Falcons Begin November #MACtion Tuesday At Akron

Tuesday, November 4

Akron, OH

8:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Akron

October 29, 2014 | Football

BGSU takes on Zips in crucial MAC East showdown

By: by Scott Swegan, BGSU Athletic Communications

BGSU Falcons (5-3, 3-1 MAC)
vs.
Akron Zips (4-4, 2-2 MAC)
ESPN2
Falcon Radio Network (Todd Walker, John Gibson)
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
Live Stats | Live Audio

Television
* Tuesday'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 University of Akron athletics is available at GoZips.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 5-3 on the season. The Falcons are 3-1 in the Mid-American Conference after a 26-14 defeat to Western Michigan on Oct. 18.
* Akron comes into the Nov. 4 showdown with an overall mark of 4-4. The Zips are 2-2 in the MAC following two consecutive losses. Last weekend, Akron lost 35-21 to Ball State.

Series Info
* Tuesday's game will be the 21st matchup between Akron and Bowling Green in the all-time series. The Falcons lead the overall series, having a record of 13-7. The Orange and Brown have won five straight in the series, dating back to 2007. During the five-game winning streak, BGSU is outscoring Akron 172-97.

Falcons Take On Akron In Critical MAC East Showdown
• The Bowling Green State University football team will travel to Akron on Tuesday (Nov. 4) for a crucial Mid-American Conference East Division showdown with the Zips.
• The Falcons enter the contest with a 5-3 overall record, and a 3-1 mark in the MAC. Akron is 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the MAC.
• With just three games remaining on each team's schedule following Tuesday, the Nov. 4 matchup will prove to be a key factor in the MAC East race. The winner will have a definite leg up in the race to Detroit for the MAC Championship Game.
• BGSU is coming off a 26-14 loss to Western Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 18. The Falcons scored on their first drive of the game, but managed just seven points the rest of the way in the loss.
• Akron is coming off a 35-21 loss against Ball State. The Zips led 21-3 in the game, before surrendering the final 32 points to the Cardinals.

A Win At Akron Would...
• Put the Falcons in the driver's seat of the MAC's East Division, improving their record to 4-1 in conference play.
• Make Bowling Green 6-3 overall for the third consecutive season.
• Mark BGSU's sixth consecutive victory in the series over Akron.
• Improve the Falcons' record to 4-0 against East Division foes in 2014, and the overall winning streak against East Division schools to 11 straight 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 5-3 record at Bowling Green, but holds a career record of 24-10. 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 5-3 (3-1 MAC) through their first eight 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 to fall to 5-3 (3-1 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 four games to improve to 5-3 (3-1 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 14-1 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 3-0 against teams from their division.
Falcon Defense Stifling Opponents
• Over the past 10 quarters, Bowling Green's defense has played up to their potential, holding opponents to 46 points.
• Allowing just 4.6 points per quarter since halftime of the Buffalo game, the BGSU defense is a big reason why the Falcons sit 3-1 in the MAC and at the top of the standings in the East Division.
• The Falcons allowed just seven points to Buffalo in the second half, before allowing a total of 13 points to Ohio in an Oct. 11 win at Ohio.

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 11-2 in games played inside the state of Ohio since the start of the 2013 season.

Playing For A Bowl
• Bowling Green looks to become bowl eligible for the third consecutive season with a win on Tuesday at Akron.
• Currently, the MAC has one bowl eligible team in Northern Illinois (6-2).
• Four other teams from the MAC can become bowl eligible with a win. BGSU, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, and Toledo all sit at five wins right now.

Back-To-Back In The MAC
• Bowling Green is looking to become the first team in the Mid-American Conference to repeat as champion since Miami University in 2003 and 2004.
• 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.

The #MACtion Returns
• Over the past several seasons, the Mid-American Conference has become known for midweek football on national TV.
• Bowling Green will play a large part in the #MACtion this season, playing their final four games on week days.
• The Falcons play on Nov. 4 at Akron in a crucial MAC East showdown. BGSU also plays Kent State (Nov. 12), Toledo (Nov. 19) and Ball State (Nov. 28) in #MACtion.

Bouncing Back
• Dino Babers has not lost many games during his three years as a successful head coach.
• Babers is 5-2 in his head coaching career when coming off a loss, with both of those losses coming to ranked FCS teams.
• This season, the Falcons are 2-0 when coming off a loss.
• Since the beginning of the 2012 season, Bowling Green is also 5-2 when coming off a loss.

Spreading The Ball Around
• Bowling Green is one of just a select few teams to have at least five receivers with 20+ receptions and three receivers with 30+ receptions in the nation.
• The Falcons join Washington State, Western Kentucky, and Texas A&M in that category as the only four teams in the country to have three receivers with more than 30 catches and at least five with 20-or-more receptions.
• Roger Lewis (53 receptions), Ronnie Moore (36 receptions), and Ryan Burbrink (36 receptions) give the Falcons three players with 30-or-more catches.
• Heath Jackson (28 receptions) and Travis Greene (23 receptions) join the trio to give the Orange and Brown five players with more than 20 catches on the season.

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 706 yards on the year. He leads the team with 53 receptions.
• Lewis is top four in the MAC and top 26 in FBS in receiving yards, yards per game, and receptions per game.

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.

Knapke Steps In For Johnson
• James Knapke (Fort Wayne, Ind.) has started the last seven 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 1,958 yards and 10 touchdowns.
• A redshirt sophomore, Knapke has had several notable performances during the first six 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.

Setting Records
• Through the first eight 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.

Defense Growing Stronger
• The return of seniors Ryland Ward and D.J. Lynch has strengthened the Bowling Green defense in the past two weeks.
• Ward returned in a win at Ohio, and has recorded 19 total tackles in the past two games.
• Lynch made his return to action against Western Michigan, making eight tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack.

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 eight games of the season.
• A redshirt junior, Tate has made 12-of-15 field goals and 29-of-32 extra points.
• Tate is ranked fifth in the Mid-American Conference and 50th in the country, averaging 8.1 points per game.

Greener Pastures
• Travis Greene (Carol City, Fla.) has proven to be a valuable commodity in head coach Dino Babers' offense this season. Greene has 808 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns on the year.
• A converted wide receiver who rarely saw the field at the position, Greene was moved to running back before the start of the 2013 season.
• Greene has found much success at the position, recording 2,240 rushing yards in his career, good for 8th-most all-time at Bowling Green. He is one of just 12 players to ever surpass 2,000 career rushing yards in BGSU history.
• A redshirt junior, Greene had two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) against Ohio on Oct. 11. It was the eighth multi-touchdown performance of his career.
• Greene set a school record in 2013 with 1,594 rushing yards.
• He also set a school record last season with nine games of 100-plus rushing yards.

An Experienced Group
• Through the first eight weeks of the season, Bowling Green has had 14 players start every game thus far.
• On the offensive side of the ball, 9-of-11 players have started in all eight games, while 5-of-11 defensive players have made the start in every game thus far.
• Eight current players have started 20-or-more games in their career. Ryland Ward (42), Alex Huettel (35), Bryan Thomas (31), Charlie Walker (29), Gabe Martin (27), Darrell Hunter (24), Jacob Bennett (22) and Logan Dietz (22) have all started 20+ games in their career. With one more start, Travis Greene, Ryan Burbrink, and D.J. Lynch will all join the exclusive 20+ starts club.

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 936 all-purpose yards this season, and 1,959 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 Gabe Martin's 9.0. Bryan Thomas (7.5), 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 (22.5), D.J. Lynch (22.5), Martin (22.0), Charlie Walker (14.5), and Bryan Baird (10.0).

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 23-of-23 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 games played.
• 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 eight weeks of 2014, 11 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) and Dernard Turner (DB) have all started games for the Falcons this season.
• 16 other Falcons have stepped onto the field for the first time in the Brown and Orange.
• Nick Johnson (CB), 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 eight weeks of the season.

The Falcons By State
• Bowling Green has done a great job of recruiting their backyard in recent years. 70% of the roster hails from Ohio or states that immediately border the state of Ohio.
• 45 players on the 2014 roster are from Ohio. Florida (15) and Michigan (14) have the most student-athletes on the roster besides Ohio.
• The Falcons also have players from Illinois (6), Indiana (6), Pennsylvania (5), Texas (2), California (2), Massachusetts (1), Wisconsin (1), New York (1), Maryland (1), and Canada (1).

The Falcons By Class
• While the Falcons return a lot of experience in 2014, they are still fairly young. 63% of the roster enters the year with at least three years of eligibility remaining.
• 43 players enter the season with four years of eligibility remaining. The Falcons have 21 true freshmen and 22 redshirt freshmen.
• 20 players enter the year as sophomores eligibility-wise. The Falcons have just five true sophomores and 15 redshirt sophomores.
• The junior class has just 21 players, with 14 of them having redshirted.
• The 2014 senior class will consist of 16 players, while only four of them have not redshirted during their careers.

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), and Western Michigan (ESPN GamePlan) have all appeared on National TV.
• This week's game against against Akron (ESPN2), and upcoming contests against Kent State (ESPN2/ESPNU), 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.

Inside The 16-Day Break
• When the Falcons take the field on Nov. 4, it will be the first time they have played since Oct. 18. The 16 day break in between games is the longest regular season break in school history. BGSU had played eight games during the first eight weeks of the season prior to the extended mid-season break.