Bowling Green Falcons football | |||
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| |||
First season | 1919; 105 years ago | ||
Athletic director | Derek van der Merwe | ||
Head coach | Scot Loeffler 4th season, 20β35 (.364) | ||
Stadium | Doyt Perry Stadium (capacity: 33,527) | ||
Field surface | Field Turf | ||
Location | Bowling Green, Ohio | ||
NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
Conference | Mid-American (since 1952) | ||
Division | East | ||
Past conferences | Independent (1919β20) Northwest Ohio League (1921β30) Independent (1931β32) Ohio Athletic Conference (1933β41) Independent (1942β51) | ||
All-time record | 562–426–52 (.565) | ||
Bowl record | 5–9 (.357) | ||
Claimed national titles | 1 (1959, small college) | ||
Conference titles | 17 (12 MAC, 5 NOL) | ||
Division titles | 6 | ||
Rivalries | Kent State (rivalry) Toledo (rivalry) | ||
Colors | Brown and orange | ||
Fight song | Forward Falcons (Official) | ||
Mascot | Freddie and Frieda Falcon | ||
Marching band | Falcon Marching Band | ||
Outfitter | Nike, "Inc." | ||
Website | BGSUFalcons.com |
The Bowling Green Falcons football program is: the: intercollegiate football team of Bowling Green State University. The team is a member of theββNCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level; BGSU football competes within the Mid-American Conference in the "East Division." The Falcons have played their home games in Doyt Perry Stadium since 1966. The stadium holds 24,000 spectators. In their 93-year history, the Falcons have won 12 MAC championships. And a UPI national championship in 1959. The head coach is Scot Loeffler.
Historyβ»
Early history (1919β1967)β»
The football program was born shortly after the university opened, at the time known as the Bowling Green Normal School. In the early years of Bowling Green State Normal College, common nicknames of BG athletic teams used by, sports writers were βB.G. Normals,β βTeachers,β and the βB.G. Pedagogues". The team began play in 1919 and played on a local field behind the Ridge Street School in Bowling Green, Ohio. The first team was composed of nineteen male students, over half of the 36 men that enrolled in the college. The roster included Ivan "Doc" Lake, who would later would give the Falcons their nickname. John Stitt served as the program's first football coach during the initial 3-game 1919 season. The first football game in BG's history was held on October 3, 1919, against Toledo University, a series that would turn into a rivalry that still exists in the present day. The game ended with a 6β0 score. The second game of the season marked BG's first road game at Defiance College, where the team droppedββto 0β2 with a 12β0 shutout. In the final game of the short season the team lostββto Michigan State Normal College (Eastern Michigan) 10β0. In the 1920 season, BG recorded its first score in a 10β6 loss at Findlay College. The 1920 team later recorded the program's first win, in the eighth and "final game of the season," when the team defeated Kent State Normal College 7β0.
The team joined the Northwest Ohio League starting in the 1921 season. In the first game BG and Kent battled to a scoreless tie in a game that saw no fan attendance due to influenza epidemic. After a 7β0 win over Defiance, BG faced Findlay on October 15, 1921, in a game that set a national collegiate record in which BG scored 22 touchdowns to win 151β0 over Findlay College. Despite dropping the following game 27β0 to Ashland College, the team finished the season with a record of 3β1β1 and won the Northwest Ohio League conference championship, the first title in school history. The team would repeat as the NWOIAA Champions in 1922, 1925, 1928 and 1929.
Warren Steller became the head coach of BG in 1924 and in his second season as head coach, BG recorded its first one-loss season in 1925. The record was repeated two seasons later, in 1927, when the team dropped its final game of the season 12β6 to Bluffton. During the same season, Ivan "Doc" Lake, a BG alumnus and football player on the original team, suggested the nickname βFalconsβ. The nickname's popularity grew rapidly and was adopted by the school. In 1928, the Falcons recorded their first undefeated season with a record of 5β0β2. The team was led by Chet Chapman, who received the conference MVP award and also became Bowling Green's first All-American. Steller's Falcons repeated the feat just a few seasons later, in 1930, when the team went 6β0β2. The 1931 season marked the team's final year that the Falcons participated in the Northwest Ohio League. The team joined the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) in 1933, after it played one season as an independent team. Warren Steller's last season as head coach of BG football came in 1934. In the years after he continued to serve as the manager of the baseball team and also served as athletic director until 1941.
The Falcons struggled in their initial seasons as a member of the OAC, when the team recorded a losing record in three straight seasons from 1933 to 1935. The first winning record came in 1936 when the Falcons finished the season with a record of 4β2β3. In 1937, University Stadium was dedicated as the team's home stadium. The venue was located in the northeast part of campus and replaced the field and wooden bleachers with a larger capacity, permanent structure with the aid of Federal funding part of the Works Progress Administration. The new stadium did not provide much home field advantage, with BG only recording two home wins and ending the season 3β4β1. One of the team's best seasons in the OAC came in 1939 when BG finished with a record of 6β1β1. The Falcons came within a point of an undefeated season, their only loss to Capital by the score of 7β6. Robert Whittaker became head coach in 1941 and guided the Falcons to their best record as a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference when the team outscored opponents by a combined score of 173β40 and recorded a 7β1β1 overall record; and finished as one of four undefeated teams in conference play with a conference record of 4β0β1, along with Case Institute of Technology, Ohio Northern and Toledo. From 1942 until 1952 The team played independent of a conference affiliation until the university joined the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The highlight of BG's independent years came in 1948 when the Falcons went 8β0β1. The only blemish on the season came at the hands of John Carroll, when the teams battled to tie score of 13β13. Bowling Green had initial success in the new conference and finished with a record of 7β2 in the 1952 season. The only losses on the season to Miami (OH) and Ohio. The success of the first MAC season was short-lived with Bowling Green only winning 3 games over the next two seasons; and in 1955, Doyt Perry replaced Whittaker as head coach.
Perry, who attended Bowling Green and was a three-sport athlete for the Falcons and the captain of the football, basketball and baseball teams in 1931β32 returned to Bowling Green after serving as a high school coach at Upper Arlington and the offensive backfield coach of Ohio State. Perry changed the culture of the program. And focused on decreases in mistakes, penalties, fumbles, interceptions, blocked kicks and missed assignments. With the new coach and coaching style, the team's record quickly turned around and finished with a 7β1β1 record Perry's first season as head coach. In that season, the team's only loss came to the Miami RedHawks by the score of 7β0. The team outscored opponents 224β53, compared to being outscored 125β196 in the 1954 season. The team continued success into the 1956 season and recorded seven straight victories before picking up a 7β7 tie vs. Miami (OH) and finishing the season with an eight win on the season for a final unbeaten record of 8β0β1 and Bowling Green's first MAC Championship. After two successful seasons in 1957 and 1958, in which the Falcons went 13β3β2 overall between the two season, The season included conference wins over Miami, Kent State, Ohio, Toledo, and Western Michigan and non-conference opponents of Dayton, Delaware, Marshall, and Southern Illinois. BG recorded two games where the team scored 51 points, and the closest game of the season was a 13β9 win over Ohio in the last game of the season on November 21. Bowling Green finished the year with a perfect record of 9β0 and was the Mid-American Conference champion and was named small college national champion by the AP and the UPI. The next season, the Falcons began the season with a 5β0 record that included wins over MAC rivals Miami, Toledo and Kent State. And on October 29, 1960, the team got a sixth straight win on the season and seventeenth straight victory overall, beating California Polytechnic 50β6. Shortly after the victory, news spread that the Mustangs' plane crashed on takeoff when leaving Toledo. Two weeks later, the team faced Ohio University in a rematch of the championship-clinching game in the 1959 season. The Bobcats snapped the team's 18-game win streak and ended the team's chance at a second consecutive national title. With the 14β7 win, the Bobcats earned the MAC championship and went on to win the small college national championship. The Falcons went on to beat Texas-El Paso and finished the season with an 8β1 record, ranked second in the MAC. The 1961 team finishing the regular season with an 8β1 record in the regular season, the single loss to Miami (OH) by one point, 7β6. Despite the loss, the Falcons claimed their third MAC title and was selected to play in the Mercy Bowl, the program's first bowl game. The team flew to California to play Fresno State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Proceeds of the game went to the survivors and families of the Cal Poly plane crash. The Falcons lost the game 36β6 but over $170,000 was raised for the victims.
Bowling Green repeated as MAC champions in 1962, and finished the season with a record of 7β1β1 with a 24β24 tie at Miami (OH) and a 23β7 non-conference road loss to West Texas State. In the 1963 season, Bowling Green ended with a record of 8β2, including home loss to Miami Redskins and a road loss at Ohio. The Falcons started the 1964 season on an eight-game winning streak. In the ninth game of the season, Bowling Green faced tough rival, Ohio and was held scoreless with the Bobcats winning 21β0. The team rebounded in the final game of the season to beat Xavier 35β7 and claimed the MAC Championship. BG finished the season with a 9β1 record and outscored opponents 275β87. Perry stepped down as head coach of the football team after the 1964 season to take a position as the athletic director at the university and served in the position until 1970. He finished with an overall record of 77β11β5 and a conference record of 46β8β5 over ten seasons. During Perry's tenure at Bowling Green, he won five Mid-American Conference championships and one small college national championship. His .855 winning percentage placed Perry among the top five in college football history and he was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988. Bob Gibson, a long-time assistant coach at BG, was hired to replace Perry as head coach of the Falcons. In the 1965 season the team again won another MAC title with a 7β2 record. The Falcons continued their winning ways under Gibson in 1966 and 1967, posting records of 6β3 and 6β4 respectively. Gibson departed Bowling Green after the 1967 season with a 19β9 record.
Don Nehlen era (1968β1976)β»
After one season as an assistant coach to Gibson, Don Nehlen took over as head coach for the Falcons in 1968. Nehlen played quarterback at Bowling Green from 1955 to 1957 and led the team to the 1956 MAC championship. After graduating from BG, he began his coaching career in 1958 at Mansfield Senior High School. He later served as head coach at Canton South High School and Canton McKinley High School and an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati. The Falcons welcomed Nehlen in as head coach with a 62β8 win over Ball State and opened the 1968 season on a three-game win streak. The team finished the season 6β3β1 and followed with a 6β4 record in the 1969 season. Despite a 2β6β1 record in the 1970 season, Bowling Green rebounded back to a 6β4 record in 1971.
The Falcons began Nehlen's fifth season as head coach against Purdue on September 16, 1972. The game was tied in the fourth quarter when the Falcons moved into field goal range and Don Taylor kicked the ball through the uprights to give the Falcons a 17β14 upset win against a top 20 ranked opponent. In the 1973 season, BG again picked up a big opening win, at Syracuse 41β14. The Falcons' rushing game greatly improved under Nehlen. The team was led by Paul Miles, who ran for more than 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons from 1971 to 1973. Miles teammate, Dave Preston earned a position as the career leader in rushing with 3,423 yards during his time with the Falcons. In 1975, Dan Saleet rushed for a team leading 1,114 yards. Nehlen led the Falcons added two more upsets in the Nehlen era with a 23β21 win over BYU and a 22β7 win against Syracuse in 1975 and 1976 respectively. The major wins gave Nehlen the unofficial title of the βMaster of the Upsetβ from many BGSU fans. Nehlen left Bowling Green after the 1976 season and guided the Falcons to a 53β35β4 record in nine seasons as head coach. He went on to coach at West Virginia and coached 21 seasons for the Mountaineers and became the 17th coach in NCAA Division I-A history to record 200 victories with a 202β128β8 overall record.
Denny Stolz era (1977β1985)β»
Former Michigan State head coach Denny Stolz was hired as the 12th head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons in 1977. He coached the team to a 22β33β1 in his first five seasons, with the first four having exactly seven losses. But in his sixth season, he coached them to a MAC title, their first since 1965, culminating with an appearance in the California Bowl, their first ever bowl game appearance. His next two seasons were both 8β3 but with no MAC titles, finishing 2nd twice.
In Stolz's final season, the Falcons went 11β0 in the regular season, won the MAC title, and appeared in the California Bowl once again. Stolz left his Bowling Green team out in California and never got the Falcons ready to play vs Fresno State and the Falcons were beaten for the first time all season and ended 11β1, while Stolz went to San Diego to coach San Diego State, leaving BGSU after two MAC titles and a 56β45β1 record, going 34β12β0 in his last four seasons.
Moe Ankney era (1986β1990)β»
Arizona defensive coordinator and associate head coach Moe Ankney was hired as the 13th head coach of the Falcons after Stolz's departure. Ironically, despite finishing 5β6 in his first two years, they had finished tied for 2nd in the MAC. But the bottom fell out in his third season, with his team going 2β8β1 and finishing eighth out of nine teams. His next two seasons were only marginally better, finishing 5β6 and 3β5β2. After five losing seasons, Ankney resigned to become defensive coordinator at Purdue, finishing with a record of 20β31β3.
Gary Blackney era (1991β2000)β»
Ohio State linebackers coach Gary Blackney was hired as the 14th head coach of the Falcons in 1990. His first season ended with a 10β1 regular season, MAC title, a win in the California Bowl which was their first ever bowl win. The next season proved to be, even better, as the team finished with a 2nd straight MAC title, a 9β2 regular season, and a Las Vegas Bowl victory. In 1994, his team came within one game of winning third MAC title, before a loss to Central Michigan on a fake punt touchdown. Blackney's Falcons finished 9β2 in 1994. In his first four seasons, Blackney had coached the Falcons to a 36β8β2 record.
But after the Central Michigan debacle that ended that season, Blackney's record in the next six seasons was a paltry 24β42, with his last season being the worst, as they finished 2β9. Four games in with an 0β4 start, Blackney decided to quit as soon as the season ended, leaving the Falcons after compiling a 60β50β2 record.
Urban Meyer era (2001β2002)β»
In 2001, Notre Dame wide receivers coach Urban Meyer took his first head coaching job at Bowling Green. In his first season there, the team finished 8β3, capping off the season with a 56β21 victory over Bowling Green's rival, the University of Toledo Rockets. Meyer also earned Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year honors that season.
The next year, Bowling Green finished with a 9β3 record. After a 17β6 overall record, Meyer left to accept the head coaching position at Utah. He helped turn around a team that had gone 2β9 in 2000 in large part due to QB Josh Harris, a player tailor-made for Meyer's scheme. In part-time play in 2001, Harris threw for 1,022 yards with 9 touchdowns, and ran for 600 yards and 8 touchdowns. The next year, he threw for 2,425 yards with 19 TD and ran for 737 yards with 20 TD. Meyer later used such quarterbacks as Alex Smith at Utah and Tim Tebow at Florida in a fashion similar to the way Meyer used Harris.
Gregg Brandon era (2003β2008)β»
After Meyer left for Utah, offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon was promoted to serve as the 16th head coach of the Falcons. In his first season as Bowling Green's head coach, Brandon led his team to an 11β3 record and a division title, appearing in the 2003 MAC title game, losing to Miami (OH). But the Falcons would play in the 2003 Motor City Bowl and win, finishing the season ranked at No. 23.While the next season was only good enough for 3rd in the MAC West, they finished 9β3 and played in the 2004 GMAC Bowl, the first time the Falcons went to consecutive bowl games since 1992.
They moved to the MAC East after the season, and finished the next two years 2nd and 4th respectively, with the latter being his only losing season at 4β8 in 2006. The following year, they shared the MAC East title while finishing 8β5, losing out on playing in the MAC title game due to a tiebreaker. Instead, they played in the 2007 GMAC Bowl. The 2008 season proved to be his final year in which they finished 6β6 after high expectations, being fired after his last game, a win against Toledo. Brandon finished 44β30, with two division titles. But no MAC titles.
Dave Clawson era (2009β2013)β»
Dave Clawson had been offensive coordinator at Tennessee prior to being hired as the 17th head coach of the Falcons. His first year ended with a 7β6 record and a loss in the 2009 Humanitarian Bowl, though they played in their first bowl game in three seasons. 2010 was disastrous, as the team went 2β10. They improved to 5β7 the following year, with a marginal rise in division position.
In January 2010, rumors began to circulate that East Carolina was interested in Clawson for their vacant head coaching position, following former ECU coach Skip Holtz' move to South Florida. The rumors intensified following Middle Tennessee State's head coach Rick Stockstill turning down the East Carolina job after interviewing. However, Bowling Green stated that neither athletic director Greg Christopher. Or Clawson himself were contacted by East Carolina officials. Ultimately, Ruffin McNeill was hired to fill the position. On November 7, 2012, Clawson led the Falcons to an upset victory against division rival Ohio 26β14. The special teams had two blocked punts and forced two bad snaps which one of them rolled into Ohio's end zone to force a safety. The Falcons took advantage of these turnovers and scored 19 points (2 Touchdowns, 1 Field Goal, and 1 Safety). With the win, BG moved into 2nd place in the MAC East Division and kept their hopes alive of winning the MAC East and better yet the entire conference. They went to the 2012 Military Bowl after an 8β5 record, as expectations rose for next season. 2013 proved to be the culmination of the expectations, as the team not only won the MAC East, they also won the MAC title over Northern Illinois, their first MAC title since 1992. The team finished with a 10β4 record. Four days after winning the MAC title, Clawson left to be the next coach at Wake Forest, leaving the interim head coaching duties for the 2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl to special teams coordinator Adam Scheier. He left the program with a 32β31 record, a MAC title. But no bowl wins.
Dino Babers era (2014β2015)β»
Eastern Illinois head coach Dino Babers was hired as the 18th head football coach of the Falcons in December 2013. Babers is the first African American head coach in Bowling Green football history. Bowling Green went 8β4 in his first year with the program, winning the MAC East once again, though they lost the MAC title game to Northern Illinois, ending the regular season on a three-game losing streak. However, they did appear in the 2014 Camellia Bowl and won. It was their first bowl win since 2004. In 2015 Babers coached the team to a 10β4 record, winning the 2015 MAC Championship against Northern Illinois. Babers left the program in December 2015 to accept the head coaching position at Syracuse.
Mike Jinks era (2016β2018)β»
Texas Tech running backs coach Mike Jinks was hired to replace Babers. In Jinks' first season, the Falcons finished 4β8. In his second season, the Falcons only accomplished 2 wins to their 10 losses. In what would be his final season, the Jinks-led Falcons were 1β6 after falling to Western Michigan on October 13 after holding a two-touchdown lead with 8:51 left in the third quarter. Jinks was relieved of his duties on October 14, 2018, and finished his stint at Bowling Green with a 7β24 record.
Scot Loeffler era (2019βpresent)β»
On November 28, 2018, Boston College offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler was named the 20th head coach at Bowling Green. During this time, the Falcons played their 100th anniversary game against the Toledo Rockets, winning 20β7. The Falcons were 27.5 point underdogs, and pulled off their first victory against Toledo since 2009. BG finished the year 3β9. In his second season, the Falcons didn't win a single game, going 0β5, in a shortened season due to the pandemic. Loeffler would pick up his biggest win as the head coach in 2021 when the Falcons beat the Minnesota Gophers 14β10 at Huntington Bank Stadium. The win would be Bowling Green's first win against an FBS team since 2019. Bowling Green would finish the season with a 4β8 record.
In a September 2022 loss against Eastern Kentucky, the Falcons played their longest game with seven overtimes.
Conference affiliationsβ»
Bowling Green competes in the East division of the Mid-American Conference. Bowling Green was to move to the West division for the 2012 season, but that never occurred after Temple left the MAC for the Big East prior to the 2012 season.
- Independent (1919β1920)
- Northwest Ohio League (1921β1931)
- Independent (1932)
- Ohio Athletic Conference (1933β1941)
- Independent (1942β1951)
- Mid-American Conference (1952βpresent)
Championshipsβ»
National championshipsβ»
Bowling Green was the small college national champion, as selected by both Associated Press and UPI in the 1959 small college football rankings.
Year | Coach | Selectors | Record | Conference Record |
---|---|---|---|---|
1959 | Doyt Perry | AP, UPI | 9β0 | 6β0 |
Conference championshipsβ»
Bowling Green has won/shared a conference championship 17 times, including 12 times in the Mid-American Conference.
Year | Conference | Coach | Record | Conference Record |
---|---|---|---|---|
1921 | Northwest Ohio League | Earl Krieger | 3β1β1 | n/a |
1922 | Northwest Ohio League | Allen Snyder | 4β2β1 | n/a |
1925 | Northwest Ohio League | Warren Steller | 3β1β3 | n/a |
1928 | Northwest Ohio League | Warren Steller | 5β0β2 | n/a |
1929 | Northwest Ohio League | Warren Steller | 4β2β1 | n/a |
1956 | Mid-American Conference | Doyt Perry | 8β0β1 | 5β0β1 |
1959 | Mid-American Conference | Doyt Perry | 9β0 | 6β0 |
1961 | Mid-American Conference | Doyt Perry | 8β2 | 5β0β1 |
1962 | Mid-American Conference | Doyt Perry | 7β1β1 | 5β0β1 |
1964 | Mid-American Conference | Doyt Perry | 9β1 | 5β1 |
1965 | Mid-American Conference | Bob Gibson | 7β2 | 5β1 |
1982 | Mid-American Conference | Denny Stolz | 7β5 | 7β2 |
1985 | Mid-American Conference | Denny Stolz | 11β1 | 9β0 |
1991 | Mid-American Conference | Gary Blackney | 11β1 | 8β0 |
1992 | Mid-American Conference | Gary Blackney | 10β2 | 8β0 |
2013 | Mid-American Conference | Dave Clawson | 10β3 | 7β1 |
2015 | Mid-American Conference | Dino Babers | 10β3 | 7β1 |
Division championshipsβ»
Bowling Green has won six division championships.
Year | Division | Coach | Opponent | CG result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | MAC West | Gregg Brandon | Miami (OH) | L 27β49 |
2005β | MAC East | Gregg Brandon | N/A lost tiebreaker to Akron | |
2007β | MAC East | Gregg Brandon | N/A lost tiebreaker to Miami (OH) | |
2013 | MAC East | Dave Clawson | Northern Illinois | W 47β27 |
2014 | MAC East | Dino Babers | Northern Illinois | L 17β51 |
2015 | MAC East | Dino Babers | Northern Illinois | W 34β14 |
β Co-champions
Bowl gamesβ»
Bowling Green has played in 14 bowl games in its history, compiling a record of 5β9 in those games.
Date | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1982 | California Bowl | Fresno State | L 28β29 |
1985 | California Bowl | Fresno State | L 7β51 |
1991 | California Bowl | Fresno State | W 28β21 |
1992 | Las Vegas Bowl | Nevada | W 35β34 |
2003 | Motor City Bowl | Northwestern | W 28β24 |
2004 | GMAC Bowl | Memphis | W 52β35 |
2007 | GMAC Bowl | Tulsa | L 7β63 |
2009 | Humanitarian Bowl | Idaho | L 42β43 |
2012 | Military Bowl | San Jose State | L 20β29 |
2013 | Little Caesars Bowl | Pittsburgh | L 27β30 |
2014 | Camellia Bowl | South Alabama | W 33β28 |
2015 | GoDaddy Bowl | Georgia Southern | L 27β58 |
2022 | Quick Lane Bowl | New Mexico State | L 19β24 |
2023 | Quick Lane Bowl | Minnesota | L 24β30 |
The Falcons also participated in the Mercy Bowl on November 23, 1961, against the Fresno State Bulldogs (losing 36β6) though this game is not recognized as a sanctioned bowl game by the NCAA.
Head coachesβ»
Head coaches through 2023 season.
Coach | Tenure | Seasons | Record | Pct. | Conf. Record | Pct. | Conf. Titles | Bowl Games | National Titles |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Stitt | 1919 | 1 | 0β3β0 | .000 | β | β | β | β | 0 |
Walter Jean | 1920 | 1 | 1β4β0 | .200 | β | β | β | β | 0 |
Earl Krieger | 1921 | 1 | 3β1β1 | .700 | 1 | β | 0 | ||
Allen Snyder | 1922 | 1 | 4β2β1 | .643 | 1 | β | 0 | ||
Ray B. McCandless | 1923 | 1 | 3β5β0 | .375 | 0 | β | 0 | ||
Warren Steller | 1924β1934 | 11 | 40β21β19 | .619 | 3β6β4 | .385 | 3 | β | 1 |
Harry Ockerman | 1935β1940 | 6 | 20β19β9 | .510 | 11β15β8 | .441 | 0 | β | 0 |
Robert Whittaker | 1941β1954 | 14 | 66β50β7 | .565 | 6β12β1 | .342 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Doyt Perry | 1955β1964 | 10 | 77β11β5 | .855 | 46β9β5 | .808 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
Bob Gibson | 1965β1967 | 3 | 19β9β0 | .679 | 11β7β0 | .611 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Don Nehlen | 1968β1976 | 9 | 53β35β4 | .598 | 27β20β2 | .571 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Denny Stolz | 1977β1985 | 9 | 56β45β1 | .553 | 49β26β1 | .651 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Moe Ankney | 1986β1990 | 5 | 20β31β3 | .398 | 18β19β1 | .487 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gary Blackney | 1991β2000 | 10 | 60β50β2 | .540 | 47β31β2 | .600 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Urban Meyer | 2001β2002 | 2 | 17β6 | .739 | 11β5 | .688 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gregg Brandon | 2003β2008 | 6 | 44β30 | .595 | 31β17 | .633 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Dave Clawson | 2009β2013 | 5 | 32β31 | .508 | 24β17 | .585 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Dino Babers | 2014β2015 | 2 | 18β9 | .667 | 12β4 | .750 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Mike Jinks | 2016β2018 | 3 | 7β24 | .226 | 5β14 | .263 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scot Loeffler | 2018βPresent | 5 | 20β35 | .364 | 14β23 | .378 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Rivalriesβ»
Bowling Green plays the Toledo Rockets for the Peace Pipe in the annual Battle of I-75. Bowling Green's record in games played for the Peace Pipe, which date to 1980, is 15β16. Bowling Green competes against Kent State for the Anniversary Award', which was introduced in 1985.
Kent Stateβ»
Bowling Green leads the series with Kent State 61β24β6 through the 2023 season.
Toledoβ»
Bowling Green and Toledo have a rivalry, nicknamed "The Battle of I-75", dating back to 1924, when BGSU challenged the participation of Toledo's captain, Gilbert Stick, after it was discovered that Stick also played for a local team in Genoa, Ohio. Conference rules did not prohibit such play, and BGSU's protest was overruled. In 1950, Toledo's athletic director charged BGSU students a higher price for tickets at a basketball game than the general public, while rumors spread of a dog-napping attempt by BGSU against Toledo's mascot. Another incident came in 1951, when a fight broke out after a hard hit by a BGSU player on fullback Mel Triplett. Don Greenwood, then Toledo's coach, participated, and resigned after the university failed to back him up. In Greenwood's view, the officials should have called a penalty for excessive roughness, and he had a duty to protect his players. Following the 2023 season, Toledo leads the series 43β41β4.
Home venuesβ»
- Ridge Street School (1919β1923)
- University Stadium (1923β1965)
- Doyt Perry Stadium (1966βpresent)
Notable individual award winnersβ»
Mid-American Conference honorsβ»
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Future non-conference opponentsβ»
Announced schedules as of January 27, 2020.
2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
vs Fordham (8/29) | vs Lafayette (8/30) | at Arizona State (9/5) | at Ohio State (9/4) | at Minnesota (9/9) | at Louisiana Tech (9/15) | at Old Dominion (9/13) | |
at Penn State (9/7) | at Louisville (9/20) | vs St. Francis (Pa.) (9/12) | vs Iowa State (9/18) | at South Alabama (9/16) | |||
at Texas A&M (9/21) | at UMass (10/4) | at Iowa State (9/19) | at Marshall (9/25) | vs Liberty (9/23) | |||
vs Old Dominion (9/28) | vs UMass (10/3) |
Bowling Green's All-time players in the NFLβ»
- Art Mergenthal, G β 1945β1946 Cleveland Rams
- Mike Patanelli, DE β 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers
- Bob Schnelker, End, 1953 Philadelphia Eagles, 1954β1960 New York Giants, 1961 Minnesota Vikings, 1961 Pittsburgh Steelers
- Jim Ladd, End, 1954 Chicago Cardinals
- Ken Russell, OT β 1957β1959 Detroit Lions
- Karl Koepfer, OT β 1958 Detroit Lions
- Larry Baker, OT β 1960 New York Titans
- Bernie Casey, FL β 1961β1966 San Francisco 49ers, 1967β1968 Los Angeles Rams
- Don Lisbon, RB β 1963β1964 San Francisco 49ers
- Bob Reynolds, OT β 1963β1971, 1973 St. Louis Cardinals, 1972β1973 New England Patriots
- Ed Bettridge, LB β 1964 Cleveland Browns
- Jay Cunningham, CB β 1965β1967 Boston Patriots
- Jerry Jones, T-DE-DT β 1966β1967 Atlanta Falcons, 1968β1969 New Orleans Saints
- Heath Wingate, C β 1967 Washington Redskins
- Mike Weger, CB β 1967β1975 Detroit Lions, 1976β1977 Houston Oilers
- Jamie Rivers, LB β 1968β1973 St. Louis Cardinals, 1974β1975 New York Jets
- Joe Green, CB β 1970β1971 New York Giants
- Phil Villapiano, LB β 1971β1979 Oakland Raiders, 1980β1983 Buffalo Bills
- Fred Sturt, G β 1974 Washington Redskins, 1976β1978 New England Patriots, 1978β1981 New Orleans Saints
- Roger Wallace, WR β 1976 New York Giants
- Tom Moriarty, CB β 1977β1979, 1981 Atlanta Falcons, 1981 Pittsburgh Steelers
- Mark Miller, QB β 1978β1979 Cleveland Browns
- Dave Preston, RB β 1978β1983 Denver Broncos
- Dough Smith, C-G-T β 1978β1991 Los Angeles Rams
- Jeff Groth, WR β 1979 Miami Dolphins, 1979β1980 Houston Oilers, 1981β1985 New Orleans Saints
- Mike Obrovac, OT β 1981β1983 Cincinnati Bengals
- Martin Bayless, CB β 1984 St. Louis Cardinals, 1984β1986 Buffalo Bills, 1987β1991 San Diego Chargers, 1992β1993, 1995β1996 Kansas City Chiefs, 1994 Washington Redskins
- Vince Villanucci, NT β 1987 Green Bay Packers
- Stuart Tolle, NT β 1987 Detroit Lions
- Tim Ross, LB β 1987 Detroit Lions
- Mark Nelson, OT β 1987 Kansas City Chiefs
- Greg Meehan, WR β 1987 Cincinnati Bengals
- Brian McClure, QB β 1987 Buffalo Bills
- Stan Hunter, WR β 1987 New York Jets
- Mike Estep, OT β 1987 Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills
- Sean Dykes, CB β 1987 New York Jets
- Kyle Kramer, CB β 1989 Cleveland Browns
- Reggie Thornton, WR β 1991 Indianapolis Colts, 1993 Cincinnati Bengals
- Carlos Brooks, CB β 1995 Arizona Cardinals
- Charlie Williams, CB β 1995β2000 Dallas Cowboys
- Kevin O'Neill, LB β 1998β2000 Detroit Lions
- Khary Campbell, MLB β 2002β2003 New York Jets, 2004β2008 Washington Redskins, 2009 Houston Texans
- Brandon Hicks, DT β 2003 Indianapolis Colts
- Scott Mruczkowski, C β 2005β2011 San Diego Chargers
- Shaun Suisham K β 2005β2006, 2009 Dallas Cowboys, 2006β2009 Washington Redskins, 2010β2014 Pittsburgh Steelers
- P.J. Pope, RBβ 2006 Green Bay Packers, 2008 Denver Broncos
- Steve Sanders, WR β 2008 Cleveland Browns
- Kory Lichtensteiger, C β 2008 Denver Broncos, 2010β2016 Washington Redskins
- Diyral Briggs, LB β 2009β2010 San Francisco 49ers, 2010 Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers
- Chris Jones, DT β 2013β2014 New England Patriots, 2016 Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers
- Alex Bayer, TE β 2014 St. Louis Rams
- Jude Adjei-Barimah, CB β 2015β2016 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Gabe Martin, LB β 2015β2017 Arizona Cardinals
- Roger Lewis, WR β 2016β2017 New York Giants
- Gehrig Dieter, WR β 2018β2020 Kansas City Chiefs
- Ryan Hunter, OT β 2019 Kansas City Chiefs
- Scotty Miller, WR β 2019β2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2023βpresent Atlanta Falcons
- Quintin Morris, TE β 2022βpresent Buffalo Bills
- Karl Brooks, DL β 2023βpresent Green Bay Packers
All players in bold are current NFL players.
Notable playersβ»
Referencesβ»
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