Falcons Host Kent State Looking To Lock Up MAC East

Wednesday, November 12

Bowling Green, Ohio

8:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Kent State

November 07, 2014 | Football

By: by Scott Swegan, BGSU Athletic Communications

BGSU Falcons (6-3, 4-1 MAC)
vs.
Kent State Golden Flashes (1-8, 0-5 MAC)
ESPN2
Falcon Radio Network (Todd Walker, John Gibson)
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
Live Stats | Live Audio

Television
* Wednesday's game will be broadcast on ESPN2, ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN app.

Radio
* Falcon Radio Network with Todd Walker (PxP) and John Gibson (analyst)
* Radio coverage can be heard on the flagship station for BGSU Football WFRO 99.1 FM in Fremont, Ohio as well as WCIT 940 AM/WWSR 93.1 FM (Lima, Ohio), WLQR 106.5 FM/1470 AM (Toledo, Ohio), WONW 1280 AM (Defiance, Ohio), and WHKW 1220 AM (Cleveland, Ohio).
* The Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization (BGRSO) broadcasts home games and select road games on 88.1 FM in Bowling Green.

Websites
* BGSUFalcons.com is the internet home of Bowling Green State University athletics
* Coverage of Kent State University athletics can be found at KentStateSports.com

Social Media
* Falcon fans can follow Falcon football all season long through several social media outlets which will provide in-game updates throughout the year.
* On Twitter, fans can follow @BGAthletics or @BG_Football (in-game updates), while on Instagram Falcon Athletics can be found at bgfalcons.

Online Coverage
* Live stats can be found at BGSUFalcons.com under the football schedule page
* Live audio can be heard via the Falcon Radio Network on BGSUFalcons.com
* Live video can be accessed online via WatchESPN.com

The Teams
* Bowling Green enters the game with an overall record of 6-3 on the season. The Falcons are 4-1 in Mid-American Conference play following a huge 27-10 win over MAC East Division foe Akron.
* Kent State comes into Wednesday night's game with an overall record of 1-8. The Golden Flashes are 0-5 in the Mid-American Conference, coming off a 30-20 loss at home to Toledo last week.

Series Info
* Wednesday night's game will mark the 82nd all-time meeting between the Falcons and Golden Flashes. Bowling Green leads the series between the two schools with a record of 56-19-6. Last season, the Falcons defeated Kent State 41-22 at Dix Stadium.

Falcons Host Kent State Looking To Clinch MAC East
• The Bowling Green State University football team (6-3, 4-1 MAC) will host Kent State University (1-8, 0-5 MAC) in a Mid-American Conference showdown on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. inside of Doyt L. Perry Stadium.
• The Falcons are coming off a 27-10 win at Akron on Tuesday (Nov. 4) night. The win made the Falcons one of five teams in the MAC to become Bowl eligible thus far in 2014.
• With a win against Kent State, the Falcons would clinch the MAC's East Division for the second consecutive season.
• The Golden Flashes enter the game with an overall record of 1-8. KSU is 0-5 in the MAC following a 30-20 loss to Toledo on Tuesday (Nov. 4). Kent State's lone win of the season came against Army.

A Win Against Kent State Would...
• Make the Falcons 7-3 overall and 5-1 in Mid-American Conference action
• Clinch the MAC East Division title
• Mark Bowling Green's second consecutive win over KSU in the all-time series
• Improve the Falcons' record to 5-0 against East Division foes in 2014, and the overall winning streak against East Division schools to 12 straight games
• Extend BGSU's November winning streak to seven games

Head Coach Dino Babers
• Dino Babers is in his first season at Bowling Green in 2014, and his third as a head coach overall.
• He has a 6-3 record at Bowling Green, but holds a career record of 25-10. Babers has won a conference title in each of his first two seasons as a head coach.
• Babers has also been named conference coach of the year in both seasons as a head coach, after taking a last-place team and winning two Ohio Valley Conference crowns.
• Babers has an impressive pedigree of mentoring NFL-caliber players. His quarterback at EIU, Jimmy Garoppolo, was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. In total, Babers has coached more than 30 NFL players.
• On top of individual player success, Babers knows how to get the most out of his teams. Babers' teams have been to the postseason eight times in the past 10 seasons.

Familiar Territory
• 2014 marks the third consecutive season in which Bowling Green football has started 6-3 (4-1 MAC) through their first nine games of the season. But, each season has taken a very different course to get to that record.
• This season, the Falcons went 2-2 in non-conference play with wins in both weeks two and three. After winning the first three games of the MAC schedule, the Orange and Brown suffered a defeat before beating Akron to improve to 6-3 (4-1 MAC).
• Last season, the Falcons won five of their first six games, before losing two straight to drop to 5-3 (3-1 MAC). The 2013 Falcons would win five straight from that point forward to claim the MAC championship.
• In 2012, the Falcons struggled to a 1-3 start, but won the next six games to improve to 7-3 (5-1 MAC). That season, the Orange and Brown finished 8-5 with an appearance in the Military Bowl.

To Win The East You Have To Win Against The East
• Since the beginning of the 2012 season, Bowling Green has been dominant against competition from the East Division. It is no coincidence, that for the third straight season, the Falcons are once again in position to win the East Division in November.
• Bowling Green has gone 15-1 against East Division competition since the start of the 2012 campaign. The Falcons' lone loss proved costly, as a 2012 loss vs. Kent State decided the MAC East division.
• Last season, the Falcons went 6-0 against teams from the East to win the division, and this year the Falcons are 4-0 against teams from their division.

Falcon Defense Stifling Opponents
• Over the past 14 quarters, Bowling Green's defense has played up to their potential, holding opponents to 56 points.
• Allowing just 4.0 points per quarter since halftime of the Buffalo game, the BGSU defense is a big reason why the Falcons sit 4-1 in the MAC and at the top of the standings in the East Division.
• The Falcons defense knows how to turn up the pressure in November. The win at Akron marked the sixth straight November game in which BGSU has allowed one touchdown or less to opponents.

Forcing Turnovers
• Bowling Green has become prolific at forcing turnovers this season, registering 19 takeaways through the first nine games of 2014.
• The Falcons forced a season-high five turnovers at Akron, including four in the second half.
• Taylor Royster recovered two fumbles in the game, including one for a touchdown. His four fumble recoveries are best in both the MAC and FBS football.
• Nick Johnson's two interceptions in the game vaulted him to the top of the MAC rankings. His four INTs have him tied for first in the MAC and 20th nationally.
• Bryan Thomas also forced his MAC-leading fifth fumble of the season against Akron. Thomas is fourth in the country in that category.

The Ohio Difference
• After playing games in four different states during the first five weeks of the season, Bowling Green plays the final seven games of the season inside the state of Ohio -- including four at the Doyt.
• The Falcons have a combined record of 12-2 in games played inside the state of Ohio since the start of the 2013 season.

Two Surpass 100 Yards
• Tuesday night's win at Akron marked the first time in nearly 10 years in which two BGSU players have surpassed 100 yards rushing in the same game.
• Both Fred Coppet and Andre Givens rushed for career highs in the game. Coppet went for 118 yards on 18 carries, while Givens had 101 yards on 14 rushes.

Stop It, Coppet
• True sophomore Fred Coppet stepped up nicely once Travis Greene went down due to injury in the win against Akron, rushing for a career-high 113 yards on 18 carries.
• Coppet has been impressive this season, rushing for nearly 500 yards thus far.
• The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. native is averaging 5.3 yards per carry this season and has found the end zone five times.

Given Them The Business
• Andre Givens (Youngstown, Ohio) registered a career-high 101 yards rushing in the Falcons' Tuesday night win at Akron last week.
• With his 46-yard touchdown scamper in the fourth quarter, Givens has now recorded Bowling Green's two longest rushing touchdowns of the season.
• The redshirt junior has been a part of six plays of 20-or-more yards this season, including two last week.

Dominating November
• Bowling Green has been dominate in the month of November since the end of 2012, winning six consecutive games in the month.
• During that six game winning streak, the Falcons' defense has not allowed more than 10 points in a game.
• Bowling Green is outscoring opponents 224-34 during the November hot streak.

Pick Johnson
• True freshman Nick Johnson recorded two interceptions in the Falcons' win at Akron on Nov. 4, the first multi-interception game for the Falcons this year.
• Johnson now has four interceptions on the season, tied for most in the MAC and 20th in the country.
• For his efforts at Akron, Johnson was named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week.

Babers Protecting Home Turf
• Despite losing to Western Michigan at home on Oct. 18, head coach Dino Babers has an impressive record at home.As a head coach, Babers is now 14-2 at home overall, and 13-1 in home regular season contests.

Royster In The Right Place
• Taylor Royster, a redshirt junior for the Falcons, recovered two fumbles in BGSU's win over Akron on Nov. 4.
• His first fumble recovery of the night went for a touchdown, as Royster found the ball loose in the end zone for a score - the first of his career.
• Royster now leads the country with his four fumble recoveries on the season.

Thomas Taking It Away
• Bryan Thomas (Washington, Pa.) leads the Mid-American Conference with five forced fumbles this season.
• He is fourth nationally in that category, after forcing another fumble during the third quarter of BGSU's victory against Akron. Thomas has registered a forced fumble in each of the last two games.

Setting Records
• Through the first nine games of the season, several notable performances have cracked the record books this season for the Orange and Brown.
• On Sept. 13, Roger Lewis had 16 receptions in a win over Indiana. The 16 catches set a Doyt L. Perry Stadium record and were the most in school history by a player not named Freddie Barnes.
• In that same game, James Knapke completed 46-of-73 passes. Both his completions and attempts set new school records for a single game.
• In a win over UMass, Knapke passed for 443 yards. That mark was the fourth-most in school history for a single game.
• BGSU's 113 plays run vs. IU were a school record.

Lewis Chasing 1,000
• Bowling Green true freshman wideout Roger Lewis is looking to become the first freshman in school history to surpass 1,000 yards receiving in a season.
• Just six players have had seasons of 1,000 yards receiving in program history.
• The Pickerington, Ohio native currently has 742 yards on the year. He leads the team with 57 receptions.
• Lewis is top four in the MAC in receiving yards, yards per game, and receptions per game.

Knapke Surpasses 2,000 Yards
• James Knapke (Fort Wayne, Ind.) has started the last eight games for the Falcons, following a season-ending injury to opening game starter Matt Johnson.
• Knapke has completed nearly 60-percent of his passes this season for 2,128 yards and 11 touchdowns.
• As a starter, Knapke is 6-2 this season having thrown at least one touchdown pass in all six of his wins.
• A redshirt sophomore, Knapke has had several notable performances during the first eight starts of his career:
• His 443 yards passing at UMass (Sept. 27) were the fourth-most in school history for a single game.
• Against Indiana (Sept. 13), he completed 46-of-73 passes (both school records).
• In his debut as a starter, Knapke completed 22-of-31 passes for 237 yards. His 22 completions were the most for a first career start in a Bowling Green uniform since quarterback Matt Schilz went 22-of-43 at Troy on Sept. 4, 2010.
• Omar Jacobs was the last quarterback at BGSU to complete more passes than Knapke during a first career start. Jacobs completed 24-of-41 passes in a loss at Oklahoma on Sept. 4, 2004.

Back-To-Back In The MAC
• Bowling Green is looking to become the first team in the Mid-American Conference East Division to repeat as champion since Marshall in 1997-2000.
• In fact, no team from the MAC East Division has even appeared in the Marathon MAC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons since Miami in '03 and '04.

Tate Is Great
• Tyler Tate (Carroll, Ohio) has been named MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week three times already this season through the first nine games of the season.
• A redshirt junior, Tate has made 14-of-17 field goals and 32-of-35 extra points.
• Against Akron, Tate was perfect on five attempts, converting both of his first-half field goals (30 & 45) into a tough, swirling wind. In the second half, Tate was successful on all three of his extra-point tries.

Finding Their Groove On The Ground
• Bowling Green found their groove on the ground, rushing for a season-high 219 yards in the win at Akron.
• Both Fred Coppet and Andre Givens rushed for over 100 yards in the game, the first time that feat has been accomplished at Bowling Green since 2004.
• The Falcons have relied heavily on their running backs so far this season, rushing for 22 touchdowns and over 1,500 yards.
• Travis Greene leads the balanced attack with 644 yards and eight touchdowns so far in 2014. Fred Coppet has rushed for nearly 500 yards this season and five touchdowns as the Falcons' secondary back. Andre Givens has rushed for six touchdowns and nearly 300 yards, being used primarily in short-yardage situations.

An Experienced Group
• Through the first nine weeks of the season, Bowling Green has had 12 players start every game thus far.
• On the offensive side of the ball, 8-of-11 players have started in all nine games, while 4-of-11 defensive players have made the start in every game thus far.
• 11 current players have started 20-or-more games in their career. Ryland Ward (43), Alex Huettel (36), Bryan Thomas (32), Charlie Walker (30), Gabe Martin (28), Darrell Hunter (24), Jacob Bennett (23), Logan Dietz (23), Travis Greene (20), Ryan Burbrink (20), and D.J. Lynch (20) have all started at least 20 games during their Falcon careers.

Moore Speed = Moore Problems
• True sophomore Ronnie Moore (Sanford, Fla.) has been known as an explosive player throughout his career at Bowling Green.
• In just his 21st career game (at Ohio), Moore surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards. He is just the 34th player in school history to reach that mark.
• Moore has registered 957 all-purpose yards this season, and 1,980 for his career.
• Moore led the team with seven receiving touchdowns in 2013 and already has four this season.
• Moore has been a part of 19 plays of 20-or-more yards this season, most on the team.

Bringing The Heat
• The Falcons' defense has been tough to crack over the past few years, and this year the aggressive style has made it difficult as of late for opponents to produce offensively.
• Four Falcons have recorded at least 5.0 tackles for loss this season, led by Bryan Thomas' 10.5. Gabe Martin (9.0), Gus Schwieterman (6.0), and Brian Sutton (5.0) also have 5+ TFLs. Thomas leads the Falcons with 4.5 sacks this year.
• Five Falcons have at least 10.0 TFLs in their career, including Thomas (25.5), D.J. Lynch (23.5), Martin (22.0), Charlie Walker (14.5), and Bryan Baird (10.0).

Defense Comes Up Big At Akron
• Bowling Green's defense came to play on national TV at Akron, forcing a season-high five turnovers and holding the Zips to just 10 points.
• Jude Adjei-Barimah and Ryland Ward tied for the team lead with 10 tackles apiece in the game. Nick Johnson (2 INT) and Clint Stephens (1 INT) teamed up for three of the takeaways, while Bryan Thomas (FF) and Taylor Royster (2 FR) were responsible for the other two Akron turnovers.

Spreading It Around
• Bowling Green is one of just 11 schools in the country to have at least five receivers with 20 catches or more so far this season, and one of just 14 FBS programs to have at least three receivers compiling more than 30 catches.
• Roger Lewis leads the Falcons with 57 receptions. He is followed by Ryan Burbrink (43) and Ronnie Moore (38).
• Senior Heath Jackson (28) and redshirt junior Travis Greene (23) join the trio of receivers that have caught more than 30 passes thus far.

Falcons In The NFL
• The Falcons currently have four former players on NFL rosters.
• Shaun Suisham signed a long-term contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the offseason. He will remain their placekicker through the 2018 season. Suisham is 14-for-15 on field goal attempts, and a perfect 28-of-28 on extra point attempts.
• Kory Lichtensteiger, a member of the Washington Redskins, made the move to center for the 2014 season. He has started every game over the past three seasons. On Oct. 27, the Redskins defeated the Cowboys in overtime on Monday Night Football.
• Chris Jones is in his second season in the NFL as a member of the New England Patriots. Jones was named the Patriots Defensive MVP following last season. So far this season, Jones has recorded 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks in seven starts.
• Alex Bayer, an undrafted free agent, made the St. Louis Rams' 53-man roster. He led the Rams during preseason play with 10 catches.

Several Falcons See First Action
• Through the first nine weeks of 2014, 12 Falcons have made their first career start.
• Gehrig Dieter (WR), Roger Lewis (WR), Tim McAuliffe (C), Nate Locke (LB), James Knapke (QB), Gus Schwieterman (DL), Jhalil Croley (DL), Paul Senn (LB), Austin Valdez (LB), James Sanford (LB), Dernard Turner (DB), and Nick Johnson (DB) have all started games for the Falcons this season.
• 15 other Falcons have stepped onto the field for the first time in the Brown and Orange.
• Monti Phillips (LB), Joe Davidson (P), Ryan Hunter (OL), John Klingerman (WR), Shannon Smith (DL), Cody Callaway (QB), Hunter Folkertsma (TE), Trevahn Beery (DB), Matt Robinson (DB), Dominique Carter (LB), Malik Brown (DL), Trevor Roop (WR), Brandon English (RB), Nilijah Ballew (DB), and Ben Hale (DB) have all made appearances during the first nine weeks of the season.

Falcons In The Spotlight
• Falcon fans all around the country will have the chance to watch every BGSU Football game in 2014. All 12 regular season games will appear via national broadcast on various platforms.
• The games against Western Kentucky (CBS Sports Network), Indiana (ESPNU), Wisconsin (ESPN2), Buffalo (ESPN GamePlan), Western Michigan (ESPN GamePlan), and Akron (ESPN2) have all appeared on National TV.
• This week's game against against Kent State (ESPN2), and upcoming contests against Toledo (ESPN2/ESPNU) and Ball State (ESPNU/ESPN3) will all appear on National TV.
• ESPN3 has broadcast games versus VMI, UMass, and Ohio thus far.