2009 Bowling Green Falcons football team
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The 2009 Bowling Green Falcons football team represented
Bowling Green State University Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized programs and research facilities in the ...
during the
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Arabic digit In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
. They were led by first-year head coach
Dave Clawson David Paul Clawson (born August 16, 1967) is an American football coach and former player. He currently serves as the head football coach at Wake Forest University, where he was named the 2021 ACC Coach of the Year. Clawson previously served a ...
and played in the East Division of the
Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twel ...
. They played their home games at
Doyt Perry Stadium Doyt L. Perry Stadium is a stadium on the campus of Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Bowling Green Falcons football team. It opened in 1 ...
. They finished the season 7–6, 6–2 in MAC play to finish in third place in the East Division. They were invited to the
Humanitarian Bowl The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, previously the Humanitarian Bowl (1997–2003, 2007–2010) and the MPC Computers Bowl (2004–2006), is an NCAA-sanctioned post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually since 1997 at Albertson ...
where they lost to
Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
.


Preseason


Coaching changes

On November 28, 2008, Athletic Director Greg Christopher announced that head coach
Gregg Brandon Gregg Brandon (born February 29, 1956) is a former American football coach and player. He was most recently the head football coach at the Colorado School of Mines, a position he had held from 2015 until his retirement after the 2021 season. Pri ...
had been fired after six seasons and 44–30 record, including a 31–18 conference record, which was the best of any MAC coach since 2003 and led the team to three bowl games (2–1) and shares of two East division championships. Christopher stated that a culmination of on and off the field events led to Brandon's dismissal, nine months after Brandon received a three-year contract extension. The on-field problems included the Falcons 6–6 record, which was very disappointing as the Falcons were favored to win the MAC East division, and a 1–4 home record which included losses to Miami (OH) and Eastern Michigan (who finished 2–10 and 3–9 respectively) and a 40–34 double-overtime loss to eventual MAC Champion Buffalo, after the Falcons led the game by 20 points entering the fourth quarter and gave up two touchdowns within the final three minutes of the game. Off the field, eleven Falcons players found themselves in legal troubles, two of which were arrested on drug trafficking charges. The program was also stripped of nine scholarships by the NCAA because of inadequate grades on the association's Academic Progress Report. Christopher stated that Brandon's post-game tirade about the lack of student support and attendance after the Buffalo loss, did not factor into his decision to release the coach. On December 7, 2008, the Falcons lost two valuable coaches to rival Toledo, as defensive coordinator Mike Ward and co-offensive coordinator Matt Campbell were brought to the Rockets by new head coach (and former BG assistant)
Tim Beckman Timothy David Beckman (born January 19, 1965) is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Toledo from 2009 to 2011 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign from 2012 to 2014, compi ...
. The two assistants left, because they were not guaranteed contracts after Gregg Brandon was fired. Ward was a very influential tool in recruiting and a few recruits were expected to rescind their verbals to Bowling Green, because of his departure. On December 12, 2008, athletic director Greg Christopher named
Dave Clawson David Paul Clawson (born August 16, 1967) is an American football coach and former player. He currently serves as the head football coach at Wake Forest University, where he was named the 2021 ACC Coach of the Year. Clawson previously served a ...
as the program's 17th head coach. Clawson, served the previous season with
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
as the Volunteers' offensive coordinator and had been the head coach at Fordham and
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
, winning three conference championships and two Div. I-FCS Coach of the Year awards. Others that were considered for the job included former
Oklahoma State Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
defensive coordinator
Tim Beckman Timothy David Beckman (born January 19, 1965) is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Toledo from 2009 to 2011 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign from 2012 to 2014, compi ...
(now head coach at Toledo),
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
defensive coordinator
Luke Fickell Luke Joseph Fickell (born August 18, 1973) is an American football coach and former player. He will be the head coach for the Wisconsin Badgers starting in December 2022. Previously he was the head football coach at the University of Cincinnati, ...
, former
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
offensive coordinator
Dan Mullen Dan Mullen (born April 27, 1972) is a former college football player and coach, and current television analyst with the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) and ESPN. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State University from 2 ...
(now head coach at the
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
),
Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
defensive coordinator
Ron English Ron English (born June 6, 1959) is an American contemporary artist who explores brand imagery, street art, and advertising. Career English has produced images on the street, in museums, in movies, books and television. He coined the term POPa ...
,
LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
offensive line coach Greg Studrawa,
Central Michigan Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and Mid Michigan cor ...
assistant Zach Azzani,
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
defensive coordinator
Matt Eberflus Matthew Charles Eberflus (born May 17, 1970) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts from 201 ...
and
Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
defensive coordinator Brock Spack On January 27, 2009, Clawson announced eight additions to his coaching staff for the upcoming season. The list included Shannon Morrison and Joe Trainer hired as co-defensive coordinators, Warren Ruggerio as offensive coordinator, John Hunter as running backs coach, John McDonnell as offensive line coach, Doug Philips as defensive ends coach, Sean Spencer as defensive tackles coach and special teams coordinator, and Clint Dowdle as director of football operations. A month after being introduced as co-defensive coordinator, Joe Trainer left the Falcons to become head coach at
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
, a school that he was previously an assistant and defensive coordinator. On February 2, 2009, quarterbacks coach
Jim Hofher Jim Hofher (born October 12, 1957) is an American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at Cornell University from 1990 to 1997 and at the University at Buffalo from 2001 to 2005, compiling a career college footb ...
left the Falcons to become offensive coordinator at
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
.


Key losses

Clawson dismissed Senior defensive lineman Michael Ream for an undisclosed violation of team rules in April. Ream, who had been suspended in
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
due to violating team rules, was to be the only senior on Bowling Green's defensive line. When asked about the dismissal, Clawson stated "We are disappointed that we had to take this step, but when a student-athlete makes a poor decision, he must live with the consequences of his decision." The following are some of the key players (all but Ream having graduated) who will be no longer eligible to play in the 2009 season: Offense: * Brandon Curtis (OL) * Jeff Fink (OL) * Jermiah Kelley (WR) * Aaron Kent (OL) * Marques Parks (WR) * Corey Partridge (WR) * Eric Ransom (RB) * Anthony Turner (RB) Defense: * Adrian Baker (DE) * Diyral Briggs (DL) * Nick Davis (DL) * Erique Dozier (LB) * Giovanni Fillari (DB) * John Haneline (LB) * Kenny Lewis (DB) * Michael Ream (DL)*† * Joe Schaefer (DL) * Antonio Smith (DB) * Nate Waldron (LB) * Freddie Walker (DB) Special Teams: * Sinisa Vrvillo (K) *-Underclassman †-Dismissed from team


Recruiting


Schedule

Sources:


Roster


Game summaries


Troy

The Dave Clawson era at Bowling Green began with a home contest against the Sun Belt's
Troy Trojans The Troy Trojans are the sports teams of Troy University. They began playing in the NCAA's Division I-A in 2001, became a football only member of the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, and joined that conference for all other sports in 2005. Troy Univer ...
in the first meeting between the two schools. The game was also the first time that Bowling Green opened the season at home since 2003. The Falcons came into the game as a 7-point underdog. Troy received the opening kickoff and marched 80 yards down the field on ten plays in just under two minutes, led by Troy quarterback Levi Brown, who had played under Clawson at
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
. Troy running back DuJuan Harris finished off the drive, running the ball in from two yards out to put Troy up 7–0. The teams would trade punts on the next two drives before Bowling Green pushed the ball into Troy's territory. After completing a pass on fourth and six to Troy's 25-yard line,
Tyler Sheehan Tyler Allen Sheehan is a former American football quarterback. Sheehan played collegiately at Bowling Green State University after a standout career at La Salle High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. After going undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft, he sig ...
was intercepted by Troy defensive back Bryan Willis ending the Falcons' deepest drive of the first quarter. Troy would push their lead to 14–0 after Brown hit wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan for a 13-yard touchdown. The Falcons would answer on the following drive, as Sheehan hooked up with senior wide receiver Freddie Barnes for a 31-yard touchdown pass cutting Troy's lead to 14–7. Late in the second quarter Troy drove deep into Bowling Green's territory, but their drive stalled at the Falcons' 17-yard line after the Trojans failed to convert on fourth and one. The Falcons would run the clock out and end the half trailing 14–7 The Falcons would show a totally different look in the second half effectively shutting the door on the Troy's offense, including forcing a fumble and intercepting Brown twice. The Falcons scored on their second drive of the third quarter, as Sheehan found Barnes for eight yards and their second touchdown of the game. On the first play of the fourth quarter, senior defensive back Roger Williams intercepted a Levi Brown pass at Bowling Green's 29-yard line. Bowling Green would take the lead on the following possession, as freshman kicker Jerry Phillips converted a 21-yard field goal making the score 17–14 in Bowling Green's favor. Bowling Green would score on its second consecutive possession, as junior runningback Willie Geter capped off a 4 play, 49 yard drive with a one-yard rush, increasing the Falcons' lead to 24–14. Bowling Green freshman defensive back Adrien Spencer sealed the win for Bowling Green after he picked Brown off on a fourth and four and took the ball back for a 64-yard interception return for a touchdown, increasing the score to 31–14. During the game, Bowling Green senior wide receiver Freddie Barnes set the school record for most receptions in a game, as he collected 15 receptions for 157 yards and Clawson became the eighth consecutive coach to win their debut as the head coach at Bowling Green.


Missouri

The Falcons' second game of the season came on the road against the
Big 12 The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its fo ...
's
Missouri Tigers The Missouri Tigers intercollegiate athletics programs represent the University of Missouri, located in Columbia. The name comes from a band of armed Union Home Guards called the Fighting Tigers of Columbia who, in 1864, protected Columbia fro ...
who came into the game ranked #25th in the nation. The Falcons entered the game with a 3–1 series advantage, including a 20 – 13 victory the last time the two teams met at
Faurot Field Faurot Field ( , ) at Memorial Stadium is an outdoor sports stadium in Columbia, Missouri, United States, on the campus of the University of Missouri. It is primarily used for football and serves as the home field for the Missouri Tigers' progra ...
in
2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
. The Falcons came into the game as a 20-point underdog and were not expected to cause the Tigers much of a threat. The Falcons would start off the game well reaching the red zone on three of their first five drives. The Falcons would strike first as
Tyler Sheehan Tyler Allen Sheehan is a former American football quarterback. Sheehan played collegiately at Bowling Green State University after a standout career at La Salle High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. After going undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft, he sig ...
hooked up with sophomore receiver Ray Hutson on a 10-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter to complete a 10 play, 80-yard drive and give the Falcons a 7–0 lead. On the first play of Missouri's ensuing possession, sophomore quarterback
Blaine Gabbert Blaine Williamson Gabbert (born October 15, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Missouri before leaving early for the 2011 NFL Draft after hi ...
fumbled the ball after being hit by Falcons' senior linebacker Cody Basler and the ball was recovered by junior defensive lineman Carlos Tipton at Missouri's 22-yard line. The Falcons offense would waist the opportunity, going three and out, gaining three yards and having to settle for a 37-yard field goal from freshman kicker Jerry Phillips to push the Falcons lead to 10–0 at the end of the first quarter. The Falcons would recover another fumble in Missouri's territory as senior defensive back Jahmal Brown forced Missouri junior defensive back to fumble the ball on a punt return and junior linebacker Neal Dahlman recovered the ball for the Falcons at Missouri's 18-yard line. The Falcons would waist their second possession with a short field, going three and out for four yards and settling for a 32-yard field goal from Phillips to push the lead to 13–0. The Tigers would get two field goals from sophomore kicker Grant Ressel (38, 46) to cut the Falcon lead to 13–6 at halftime. Bowling Green would keep the foot on the pedal entering the second half, taking the opening possession of the half 73 yards on 11 plays capped off with a 1-yard touchdown run from Willie Geter to push the Falcons lead to 20–6. From there, the Falcons offense would go stagnant, only gaining five first downs the rest of the game. Missouri would wear down the Falcons' defense starting with an 11 play, 87 yard drive culminating in a 27-yard touchdown pass from Gabbert to Jarred Perry to cut the Falcons' lead to 20–13. Missouri would continue to run down the Falcons scoring on their next two possessions with a 33-yard pass from Gabbert to Wes Kemp and a 1-yard run by Der Washington to give the Tigers the 27–20 lead. The Falcons would have one last chance, taking possession at their own 16-yard line. Sheehan would complete a 17-yard pass to senior receiver Chris Wright on the first play of the drive, but would only complete one of his next four passes as the Falcons turned the ball over on downs near midfield.


References

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Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on ...
Bowling Green Falcons football seasons
Bowling Green Falcons football The Bowling Green Falcons football program is the intercollegiate football team of Bowling Green State University. The team is a member of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level; BGSU football ...