The Bowling Green Falcons represent the Bowling Green State University in the NCAA Division I-Bowl Subdivision football tournament, playing under the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. Bowling Green's football program began play in 1919 but misfired on all of its first three assignments against Toledo, Defiance, and Eastern Michigan. The Falcons underwent a coaching carousel in its first few years, changing coaches six times in six seasons before settling with Warren Steller in 1924. After two years in the independent scene, Bowling Green joined the Northwestern Ohio Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1921. Bowling Green's debut year was somewhat fruitful as the team led the conference in standings (3-1-1) enroute to its first conference title. The Falcons claimed a total of five NOIAA championships (1921, '22, '25, '28, and '29) before returning in the independent scene in 1932. In 1933, Bowling Green was admitted into the Ohio Athletic Conference but did not make a significant impact in its 10 seasons with the OAC. The team became independent once more from 1943 through 1951 before joining the Mid-American Athletic Conference in 1952. The Falcons' first taste of championship in MAC was in 1956, claiming the team's 6th major title after topping the MAC with an 8-0-1 record. The Falcons outdid themselves a few years later in 1959 after finishing with a spotless season, claiming the team's 7th conference title and its first selection as national champions (selected by the United Press International College Division National Champions, with 9 wins and no losses.) under Hall of Fame coach Doyt Perry (the team's only undefeated and untied season thus far).
The Falcons, as of 2006, have won 15 conference championships (5 in NOIAA, and 10 in MAC), one Division title (2003 MAC West Division champs), 1 Small College National Championship Year, and has appeared in a total of seven postseason Bowl Games, winning their last four. The Falcons's main rivals are the University of Toledo Rockets. The rivalry game, known as the Battle of I-75, awards the Peace Pipe (an American Indian peace pipe placed upon a wood tablet) to the winner.
Bowling Green Falcons 2008 Roster
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. (Exp.) | Hometown/Prev. School
|
| 40 | Zach Akenberger | RB | 5-8 | 183 | SO | Bowling Green, OH/Bowling Green
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| 64 | Scott Albert | OL | 6-7 | 300 | R-JR | Kenton, Ohio/Hardin Northern
|
| 92 | Kevin Alvarado | DL | 6-2 | 255 | R-FR | East Chicago, Ind./Portage
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| 47 | Adrian Baker | DE | 6-3 | 218 | RS-SR | Maplewood, N.J./Columbia
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| 7 | Freddie Barnes | WR | 6-2 | 212 | R-JR | Chicago Hts., Ill./Homewood
|
| 45 | Cody Basler | LB | 6-3 | 238 | R-JR | Auburn, Mich./Bay City Western
|
| 11 | Andrew Beam | QB | 6-4 | 230 | JR | Escalon, Calif. (Escalon) (San Joaquin Delta)
|
| 61 | Ben Bojicic | OL | 6-4 | 273 | R-FR | Farmington Hills, Mich./Harrison
|
| 99 | Diyral Briggs | DL | 6-4 | 230 | 5-SR | Mt. Healthy, Ohio/Mt. Healthy
|
| 96 | Darren Branch | DL | 6-2 | 236 | r-Fr. | Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg
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| 84 | Derek Brighton | WR | 5-10 | 184 | R-SO | Allen Park, Mich./Allen Park
|
| 24 | Jahmal Brown | DB | 5-10 | 192 | JR | Cleveland, Ohio/Benedictine
|
| 33 | Chris Bullock | RB | 5-11 | 220 | R-JR | Destrehan, La./Destrehan
|
| 62 | Preston Burrell | DL | 6-5 | 270 | R-FR | Holland, Mich./East Grand Rapids
|
| 19 | Keston Cheathem | WR | 6-2 | 205 | SR | Compton, Calif./Pomona
|
| 82 | Derrick Coker | WR | 5-9 | 175 | FR | Detroit, Mich.
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| 59 | Ryan Crow | LB | | 222 | SO | Findlay, OH/Arcadia
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| 55 | Brandon Curtis | OL | 6-2 | 285 | 5-SR | Springfield, Ohio/Springfield South
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| 57 | Neal Dahlman | LB | 6-1 | 235 | SO | New Lenox, Ill./Providence Catholic
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| 37 | Aaron Davis | DB | 6-2 | 197 | R-JR | Seffner, Fla./Armwood
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| 25 | Jonathan Davis | DB | 5-11 | 170 | FR | Ravenna, Ohio (Ravenna)
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| 95 | Nick Davis | DL | 6-3 | 281 | 5-SR | Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain
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| 16 | Brenden Divis | CB | 5-10 | 190 | FR | Avon, Ohio/St. Ignatius
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| 66 | Josh Dodge | OL | 6-3 | 290 | R-FR | Dunnellon, Fla./Dunnellon
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| 56 | Tyler Donahue | OL | 6-6 | 281 | R-SO | Naperville, Ill./Central
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| 30 | Erique Dozier | LB | 6-0 | 221 | 5-SR | Akron, Ohio/Garfield
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| 30 | Steven Dunlap | SR | 5-8 | | SO | Dolton, IL./Hales Franciscan
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| 50 | Winston Etheridge | DL | 6-2 | 254 | FR | Cleveland, Ohio (Glenville)
|
| 42 | Eugene Fells | LB | 6-1 | 215 | R-SO | Palatka, Fla./Palatka
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| 27 | Giovanni Fillari | DB | 6-3 | 216 | SR | San Francisco, Calif./Archbishop Biordan
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| 74 | Jeff Fink | OL | 6-5 | 290 | 5-SR | Willoughby, Ohio/Willoughby South
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| 67 | Timothy German | OL | 6-5 | 300 | FR | Newark, Ohio (Licking Valley)
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| 28 | Willie Geter | RB | 5-8 | 170 | SO | Miami, Fla./Monsignor
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| 44 | John Haneline | LB | 6-2 | 231 | 5-SR | North Olmsted, Ohio/St. Ignatius
|
| 93 | Garth Hartung | DE | 6-1 | 244 | R-JR | Sandusky, Ohio/Perkins
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| 9 | Adrian Hodges | WR | 6-1 | 180 | R-FR | Jacksonville, Fla./First Coast
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| 16 | Tony Hunter | QB | 6-1 | 205 | R-JR | Coshocton, Ohio/River View
|
| 85 | Ray Hutson | WR | 6-2 | 180 | R-FR | Detroit, Mich./Detroit Urban Lutheran
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| 26 | Nick Iovinelli | P | 6-0 | 188 | SR | Lisle, Ill./Lisle/Harper
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| 43 | Brandon Jackson | LB | 6-2 | 231 | JR | Collierville, Tenn./Briarchrist Christian
|
| 81 | DeMark Jenkins | WR | 6-3 | 202 | FR | Gary, Ind. (West Side)
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| 98 | Andrew Johnson | DL | 6-4 | 265 | R-FR | Detroit, Mich./Southeastern
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| 86 | Jermiah Kelley | WR | 5-11 | 200 | SR | Stockton, Calif./Tokay
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| 76 | Aaron Kent | OL | 6-6 | 291 | 5-SR | Zanesville, Ohio/Zanesville
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| 59 | JJ Laseak | LB | 6-2 | 210 | FR | Concord, Ohio/Mentor
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| 21 | Kenny Lewis | DB | 5-11 | 185 | SR | Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills
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| 68 | Scott Lewis | OL | 6-2 | 305 | SO | Sylvania, OH/Sylvania Northview
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| 48 | Michael Long | LB | 6-2 | 224 | SO | Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Heights
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| 23 | Robert Lorenzi | DB | 5-9 | 170 | JR | Concord, Calif. (Clayton Valley) (Laney)
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| 51 | Angelo Magnone | DE | 6-3 | 235 | R-SO | Steubenville, Ohio/Steubenville
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| 5 | P.J. Mahone | DB | 5-11 | 201 | JR | Elyria, Ohio/Elyria
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| 10 | Calvin Marshall | DB | 5-11 | 190 | R-SO | Miramar, Fla./Dillard
|
| 70 | Brady Minturn | OL | 6-4 | 288 | R-JR | Loveland, Ohio/Loveland
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| 60 | Casey McHugh | OL | 6-6 | 275 | JR | San Francisco, Calif. (Archbishop Riordan) (CC of San Fran.)
|
| 32 | Keith Morgan | DB | 6-0 | 195 | FR | Bellefontaine, Ohio (Bellefontaine)
|
| 39 | Matthew Norsic | K | 6-1 | 203 | R-JR | Parma, Ohio/Valley Forge
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| 14 | Aaron Pankratz | QB | 6-6 | 220 | FR | Sagamore Hills, Ohio (Nordonia)
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| 27 | Jerrell Parks | CB | 5-9 | 174 | SO | Chicago, IL./King College Prep
|
| 36 | Lewis Parks | LB | 6-2 | 228 | R-SO | Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill
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| 3 | Marques Parks | WR | 5-11 | 192 | 5-SR | McDonald, Pa./South Fayette
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| 1 | Corey Partridge | WR | 5-11 | 184 | 5-SR | Loveland, Ohio/Loveland
|
| 48 | Gerald Phillips | K | 6-1 | 195 | FR | Green Springs, Ohio (Clyde)
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| 8 | Tyrone Pronty | WR | 6-0 | 181 | JR | Maple Heights, Ohio/Maple Heights
|
| 34 | Marquese Quiles | DB | 6-0 | 170 | FR | Sugar Hill, Ga. (North Gwinnett)
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| 20 | Eric Ransom | RB | 5-10 | 184 | SR | Waco, Texas/University/Trinity Valley
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| 90 | Michael Ream | DL | 6-3 | 270 | R-JR | Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton
|
| 35 | Jason Rice | RB | 5-11 | 188 | R-SO | Dublin, OH/Dublin Scioto
|
| 91 | Nick Rieke | TE | 6-4 | 250 | R-SO | Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake South
|
| 15 | Lane Robilotto | DB | 6-1 | 176 | FR | Painesville, Ohio (Riverside)
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| 71 | Charles Robinson | OL | 6-6 | 340 | FR | Middletown, Ohio (Middletown)
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| 46 | Craig Rutherford | LS | 5-11 | 204 | JR | Pemberville, Ohio/Eastwood
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| 4 | Jerett Sanderson | DB | 6-0 | 189 | JR | Long Branch, N.J./ Fork Union
|
| 40 | Joe Schaefer | DL | 6-4 | 256 | 5-SR | Parma Heights, Ohio/Benedictine
|
| 52 | James Schneider | LB | 6-0 | 221 | JR | Topeka, Kansas (Haydin)
|
| 89 | Jimmy Scheidler | TE | 6-4 | 244 | R-JR | Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard
|
| 22 | Josh Scheidler | LB | 5-11 | 207 | R-JR | Stow, Ohio/Stow-Munroe Falls/Valparaiso Univ.
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| 83 | Chris Scheidt | SR | | 180 | SO | Harrison, OH/Harrison
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| 13 | Tyler Sheehan | QB | 6-3 | 225 | JR | Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle
|
| 2 | Antonio Smith | DB | 5-10 | 180 | SR | Miami, Fla./Miami Central
|
| 97 | Darius Smith | DE | 6-2 | 217 | R-SO | Euclid, Ohio/Euclid
|
| 38 | Adrien Spencer | DB | 6-0 | 175 | FR | Fort Wayne, Ind. (Bishop Luers)
|
| 75 | Shane Steffy | OL | 6-3 | 302 | R-JR | Oakmont, Pa./Riverview
|
| 49 | Stephen Stein | K | 6-0 | 160 | FR | Blue Ash, Ohio/Sycamore
|
| 63 | Marc Stevens | OL | 6-5 | 300 | FR | Mansfield, Ohio (Lexington)
|
| 53 | Anthony Stover | LB | 6-2 | 200 | FR | Akron, Ohio (Northwest)
|
| 18 | Bart Tanski | QB | 6-1 | 190 | FR | Concord, Ohio/Mentor
|
| 94 | Carlos Tipton | DE | 6-3 | 230 | R-FR | Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods
|
| 72 | Nick Torresso | DL | 6-3 | 290 | SO | Chicago, Ill./Schaumburg
|
| 59 | Nicholas Tuminello | DE | 6-4 | 225 | FR | Boardman, Ohio (Boardman)
|
| 17 | Anthony Turner | RB | 6-2 | 229 | 5-SR | Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade Julienne
|
| 41 | Sinisa Vrvilo | K | 6-1 | 234 | SR | Ft. Worth, Texas/S. Hills/Trinity Valley
|
| 35 | Nate Waldron | RB | 5-11 | 211 | 5-SR | Rochester, Pa./Rochester Area
|
| 65 | Blaec Walker | OL | 6-5 | 315 | FR | Middletown, Ohio (Middletown)
|
| 24 | Freddie Walker | DB | 5-9 | 181 | 5-SR | Lansing, MI./Grand Ledge
|
| 6 | Calvin Wiley | WR | 5-11 | 195 | R-JR | Detroit, Mich./Notre Dame
|
| 31 | Roger Williams | DB | 5-9 | 184 | JR | Lake City, Ga./Booker T. Washington
|
| 12 | Chris Wright | WR | 5-10 | 190 | R-JR | Middletown, Ohio/Middletown
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