2008 Bowling Green Falcons - Recruiting Class

Bowling Green Falcons 2008 Head Coach: Gregg Brandon

Bowling Green Falcons

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Andrew Beam, QB, 6-4, 230, Escalon, California (Escalon) (San Joaquin Delta)
Junior College: Spent two years at San Joaquin Junior College where he earned first team All-Conference honors his second season. High School: Is a 2006 graduate of Escalon High ... coached by Mark Lourerio ... in his two years as a starting quarterback the team went 23-4 ... his senior season he completed 72% of his passes for 1800 yards and 20 touchdowns ... earned second team All-State and first team All-District his senior season ... also lettered in basketball

Potential Instant Impact Players

Marc Stevens, OL, 6-5, 300, Mansfield, Ohio (Lexington)
As a senior was named NorthWest District co-Lineman of the Year ... earned first team honors in District and Conference ... earned second team All-Ohio honors

Blaec Walker, OL, 6-5, 315, Middletown, Ohio (Middletown)
High School: Will graduate from Middletown High School in June ... earned three letters for head coach Ron Johnson ... earned first team All-State and second team All-American his senior season ... earned All-Conference honors for two seasons

Rest of the Class
Andrew Beam QB 6-4 230 Escalon, Calif. (Escalon) (San Joaquin Delta)
Jonathan Davis DB 5-11 170 Ravenna, Ohio (Ravenna)
Winston Etheridge DL 6-2 254 Cleveland, Ohio (Glenville)
Timothy German OL 6-5 300 Newark, Ohio (Licking Valley)
DeMark Jenkins WR 6-3 202 Gary, Ind. (West Side)
Robert Lorenzi DB 5-9 170 Concord, Calif. (Clayton Valley) (Laney)
Casey McHugh OL 6-6 275 San Francisco, Calif. (Archbishop Riordan) (CC of San Fran.)
Keith Morgan DB 6-0 195 Bellefontaine, Ohio (Bellefontaine)
Aaron Pankratz QB 6-6 220 Sagamore Hills, Ohio (Nordonia)
Gerald Phillips K 6-1 195 Green Springs, Ohio (Clyde)
Marquese Quiles DB 6-0 170 Sugar Hill, Ga. (North Gwinnett)
Lane Robilotto DB 6-1 176 Painesville, Ohio (Riverside)
Charles Robinson OL 6-6 340 Middletown, Ohio (Middletown)
Adrien Spencer DB 6-0 175 Fort Wayne, Ind. (Bishop Luers)
Marc Stevens OL 6-5 300 Mansfield, Ohio (Lexington)
Anthony Stover LB 6-2 200 Akron, Ohio (Northwest)
Nicholas Tuminello DE 6-4 225 Boardman, Ohio (Boardman)
Blaec Walker OL 6-5 315 Middletown, Ohio (Middletown)

- 2007 BGSU Season
- 2007 BGSU Preview 
- 2006 BGSU Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 4-8
2007 Record: 8-5

Sept. 1 at Minn. W 32-31 OT
Sept. 8 at Michigan St L 28-17
Sept. 22 Temple W 48-35
Sept. 29 W Kentucky W 41-21
Oct. 6 at Boston Coll L 55-24
Oct. 13 at Miami Univ. L 47-14
Oct. 20 at Kent State W 31-20
Oct. 27 Ohio L 38-27
Nov. 2 Akron W 44-20
Nov. 9 at East. Mich W 39-32
Nov. 17 at Buffalo W 31-17
Nov. 23 Toledo W 37-10
GMAC Bowl
Jan. 6 Tulsa L 63-7

2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: Forget about the debacle against Tulsa in the GMAC Bowl, 2007 was a great year. The offense should be among the best in the country throwing the ball with QB Tyler Sheehan returning along with all his top targets. The Falcons might not have been consistent, but they put up over 400 yards and 30 points per game, and now they get seven starters back. Nine starters are back on defense.
Why to be grouchy: All the skill players are back, but the line, which wasn't exactly a strength to begin with, loses three starters including all-star C Kory Lichtensteiger. The run defense stunk, and now it loses top tackle Sean O'Drobinak. Before October hits, the Falcons have to go on the road to face Pitt, Wyoming and Boise State and host a resurgent Minnesota.
The number one thing to work on is: Better line play. That might be tough without O'Drobinak, an anchor, but five starters return on the front seven. The run defense allowed 208 yards per game and didn't get in the backfield often enough finishing 12th in the MAC in tackles for loss.
Biggest offensive loss: C Kory Lichtensteiger
Biggest defensive loss: DT Sean O'Drobinak
Best returning offensive player: QB Tyler Sheehan, Jr.
Best returning defensive player: LB Erique Dozier, Sr.

2007 Recap
Recap: Well, you couldn’t tell it from the team’s final game, a record-setting 63-7 loss to Tulsa in the GMAC Bowl, but Bowling Green turned a corner in 2007.  One year after winning just four games, the Falcons doubled that total, closing the regular season with four straight wins and finishing in a first place tie with Miami in the East Division.  Bowling Green was fueled all year by first-year starting QB Tyler Sheehan, who debuted with 26 total touchdowns and more than 3,400 yards of offense, and helped lead his team to an upset of Minnesota and a close call with Michigan State.                

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Tyler Sheehan

Defensive Player of the Year: LB Erique Dozier

Biggest Surprise: Anthony Turner.  The one-time quarterback did a little bit of everything for the Falcons in 2007, developing into a lethal weapon.  Turner led Bowling Green in rushing, threw three touchdown passes without a pick, caught 22 passes, and scored a team-high 10 touchdowns.        

Biggest Disappointment: Had the Falcons gotten a chance at Miami in November instead of October, they might have won the East Division.  When the teams met on Oct. 13, Bowling Green was still trying to find itself, and it showed in a lopsided 47-14 loss that gave the divisional tiebreaker to the RedHawks.    

Looking Ahead: With Sheehan, Turner, WR Freddie Barnes, and RB Willie Geter back in 2008, the Bowling Green has a chance to be even more prolific than last season.  The defense, too, returns most of its key parts, meaning the Falcons will again be a key player in the divisional race.

Jan. 6
2008 GMAC Bowl
Tulsa 63 ... Bowling Green 7
Bowling Green lost four fumbles in the first half and Tulsa was happy to take advantage on the way to a 35-0 first half lead and a 42-0 start before the Falcons finally got on the board. With a few trick plays and the passing of Paul Smith, the Golden Hurricane rolled at will with five Smith scoring passes, including two to Trae Johnson, and a touchdown catch, run, and throw from RB Tarrion Adams. The normally high-powered Bowling Green offense was held to just 229 yards with the lone score coming on a kickoff return after a 14-yard Johnson catch. This was the biggest blowout in bowl history.
Offensive Player of the Game: Tulsa QB Paul Smith completed 27 of 45 passes for 312 yards and five touchdowns, and ran nine times for 46 yards and a score.
Defensive Player of the Game: Tulsa LB Chris Chamberlain made 17 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss and forced a fumble
Stat Leaders: Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 14-19, 141 yds
Rushing: Tyler Sheehan, 7-21. Receiving: Anthony Turner, 6-33
Tulsa - Passing: Paul Smith, 27-45, 312 yds, 5 TD
Rushing: Tarrion Adams, 17-112, 1 TD. Receiving: Charles Clay, 11-69, 1 TD
Thoughts & Notes ... Paul Smith set an NCAA record with his 14th straight 300-yard passing game ... Bowling Green QB Tyler Sheehan was knocked out in the first half with an ankle injury. He still finished as the team's leading rusher. ... This has to be considered among the ugliest bowl games of all-time. Tulsa's normally porous defense didn't let Bowling Green have any sort of a shot by getting into the backfield time and again. The Falcon turnovers made it a laugher, while Todd Graham and the Golden Hurricane coaching staff showed just how prepared they were. All the gadgets, the execution, the defensive pressure; it all worked.

Nov 23
Bowling Green 37 ... Toledo 10
Bowling Green took advantage of four turnovers and controlled the game throughout starting with a safety off a stuffed run followed up by an 11-yard Freddie Barnes touchdown catch. A four-yard Jeremiah Kelley touchdown grab late in the second quarter would give the Falcons all the points they'd need, and a 52-yard Kelley score put them comfortably ahead. Anthony Turner closed out a 21-point Falcon run with a  20-yard dash late in the fourth. Toledo's Nick Moore caught 11 passes for 141 yards with a 37-yard touchdown catch on the first drive of the second half.
Player of the game: Bowling Green QB Tyler Sheehan completed 20 of 34 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns, and ran ten times for 43 yards.
Stat Leaders: Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 20-34, 225 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Anthony Turner, 19-96, 1 TD. Receiving: Freddie Barnes, 5-66, 1 TD
Toledo - Passing: Clint Cochran, 15-29, 202 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Jalen Parmele, 19-82 TD. Receiving: Nick Moore, 11-141, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... And now the Falcons are bowling. With seven win, they had a shot, but now they'll get an extra game after stomping Toledo for the eighth win of the year to close out a sliding year with a strong November winning four straight games. The emergence of the running game to help out Tyler Sheehan and the passing attack has proved to change things around while the defense stepped up over the past few weeks. The defense did a fantastic job against a high-powered Rocket attack.

Nov 17
Bowling Green 31 ... Buffalo 17
Tyler Sheehan threw for two touchdown passes, connecting with Freddie Barnes on a swing pass for a 44-yard score, and working with Chris Wright from 83 yards away for a 24-10 halftime lead. And then Sheehan got into the act from the other way with a 25-yard touchdown catch from Anthony Turner for a 21-point lead, but Buffalo would fight back with a 17-yards Ernest Jackson scoring grab and getting down to the Falcon one on a later drive. but QB Drew Willy tripped on third down and threw a pick on fourth. The Bulls wouldn't get any closer.
Player of the game: Bowling Green WR Freddie Barnes caught ten passes or 113 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 20-29, 248 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Anthony Turner, 22-97, 1 TD. Receiving: Freddie Barnes, 10-113, 1 TD
Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 19-32, 210 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: James Starks, 21-137, 1 TD. Receiving: Naaman Roosevelt, 6-148
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Falcons might not be a machine, and the defense might be giving up yards, but it came through when it had to against Buffalo and Tyler Sheehan and Freddie Barnes helped the offense get up enough to withstand UB's push. Now they're almost assured of a bowl bid, but a win over Toledo would cement it. It's gong to be a shootout, but this is one of the few MAC teams equipped to keep up the pace with the high-powered Rockets.

Nov 9
Bowling Green 39 ... Eastern Michigan 32
Tyler Sheehan snuck it in from a yard out with just under four minutes to play to give Bowling Green the lead, and Eastern Michigan failed to respond with its final drive halted on a fourth down incompletion. Eastern Michigan got 155 yards and a five-yard touchdown run from Pierre Walker, along with two touchdown passes and an eight-yard scoring run from Andy Schmitt. The Falcons always had a response, getting a fumble recovery for a score early in the third quarter and two Anthony Turner touchdown runs. It was a nearly dead-even game with BGSU outgaining EMU 419 yards to 403.
Player of the game: Bowling Green QB Tyler Sheehan completed 20 of 32 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown with an interception, and ran ten times for 65 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Eastern Michigan - Passing: Andy Schmitt, 12-18, 134 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Pierre Walker, 31-155, 1 TD. Receiving: Ken Bohnet, 3-23, 1 TD
Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 20-32, 230 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tyler Sheehan, 10-65, 1 TD. Receiving: Anthony Turner, 6-53
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It might not have been a rough road atmosphere at Eastern Michigan, but Bowling Green was able to overcome a shaky first half to settle down in the second offensively. The defense couldn't hold up against the run, which could be a big problem in the final two games against Buffalo and Toledo, but Tyler Sheehan and the offense was able to come through when it had to. Getting more out of the running backs will be a must over the final two weeks as the team needs to be able to keep up in shootouts to potentially get to 8-4. That would ensure a bowl slot.

Nov. 2
Bowling Green 44 ... Akron 20
Bowling Green forced four turnovers, with P.J. Mahone picking off two passes, and rolled up 500 yards of total offense. Akron hit two first half field goals, but the Falcons rolled with Tyler Sheehan throwing a 23-yard touchdown pass to Marques Parks and a 15-yarder to Jermiah Kelly, and Mahone returning an interception for a score on the way to a 41-6 lead. The Zips finally got into the end zone in the fourth quarter on a 42-yard Jabari Arthur catch.
Player of the game: Bowling Green DB P.J. Mahone made ten tackles, picked off two passes, and returned one for a score
Stat Leaders: Akron - Passing: Carlton Jackson, 14-31, 192 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Carlton Jackson, 24-133. Receiving: Jabari Arthur, 6-93, 1 TD
Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 25-35, 268 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Anthony Turner, 13-104, 1 TD. Receiving: Freddie Barnes, 8-79
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... With 216 rushing yards, 301 receiving yards, and taking advantage of the Akron mistakes, Bowling Green won with ease making what was supposed to be a close game a laugher. The defense had problems handling QB Carlton Jackson running the ball, but they jumped on his passes and kept the Zip offense under wraps all game long. Offensively, as long as Anthony Turner and Chris Bullock are running well, the attack will roll. With Eastern Michigan, Buffalo and Toledo to play, it's possible the Falcons can go on a nice run to close out the year.

Oct. 27
Ohio 38 ... Bowling Green 27
Kalvin McRae ran for 200 yards and scored from three, one and nine yards out in the first half for a 21-10 lead, but Bowling Green came back with a 12-yard Anthony Turner touchdown run to pull within one. And then the Bobcat defense took over with a 58-yard Kris Luchsinger interception return for a score. Dan Macon took a pass 43 yards to a touchdown to pull the Falcons within eight, but a turnover led to a 27-yard Bobcat field goal in the final minute to finally end the threat.
Player of the game: Ohio RB Kalvin McRae ran 42 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns, and caught three passes for 17 yards
Stat Leaders: Ohio - Passing: Theo Scott, 12-17, 166 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 42-200, 3 TD. Receiving: Kalvin McRae, 3-17
Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 19-41, 249 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Willie Geter, 14-90. Receiving: Freddie Barnes, 8-89. 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Bowling Green almost never had the ball in the loss to Ohio. Between the running of Kalvin McRae, and the four turnovers, the Falcons only had the ball for 24:37. While the offense made the most of the chances, its mistakes were too much to overcome. The once promising season now takes on a sense of urgency. The Falcons have to win three of their final four games to think about a bowl bid.

Oct. 20
Bowling Green 31 ... Kent State 20
Willie Geter ran for 203 yards and a four-yard touchdown, but it was the passing game that helped Bowling Green pull away with Tyler Sheehan hitting Anthony Turner with a 31-yard touchdown pass and Corey Partridge from 24 yards out for a 28-13 lead. The Golden Flashed tried to rally with a 32-yard Rashad Tukes catch to pull within eight, but Sinisa Vrvilo ended it with a 49-yard field goal. The two teams combined for 18 penalties.
Player of the game: Bowling Green RB Willie Geter ran 22 times for 203 yards and a touchdown, and caught four passes for 51 yards
Stat Leaders: Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 14-25, 184 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Willie Geter, 22-203, 1 TD. Receiving: Corey Partridge, 4-61, 1 TD
Kent State - Passing: Julian Edelman, 8-14, 128 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Eugene Jarvis, 33-168. Receiving: Rashad Tukes, 3-78, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Falcons have tried to deemphasize Tyler Sheehan and the passing game in the search for more balance, and it got it against Kent State with a wonderful day from Willie Geter running the ball. He might not turn out to be any sort of a workhorse, but now there can be some tinkering with the offense down the back-stretch. The East is right there for the taking, but Miami has to lose and BGSU has to be consistent. The Falcons should be favored in every game the rest of the way.

Oct. 13
Miami University 47 ... Bowling Green 14
Miami got first quarter touchdown runs from Austin Sykes and Eugene Harris, got a blocked punt for a safety, and a one-yard Jamel Miller scoring run on the way to a 23-0 first half lead before Bowling Green finally got on the board with a nine-yard Dan Macon touchdown run. MU answered two plays later with a 73-yard Eugene Harris touchdown catch to spark a run of 24 points in the blow out. The RedHawks outrushed the Falcons 262 yards to 25.
Player of the game: Miami University RB Austin Sykes ran 17 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns, and caught two passes for 23 yards.
Stat Leaders: Miami - Passing: Daniel Raudabaugh, 16-24, 237 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Austin Sykes, 17-124, 2 TD. Receiving: Jamal Rogers, 3-23
Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 16-27, 140 yds
Rushing: Anthony Turner, 6-33 . Receiving: Willie Geter, 5-51
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... What happened to the vaunted passing game? Tyler Sheehan went from being the MAC's top new passing threat to struggling with a five-interception day against Boston College, and a 140-yard day against Miami. The Falcons didn't move the ball, couldn't get the RedHawk offense off the field, and got blown out. The run defense had better figure something out in a hurry, or the date with Kent State will be ugly.

Oct. 6
Boston College 55 ... Bowling Green 24
Jamie Silva came up with three of Bowling Green's six interceptions, Matt Ryan threw four touchdown passes, and Andre Callender scored from 51-15, and four yards out as BC won in a rout. The Falcons scored first on a 40-yard field goal, and then the Eagles dominated, with Silva returning an interception 65 yards for a score and Nick Larkin picking of a pass for a seven-yard touchdown as part of a 38 point first half. In the third quarter, Ryan connected with Justin Jarvis for a 71-yard touchdown, and with Brandon Robinson for a 14-yard score, on the way to a 52-10 lead before the Falcons got back on the board with a 32-yard Freddie Barnes touchdown catch. BC only outgained the Falcons 471 yards to 465.
Player of the game: Boston College QB Matt Ryan completed 24 of 32 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 27-43, 275 yds, 1 TD, 5 INTs
Rushing: Chris Bullock, 7-27. Receiving: Corey Partridge, 12-100
Boston College  - Passing: Matt Ryan, 24-32, 312 yds, 4 TDs
Rushing: Andre Callender, 15-74, 1 TD. Receiving: Andre Callender, 5-84, 2 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Boston College is among the best teams in America, so getting blown out isn't that huge a deal in the overall picture. The big concern was all the mistakes, from the six interceptions, to the 12 penalties for 92 yards. The offense moved the ball relatively well, but that was mostly after BC had the game won. To win on the road at Miami University and Kent State, the passing game has to continue to bomb, but Tyler Sheehan can't press as much and needs to be more careful.

Sept. 29
Bowling Green 41 ... Western Kentucky 21
Bowling Green got up 17-0 at halftime helped by a one-yard Tyler Sheehan touchdown run and a five-yard Freddie Barnes scoring grab, and then pulled away on the opening drive of the second half with a three-yard Corey Partridge scoring grab. WKU finished with 311 rushing yards, but never came close with the Falcons going up 41-7 before allowing a few garbage time scores. The two teams combined for 20 penalties.
Player of the game: Bowling Green QB Tyler Sheehan finished 31-of-42 for 270 yards and three touchdowns, adding eight yards and another score on five carries.
Stat Leaders: Western Kentucky - Passing: K.J. Black, 14-23, 102 yds, 1 TD, 4 INTs
Rushing: Tyrell Hayden, 18-121, 1 TD. Receiving: Curtis Hamilton, 5-32
Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 31-42, 270 yds, 3 TDs
Rushing: Chris Bullock, 11-56. Receiving: Corey Partridge, 9-80, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Tyler Sheehan has already established himself as one of the MAC's most dangerous players, and now he'll need to be even better over the next three weeks as the Falcons go on the road to face BC, Miami University, and Kent State. The run defense had way too many issues with Western Kentucky, and could have a nightmare of a time with the Eagle offensive line next week.

Sept. 22
Bowling Green 48 ... Temple 35
Bowling Green's Tyler Sheehan threw three first half touchdown passes, with two to Freddie Barnes, while Temple got two Adam DiMichele touchdown passes and a one-yard scoring run with five seconds to play in a wild 21-21 first half. And then it was all Falcons, as the defense got scores off two fumble recoveries, Sinisa Vrvilo hit two field goals, and Sheehan threw his fourth touchdown pass of the day as part of a 27 point run that put the game away. Temple got two late DiMichele touchdown passes to make it closer than it actually was.
Player of the game: Bowling Green QB Tyler Sheehan completed 30 of 47 passes for 351 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions, and ran seven times for 38 yards.
Stat Leaders: Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 30-47, 351 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Tyler Sheehan, 7-38. Receiving: Corey Partridge, 7-71
Temple- Passing: Adam DiMichele, 27-41, 299 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Jason Harper, 24-88. Receiving: Bruce Francis, 8-92, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It's all about Tyler Sheehan and a high-octane passing game that's going to give the rest of the MAC fits all season long. The running game never got going against Temple, with the tailbacks an afterthought. It was a shootout early on, and then the momentum dictated Sheehan keep passing. While there were plenty of mistakes, and the defense struggles way too often, being bailed out by three fumbles, this was still a nice stepping-stone to kick off MAC play. The Falcons don't play another conference game until mid-October.

Sept. 8
Michigan State 28 ... Bowling Green 17
Bowling Green gave a big push with Tyler Sheehan throwing a 23-yard touchdown pass to Tyrone Pronty and running for a six-yard score in the second quarter, but Michigan State owned the second half with two Brian Hoyer touchdown passes and a five-yard Jehuu Caulcrick scoring run. MSU's Javon Ringer started out the scoring with a four-yard dash, but the Falcons answered with 14-straight points. The Spartans came up with seven sacks of Sheehan.
Player of the game: Michigan State DE Jonal Saint-Dic had four tackles, three sacks and forced a pair of fumbles.
Stat Leaders: Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 32-50, 295 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Rushing: Willie Geter, 3-31. Receiving: Fred Barnes, 9-80
Michigan State - Passing: Brian Hoyer, 17-29, 250 yds, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Rushing: Javon Ringer, 22-83, 1 TD. Receiving: Devin Thomas, 4-156, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Falcons have to quickly figure out how to hold up against the run in the second half. Minnesota ran well in the second half, and started getting into the backfield on defense, and almost pulled off the comeback. Michigan State ran well in the second half, got to QB Tyler Sheehan, and pulled away. The offense is all Sheehan at the moment, and he'll win plenty of games, he needs time and he the O line has to be more consistent in the second half.

Sept. 1
Bowling Green 32 ... Minnesota 31 OT
Tyler Sheehan connected with Freddie Barnes for a two-point conversion following a nine-yard touchdown pass to Marques Parks in overtime to give Bowling Green the upset win. The Falcons jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead as Sheehan threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Eric Ransom and caught a 24-yard trick play pass from Corey Partridge. Minnesota came roaring back in the second half with two Amir Pinnix touchdowns and a 13-yard scoring grab from Ernie Wheelwright, and then took the lead on a 33-yard Jason Giannini field goal with just over two minutes to play. The Falcons went 63 yards in 12 plays to set up a Sinisa Vrvilo 35-yard field goal with three seconds left to force overtime. Pinnix ran for a 23-yard score for the Gophers, and then the Falcons responded with a nine-yard Marques Parks touchdown leading to the game-winning conversion.
Player of the game ... Bowling Green QB Tyler Sheehan completed 34 of 51 passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns and caught a pass for a 24-yard touchdown
Stat Leaders: Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 34-51, 388 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Chris Bullock, 9-47  Receiving: Eric Ransom, 7-96, 1 TD
Minnesota - Passing: Adam Weber, 15-31, 188 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Amir Pinnix, 28-168 yds, 2 TD   Receiving: Ernie Wheelwright, 4-50, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Bowling Green has found its quarterback for the next three years. Tyler Sheehan had played extremely well in off-season practices, and then he came out and ripped apart Minnesota with a brilliant performance that should cement him as the star to revolve the program around. The defense did its part, at least in the first half, with John Haneline coming through with a great 15 tackle game. If the Falcons can somehow get by Michigan State next week, this could become a truly special year.