14 win at Perry Stadium.
After a 34-14 win over Northern Illinois, the Falcons shut down the Toledo offense, holding the Rockets to just nine first downs and zero points before over 28,000 fans, at the time the second-largest crowd in Perry Stadium history. BGSU's 21-0 win over the arch-rival school from the north clinched the MAC championship, and the fourth-year seniors on the 1985 team went 19-1 at Perry Stadium in their careers.
There was one final obstacle between the Falcons and a perfect regular season. BG went to Athens, built a 24-0 halftime lead and held off a third-quarter comeback bid by Ohio, scoring twice more in the fourth period to post a 38-17 win over the Bobcats.
That 1985 team had no fewer than 18 All-MAC selections, with Mike Estep, Stan Hunter, Greg A. Johnson, Melvin Marshall, Brian McClure and Bernard White named to the all-conference first team, and Dave Bittner, Dean Bryson, Troy Dawson, Mike Foor, Chris Hartman, Eric Helgesen, Greg Meehan, Mark Nelson, George Schmelzle, Paul Silvi and Vince Villanucci voted to the second team. Gerald Bayless earned honorable mention to round out that cavalcade of Falcon stars.
The season ended with a loss in the California Bowl, after head coach Denny Stolz was named head coach at San Diego State just three days prior to the bowl game.
McClure finished 10th in the nation in the Heisman Trophy race, and White led the MAC and the nation in points (114) and touchdowns (19). McClure's 1985 season capped a four-year career which saw him throw for over 10,000 yards.
That 1985 team remains the only team in program history to finish the regular season with an undefeated record, and the total of 11 wins remains tied for first on the BGSU single-season list.
The remainder of the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2027 will be announced in the summer of 2027, with the induction ceremony taking place sometime in the fall of '27.
Â
The announcement, made on Monday (Oct. 12), comes on the heels of a successful and memorable weekend, as the Class of 2026 was officially enshrined on Friday night (Oct. 9) and recognized on Saturday at the Falcon football game, a 38-10 win over Sacramento State.
"We are excited to announce that the 1985 football team will go into the Hall of Fame next fall," said Vice President of Athletics Strategy Derek van der Merwe. "The '85 Falcons were a special group who put together a magical season, from thrilling wins over Kentucky and Miami early in the season to a dominant performance against Toledo in a win that clinched the MAC championship. The players and coaches on that 1985 team represent the best of what we have achieved in athletics here at BGSU, and we are honored to recognize this special group for their contribution to our amazing story."
The 1985 Falcons went a perfect 11-0 in the regular season, winning the Mid-American Conference title and breaking into the national rankings. A thundering defensive performance led to a 31-6 win at Ball State in the season opener, with cornerback Melvin Marshall returning two interceptions for touchdowns and linebacker Erik Johnson scoring a touchdown as well.
Week two saw the Falcons head to Kentucky and send a message that this BGSU team would be a force in the coming football season. Trailing by a 26-21 score with under three minutes left, quarterback Brian McClure moved the Falcons downfield, completing 7-of-11 passes for 81 yards on the game-winning drive. After McClure found Greg Meehan for the final 11 yards and a score with just 23 seconds left, a safety capped the scoring and gave the Falcons a 30-26 win.
As exciting as that game was, it was perhaps topped by the "Miami Miracle" the following weekend at Perry Stadium. The Falcons trailed Miami, 24-14, with 3:45 left in the game and McClure sidelined due to injury. Fifth-year Rick Neiman, who entered the game with career totals of two completions and nine passing yards, drove the Falcons downfield and completed a fourth-down pass to Bernard White for a touchdown with 1:24 to play. Then, Rick Howard recovered Paul Silvi's onside kick, and Neiman hit Meehan for a 40-yard gain to the MU seven, before Neiman scrambled the final seven yards. BGSU had scored twice in a 21-second span, and Paul Schweitzer deflected a Miami pass on the final play of the game to secure a 28-24 victory.
BG picked up a 27-22 win over Akron in the Falcons' final non-conference game, then posted convincing road victories over Western Michigan (48-7) and Eastern Michigan (42-24). A home matchup with Central Michigan saw the Falcons intercept a season-high four passes to offset nearly 500 total yards from the Chippewas, as BG completed a sweep of the MAC's Michigan schools with a 23-18 win.
The defense again rose to the occasion the following week, as Kent State was unable to capitalize on five drives that started in BG territory. The Flashes scored first and last, but the Falcons scored 26 consecutive points in between, en route to a 26-14 win at Perry Stadium.
After a 34-14 win over Northern Illinois, the Falcons shut down the Toledo offense, holding the Rockets to just nine first downs and zero points before over 28,000 fans, at the time the second-largest crowd in Perry Stadium history. BGSU's 21-0 win over the arch-rival school from the north clinched the MAC championship, and the fourth-year seniors on the 1985 team went 19-1 at Perry Stadium in their careers.
There was one final obstacle between the Falcons and a perfect regular season. BG went to Athens, built a 24-0 halftime lead and held off a third-quarter comeback bid by Ohio, scoring twice more in the fourth period to post a 38-17 win over the Bobcats.
That 1985 team had no fewer than 18 All-MAC selections, with Mike Estep, Stan Hunter, Greg A. Johnson, Melvin Marshall, Brian McClure and Bernard White named to the all-conference first team, and Dave Bittner, Dean Bryson, Troy Dawson, Mike Foor, Chris Hartman, Eric Helgesen, Greg Meehan, Mark Nelson, George Schmelzle, Paul Silvi and Vince Villanucci voted to the second team. Gerald Bayless earned honorable mention to round out that cavalcade of Falcon stars.
The season ended with a loss in the California Bowl, after head coach Denny Stolz was named head coach at San Diego State just three days prior to the bowl game.
McClure finished 10th in the nation in the Heisman Trophy race, and White led the MAC and the nation in points (114) and touchdowns (19). McClure's 1985 season capped a four-year career which saw him throw for over 10,000 yards.
That 1985 team remains the only team in program history to finish the regular season with an undefeated record, and the total of 11 wins remains tied for first on the BGSU single-season list.
The remainder of the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2027 will be announced in the summer of 2027, with the induction ceremony taking place sometime in the fall of '27.
Â
Tuesday, October 21
Tuesday, October 21
Tuesday, October 21
Tuesday, October 21