Kent State 40 Bowling Green 6

College Football
Home Team: Bowling Green Falcons
Visiting Team: Kent State Golden Flashes
Venue: Doyt Perry Stadium
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Game Recap | Box Score

Hard to believe this was my first time being inside Doyt Perry Stadium for a game in eight years (when this happened). That was the first home game for Dino Babers as head coach for the Falcons; I skipped the tenure of Mike Jinks entirely (no great loss), and, from all appearances, made it back to witness the sun setting on Scot Loeffler. We shall see.

The game itself...well, the less said about that, the better. But being back for a game was great. I was in the Toledo area for work, and the weather was all you could ask for in early November, so it really was just a case of the stars aligning. In the time since I last attended a game, they've moved the "home" fans from the east side of the stadium to the west, so it was a little strange watching from a new perspective. But being around other BG fans, hearing the band, feeling the wind...it was great. For sure, it won't be another eight years before I'm back. But I might wait until there's a new head coach (or at least a new offensive coaching staff), just so the actual game experience might be a little more pleasant.

Bowling Green 48 VMI 7

College Football
Home Team: Bowling Green Falcons
Visiting Team: VMI Keydets
Venue: Doyt Perry Stadium
Game Time: 3:30 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: Brandi

Game Recap | Box Score

There was a time--granted, it was mostly time spent living in Bowling Green, but not entirely--when I rarely missed a BG football game. That being the case, it's a little hard to believe that this was my first time back at Doyt Perry Stadium since two games (including the Boise State game) in 2009.

Really, it was just luck that we were able to come to this one. We came to northern Ohio last night for Brandi's alumni cheerleader night at Clyde High School. When I saw that BG's home opener was today, their first game at the Doyt under new coach Dino Babers and his "Falcon Fast" philosophy, I grabbed some tickets so we could be there to see it in person.

Now, I travel to Toledo at least once a month for work, so I drop into BG from time to time, but it had been a while since Brandi had been in town or on campus. That being the case, we decided to make a day of it, and it was awesome (more or less--more on that later). We came into town around noon and scoured around for a parking spot--which, between the game, the Black Swamp Arts Festival going on downtown, and a bunch of other events happening on campus, was harder than it sounds. We found one partway between campus and downtown and hoofed it over to Mr. Spots for a Philly cheesesteak lunch. It was awesome as usual, a literal taste of the days when we lived in BG.

From there it was back to campus, where we stopped at the Union to browse around the bookstore for a while. Then we meandered through campus, checking out old haunts and new buildings, on our way over to the stadium for the game. We had to venture over to the east side to pick up our tickets at will call, which took no time at all, and then we were finally in the stadium for the first time in five years. The Doyt is now one of the few college football stadiums to offer beer, so we grabbed a couple and headed up to our seats.

It's kind of funny, given how much I love going to Troy games, but I had actually forgotten how much I love going to BG games. The sheer spectacle of a college football game really makes the trip worthwhile, whatever the outcome of the game may be. It was a beautiful day, and we had so much fun being on campus and reliving old memories, and when the band took the field to play the alma mater, I found myself momentarily overwhelmed. That was followed by the national anthem and a flyover by a WWII-era bomber, which was really cool.

And then there was the game. After much hype, I finally got to see "Falcon Fast" in action...and I loved it. This is the way football should be played. Run a play, line up, snap the ball, run another play. It's awesome. It was also interesting to see James Knapke in action, starting at quarterback for the first time in place of Matt Johnson, who injured his hip in the first game at WKU and is likely out for the season. Knapke didn't need to do much, as the running game was in fine form and VMI was obviously overmatched from the start, but I thought he looked pretty good. He'll get a much stiffer test next week when the Indiana Hoosiers come to town.

Then, as the third quarter was winding down, this happened.

The truly startling thing, for me, was just that I had never seen anything like this from a BG fan before. I know all fan bases contain all types of fans, but in all my years of going to games, this was honestly the first time I had seen such jackassery from a BG fan. So that was incredibly disappointing, and we ended up leaving early because of it (I told Brandi later that I would have rather just found another place to sit--there were plenty of open areas by then), but the game was well in hand, so it was all good.

And aside from that, it really was an awesome day. Hopefully it won't be another five years before we make it back again.

Ohio 44 Bowling Green 37

College Football
Home Team: Bowling Green Falcons
Visiting Team: Ohio Bobcats
Venue: Doyt Perry Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: Brandi

This is the game that the Falcons probably should have won. Committing penalties at inopportune moments (not that there's really an opportune moment for a penalty), dropping passes in the endzone, and settling for field goals instead of touchdowns are not ingredients in the recipe for success. And yet, with all of that, BG was in this game until the end, and very nearly put a TD on the board that would have sent it to overtime. Even with the mistakes, this was a fun, entertaining game to watch.

Besides that, as much as I live and die with BGSU athletics, on this day it was just great to be back in Bowling Green. It was Homecoming, so Brandi and I went up and made a weekend out of it. Aside from the game, we also ate at some of our old haunts and had drinks at some of our favorite watering holes. I don't really miss living in the city of Bowling Green on a day-to-day basis, but I do miss being so close to the university's campus, and it's always nice to get back and spend some time.

#8 Boise State 49 Bowling Green 14

College Football
Home Team: Bowling Green Falcons
Visiting Team: #8 Boise State Broncos
Venue: Doyt Perry Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: Brandi

Wow.

As a fan of Bowling Green, this game was tough to watch. As an avid and interested college football follower and enthusiast, it was pretty awesome. Boise State is one of those teams that shows up on TV on a fairly frequent basis, and they've had a lot of success, but so many people still seem to think it's a fluke. I've always enjoyed watching them play, and now that I've seen them in person, I'm here to tell you, they are no fluke.

A lot of teams, faced with an opponent that is obviously not on their level, will go with a conservative game plan, content to toy with them, generally letting the game stay close until they finally manage to pull away in the end. Boise State has no interest in that type of game plan. They come out and put their foot on their opponent's throat as quickly as possible, then sub out their starters and coast to the end. Honestly, I loved watching it. It sucked to see it happen to my team, of course, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think Boise State's brand of football is the way football should be played. I think they're just going to get better - why wouldn't a recruit want to go there? They win a lot of games, and the way they play has to be fun.

That said, BG had some opportunities to make this more of a game than it was. The Falcons moved the ball well on their opening drive, only to miss a field goal at the end. After that they had some penalties and turnovers that held them back. I don't think correcting those items would have turned this into a win, but it could have made the final score a little more palatable, or forced the Broncos to leave their starters in longer in order to achieve blowout status. On the defensive side of the ball, I don't think BG played all that badly, really. Boise State had a huge advantage in speed, and their offensive schemes are so good at getting their guys where they need to be.

As happens to me all too often, Brandi and I ended up sitting in front of a couple of guys who couldn't control their knees, spilled beer all over our stuff, and had nothing good to say about anything for the duration of their attendance. That was one good thing about the unevenness of the game - these guys were gone before halftime.

Aside from the game, it was awesome to be back in Bowling Green, if only for a limited time. Sometimes it seems hard to believe that I lived there for so long. As happy as I am to be back in my hometown for good, I miss being so close to the university's campus and being able to just go wander around whenever the mood takes me. But, on the flip side, that makes visiting all the sweeter. Brandi and I will be back in town next week for the Homecoming game, as BG hosts the Ohio Bobcats, and we'll actually be staying overnight, so that should be a good time.

Miami 27 Bowling Green 20

College Football
Home Team: Bowling Green Falcons
Visiting Team: Miami RedHawks
Venue: Doyt Perry Stadium
Game Time: 12:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: Brandi

What a disappointment.

Not too long ago, Miami and BG could both be counted among the class of the MAC. This game was like watching two blindfolded and dizzy little girls hack away at each other with foam bats - you knew one of them was going to win eventually, you just weren't sure if it would mean anything or not, and it certainly wasn't pretty.

This Bowling Green team had plenty of talent back from last year, when they went 8-4 and earned a bowl bid, and they were expected to challenge for the MAC title this year. Instead, they're a mess, particularly on offense, which used to be what Bowling Green was known for. The defense I didn't think was too bad outside of too many penalties, although they've been hot and cold this season, and special teams were okay.

The offense, though, makes me want to gouge out my eyes. The one place the Falcons did lose guys from last year is from the offensive line - we have a bunch of new starters up front, but that doesn't look like the problem to me, not by a long shot. Those guys look like they're holding their own. No, it looks to me like the problems stem primarily having three "primary" running backs, none of whom get regular touches from the running back spot, and one of whom actually subs in for the QB for the majority of his carries, which take the form of highly predictable draws or sweeps.

If I were to be put in charge of the BGSU football program tomorrow, here's what I would do:

Institute a policy that, for every yard in stupid penalties (personal fouls, late hits, unsportsmanlike conduct, etc.), the whole team will run ten sets of stadium stairs.

Take all designed QB runs out of the playbook, except option plays.

Put a few plays into the playbook that are not run from the shotgun formation so when it's 3rd-and-1 (or less), we can do something other than a QB draw.

Pick a primary running back (probably Chris Bullock) and commit to getting him at least 15-20 carries per game.

Head coach Gregg Brandon came to BG as Urban Meyer's offensive guru, and that reputation got him the big job when Coach Meyer left for Utah. But the playcalling is largely vanilla and predictable and has been for several years, and having players with such ill-defined roles leads me to the conclusion that he just doesn't know what he's doing. I think he's a good recruiter - there's plenty of talent on this team - he just doesn't know how to maximize his players' talents to put them in the best position to win games. At least, that's how it seems to me. I don't know how else to explain these losses to teams like Miami and Eastern Michigan, teams which I don't think there's any doubt BG is more talented than.

So yeah, it's frustrating, watching a team that had everything lined up this year to make a serious run at a MAC championship and is letting it slip away. Of course, they still aren't out of it, which is pretty sad, to be honest, but I don't think there's much question that they will be at some point. I have a hard time seeing a team like this all of a sudden putting things together and becoming competent halfway through the season. If it was a team full of young guys, maybe, but for the most part these are veteran guys who should already be better than this.

Also, while I'm venting, I hate noon kickoffs. They suck, and they were bad enough when I lived on campus or in town. When they put lights up at the Doyt a few years back, I thought noon kickoffs were behind us forever. Having the game so early eliminates (for me, and probably for a lot of people) the possibility of getting there early for tailgating, and I think it cuts pretty heavily into student attendance as well. Again, if I were in charge, 7:00 p.m. would be the standard kickoff time, with absolutely no starts before 4:00 p.m. Any weeknight games would start at 7:00 or 8:00, although they'd be avoided wherever possible; and Friday night games would be absolutely, 100% off the table.

But hey, it was good to be at the Doyt, and it was good to spend some time back in ol' BG. A win, or even a solid performance by the team, would have made it more enjoyable, of course, but anytime we can get back is never going to be a total loss.

Minnesota 42 Bowling Green 17

College Football
Home Team: Bowling Green Falcons
Visiting Team: Minnesota Golden Gophers
Venue: Doyt Perry Stadium
Game Time: 7:30 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: Brandi, Mike, Lisa

Well, the tailgate was fun, at least. A lot of fun, actually. We rolled into town several hours before kickoff and, after suffering some misadventures while searching for the group we planned to join, settled in with some drinks, some good food, and some good company. For next time I think a little more planning might be in order, and definitely a non-styrofoam cooler that won't blow its load while being carried only a short distance, but we did okay.

The game, on the other hand...the word that comes to mind is 'disappointment.' The Gophers are much improved from last year, but they are, I think, a team that BG should have beaten on their own field. The score was close going into the fourth quarter, but then the mistakes snowballed until the game was out of hand. The Falcons just couldn't quite get things rolling when they needed to, and it seemed at times like they were just trying to be too cute or do too much. They still might have come away with a win if they just could have held onto the ball. They gave Minnesota too many chances, the defense was on the field too much, and that was the ballgame.

At any rate, it was great to be back in BG for a while. Hopefully next time we can actually stay the night of the game and have some more time to enjoy the local atmosphere we used to call 'home,' instead of having to drive back the same night.

Bowling Green 37 Toledo 10

College Football
Home Team: BGSU Falcons
Visiting Team: Toledo Rockets
Venue: Doyt Perry Stadium (Bowling Green, Ohio)
Game Time: 2:30 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

There's only one thing better than beating your rival, and that's laying a serious smackdown on your rival. The Falcons played their best all-around game of the season and handled the Rockets in all phases of the game.

First off, I want to give kudos to the people who came out to watch this one in person. For a nationally televised game on a fairly cold afternoon on the day after Thanksgiving, there was a pretty healthy crowd. And they were into it, too, coming to their feet and making noise when the Falcons needed a big play. Quite often at BG games I feel like I'm all alone when I stand up and get loud, but the home crowd definitely had my back for this one.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the way the defense played. That's been the weak link for the Falcons in quite a few games this season, but they stepped up against Toledo. The pass coverage was good, they got pressure on the quarterback, and most importantly, they tackled relatively well, which was huge in limited Toledo's rushing attack, which is pretty potent.

The offense seemed like they were going to struggle a bit at first, but once they got into a little bit of a rhythm, they were just fun to watch. QB Tyler Sheehan had all day to make his throws, and he took advantage of it, finding guys open downfield and letting them make plays.

BG finishes the regular season at 8-4 and now just waits to see which bowl they'll be invited to, and who the opponent will be. A bowl game will be a sweet way to end a season that had some ups and downs, and the extra practice time will help this still-young team become even better for next season.

Bowling Green 44 Akron 20

College Football
Home Team: BGSU Falcons
Visiting Team: Akron Zips
Venue: Doyt Perry Stadium (Bowling Green, Ohio)
Game Time: 7:30 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Attending this game was a last-minute decision. Part of the deal I made with myself when I decided to go to the basketball game on Thursday was that I would skip this game. In the end, though, the call of the Friday night lights was too strong for me to resist. Sure, I could have gone to a local high school playoff game instead, but it wouldn't have been nearly the same as being in the stands to cheer on a team I'm invested in.

And I'm extremely glad I went, because the Falcons looked good. Really good, in fact, particularly on offense. Which is amazing, if you think about it--top receiver Corey Partridge was out with an injury, as were top running backs Willie Geter and Eric Ransom (who's been out since the first game). Anthony Turner really stepped up in his slash role, though, and Tyler Sheehan looked to be back in early season form. He was making good throws, and the receivers were making good plays on them, and everything was clicking on that side of the ball.

Defensively, well...the Falcons still don't know how to tackle. They created some takeaways at some key points, though, and that really helped a lot. They've really been hurt by injuries on that side of the ball as well, and it didn't help when linebacker John Haneline went down early in the game with a possibly broken foot. The guys who were pressed into service did some good things. I feel like the defense has a lot of potential. Here's hoping they can still put it together at some point this season.

I got pretty excited at one point when I noticed that Troy's high school football coach was in attendance, as I automatically assumed he was escorting a potential recruit from Troy's team. I think he was just taking in a game with his family, though.

It was a perfect night for a football game, and I'm really, really glad I didn't miss it. It was a little chilly, but there was no wind (which is an extreme rarity for Bowling Green), and I was perfectly comfortable in a sweatshirt over a long-sleeved t-shirt. I went down onto the field for the alma mater with the team after the game, which was my first time on the new FieldTurf. It's pretty sweet.

Just one more home game remains for the Falcons: the hated Toledo Rockets on the day after Thanksgiving. That comes during another perfect storm of Falcon athletics, as there's a men's basketball game (vs. Temple) the next day in Anderson Arena. I have a feeling that I'll be partaking in another double dip that weekend.

Ohio 38 Bowling Green 27

College Football
Home Team: BGSU Falcons
Visiting Team: Ohio Bobcats
Venue: Doyt Perry Stadium (Bowling Green, Ohio)
Game Time: 6:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: McComas

I'm trying to think of something positive to say about this game, and I'm drawing a blank. Offense, defense, special teams--nothing really went the Falcons' way on this night.

Offensively, we moved the ball a little bit, but not enough to keep up with the Bobcats. Willie Geter looked good running the ball, and I think he's going to be a lot of fun to watch over the next few years. Beyond that, though...WR Corey Partridge was injured early on in the game, and it was a long night for the passing game over that. Dropped balls, poor passes, etc. QB Tyler Sheehan was often holding the ball way too long, and that led to an interception return for a TD when he got hit as he threw.

Defensively, I don't feel like the Falcons played too terribly, although, again, they certainly didn't do the job they needed to do. The problems they had were the same problems they've had for years--poor tackling, poor pass coverage.

Let me just stop myself there. The details don't matter. They lost, and it seemed like they beat themselves as much as they got beat by Ohio. That's the long and short of it, and it's a crappy way to lose.

On the bright side, I managed to coax my buddy Mike out to the game, which was cool. I hadn't seen him for probably about six months, so we got to hang out for a few hours and solve the world's problems (or at least the BG offense's), and that made the trip worthwhile even if the game didn't.

Bowling Green 41 Western Kentucky 21

College Football
Home Team: BGSU Falcons
Visiting Team: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Venue: Doyt Perry Stadium (Bowling Green, Ohio)
Game Time: 6:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: Brandi, Mike, Lisa

I wish BG games had been like this when I was in school. I graduated in 2000, just before Urban Meyer took over the Falcon program, which was in dire straits. Losing was the order of the day, and Falcon football was not very popular. I'd commonly get to the stadium an hour before kickoff and be the only one there, or nearly so. Contrast that with this Homecoming contest--Brandi and rolled into town around 4:00 p.m., about two hours prior to kickoff, and the area around the stadium was abuzz with tailgating activity. Orange-clad folks were EVERYWHERE, and it was awesome.

There's not a whole lot to say about the game itself. It was a pretty standard beating of a team that was pretty overmatched. I'm still trying to get a gauge on exactly how good the Falcons are, though, so it was interesting for that reason. After the absolutely horrific performance they subjected us to last year, I'm still half-expecting a serious collapse. Well, "expecting" is actually too strong a word, and it lessens with each strong outing, but it lingers a little bit.

Also, it was BGSU's homecoming game. Brandi and I got a hotel room so we could stay in the area overnight. We originally planned to go out hardcore like we did when we lived in town, but Brandi's work schedule and recent exhaustion overruled those plans. Instead, we just went out for pizza with my cousin Mike and his wife Lisa, who joined us for the game, and hung out for a while. So that was pretty cool, and we'll just have to reschedule our painting of the town for another football weekend.

Bowling Green 48 Temple 35

College Football
Home Team: BGSU Falcons
Visiting Team: Temple Owls
Venue: Doyt Perry Stadium (Bowling Green, Ohio)
Game Time: 12:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: Brandi

It was good to be back! This was the first time Brandi and I have been back to Bowling Green for a visit since she moved out of town in May and I did the same in July. It was also great to be back at the Doyt, which has been upgraded with FieldTurf and a completed Sebo Center, along with some other cosmetic upgrades, since the end of last season.

I got to watch each of the Falcons' first two games on television, but it's always a different world to see them in person. They looked good on TV, but the first half was a little bit of a different story. The offense was out of sync, committing two turnovers, and the defense was giving up some yards and points. The teams went into the locker room at halftime tied at 21.

The second half was a completely different story, and the spark was provided by the defense. I can't even tell you how good it feels to say that, after some subpar defensive play from the Falcons in recent years. Kenny Lewis started it off by stripping a Temple ballcarrier and taking the ball to the house, and later Orlando Barrow recovered a fumble (forced by Jacob Hardwick) in the endzone to make it 35-21. The offense would push it up to 48-21 before Temple put up a couple of junk TDs for the final score.

The game was good, the atmosphere was good, the crowd was good. The Sebo Center really adds a lot to the feel of gameday, and the new turf is sweet. I'm just glad this is the only noon start of the season--sitting out in the sun for four hours was not comfortable, even with plenty of sunscreen. I definitely prefer being out under the lights. We'll give that a try this coming weekend, when the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers travel to the Doyt for a non-conference matchup. That game is BG's homecoming, so Brandi and I will be sticking around afterwards for a night on the town.

Orange 16 White 14

BGSU Football Spring Game
Venue: Bobcat Stadium (Bowling Green, Ohio)
Game Time: 1:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: Brandi (for part of the game, anyway)

The annual spring game is a chance for fans to get a sneak preview of their team well in advance of the season starting in the fall. Unfortunately, since the team is effectively playing against itself, it can be really difficult to judge what you're seeing. If one aspect of the team looks good, is that a good thing? Or is it just because the opposing aspect has issues? Sometimes it's hard to tell. So really, the spring game is just a chance for fans to whet their already insatiable appetite for football while taking everything they see with a grain of salt.

They held the game at BG's high school stadium due to construction at the Doyt, and there was a pretty decent crowd on hand. It's a good thing that it was a beautiful spring day and awesome to be outside, because the game didn't offer a whole lot in the way of excitement. In keeping with the trouble the Falcons had last season, both offenses had trouble moving the ball. Halfbacks Dan Macon and Chris Bullock both looked pretty good, as did Eric Ransom on limited touches. None of the three quarterbacks competing for the starting spot really did anything to distinguish themselves, though, and that makes me nervous. I don't think I can handle another season that features the quarterback draw as the default offensive play.

The flip side of that, of course, is that the defense looked pretty decent. I have no idea, though, whether that's due to actual improvement or just because the offense was struggling. Hopefully they turn out to be as good as they looked, because if the offense keeps having problems, we'll need the defense to keep us in games.

A lot of Falcon fans, myself included, were looking forward to see the special teams play, as that was another area of concern after last season. Our true freshmen kicker and punter both departed after taking an inordinate amount of heat both from other teams and from their own coach last season, so we're starting fresh with a couple of JUCO transfers. It looks like an upgrade at this early stage, but I'm not putting a whole lot into it, as the playing field was tilted in their favor as were weren't putting any pressure on. We still managed to miss two field goals and have one blocked, but I'm thinking that it was a backup, walk-on kicker on those plays. There were also three made field goals, including a couple from decent distance, and the punting averaged nearly 40 yards. So that's encouraging, but again, I'll hold final judgment until I see them facing some guys actually coming after them.

All in all, I didn't see much of anything to make me think that we'll be much better than we were last year. I really hope I'm wrong. I'd love nothing more than for the offense to break out of its shell and at least approach its past explosiveness; for the defense to hold other teams in check; and for the special teams units to be at least competent if not spectacular. Whether any of that happens or not, I know I can't wait for September to get here so I can spend some time at the Doyt and watch it unfold.