Football: A Look at the Rockets' 11th Opponent - Bowling Green
9/8/2000 12:00:00 PM | Football
Sept. 8, 2000
Optimism is high in the Bowling Green State University football camp as the team prepares for the 2000 season. Head coach Gary Blackney enters his 10th season at the Falcon helm, recharged by a strong finish to the 1999 season, a solid showing in spring ball, and a number of new assistants on his staff. Blackney and the Falcons feel that the ingredients are in place for a return to the upper echelon of the Mid-American Conference.
The Falcons are coming off a 5-6 campaign in 1999, but BGSU won the last three games of the season. Success is nothing new to the Falcons, as BGSU was perhaps the premier MAC team in the early 90's, recording a 28-2-2 mark within the league. With 14 starters returning, this could be the season for BGSU to find itself heading back toward the top of the division standings.
Blackney feels that the success will start on the defensive side of the ball, where the Falcons have a whopping nine starters back. BG also has five offensive starters returning, including many of the top skilled-position players. Two key starters return to anchor the offensive line, and that group could be a key to the Falcons' overall success in the year 2000.
OFFENSE:
Blackney is excited about the experience of his football team on both sides of the ball. On offense, the skilled-position players have gone through the rigors of MAC football before, and know what it takes to succeed against tough conference opponents week-in and week-out.
"You look at skilled-position players like Kurt Gerling, Aaron Alexander, Joe Alls and Godfrey Lewis," said Blackney. "Those guys have been playing a lot of football for us, and yet they're only juniors. And, Joe Alls is a sophomore.
"A couple of years ago we played a lot of young players. We experienced some of the pains of playing with young players, and now, these guys are veteran players. They've been in the program, learned the system and experienced success. Now, the key for those players is to continue to grow, to try to maximize their abilities and potential and not remain stagnant. If that happens, then we just need the offensive line to develop. That will be the key on the offensive side of the ball.
"I feel like we have the athletes to have a good offensive line. But, we lost three starters who, between them, had played for three or four years (each). So, the coordination and the maturation of the offensive line is something that has to happen."
The Falcons appear to be in good shape at quarterback, where a pair of players have starting experience. Sophomore Andy Sahm started the last seven games of 1999, and heads into the fall as the number-one signal-caller. In his first career start, Sahm ripped arch-rival Toledo for 302 yards in the air as BG posted a 34-23 win. For the year, Sahm completed 77 of 152 passes for 1,088 yards, tossed seven touchdowns and was only picked off three times. He scrambled for three scores as well.
"Andy had some excellent games last year," said Blackney. "He just needs to be a little bit more consistent. He is a young player, but he has the size and all the physical tools. Andy also has the intelligence and the competitiveness that, if he continues to grow as a quarterback, will give him a chance to be an all-star caliber player."
Senior Ricky Schneider also returns, and Schneider is not your typical backup. He has started several games in each of the last three years, and made four starts a year ago. Schneider completed 22 passes for 271 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in the Kent game last September, and totalled 11 TD throws on the season. Schneider gives Blackney several options behind the center.
"That's a big plus for us, to have both Ricky and Andy at the quarterback position," Blackney said. "It's nice to have a senior quarterback behind the scenes that can really come in with a lot of poise, a lot of knowledge and an understanding of both our offense and of opponents' defenses. Ricky can really help us out if and when that situation arises. So, that's a nice position for us to be in."
When the Falcon quarterback - be it Sahm or Schneider - takes the snap and turns to make the handoff, there will be no shortage of capable backs waiting to carry the ball. Sophomore Joe Alls and juniors Godfrey Lewis and John Gibson all possess talent and experience.
Alls led the team with 592 yards rushing and an average of 5.1 yards per carry in his initial season. He came into his own late in the year, rushing for 467 yards over the last four games, including a season-high 155 vs. Ball State. Lewis, who was BG's top rusher as a freshman in 1998, gained an even 500 yards and scored a team-high six rushing touchdowns last year.
Alls and Lewis are ranked nationally among the top returning rushing tandems for the 2000 season. The duo combined for 1,092 yards last year, the 10th-most of any returning rushing duo in the country.
Gibson proved to be a reliable back when he got his chances last season, totalling 109 yards. He had three rushing scores as a freshman in 1998.
"That is a good combination of backs, and we're very fortunate to have some versatility with all of those kids," said the head coach. "Finding a way to get them in the lineup and utilize their talents is going to be a challenge for our coaches, but they're all talented players."
The Falcons also return a pair of talented receivers, led by junior wideout Kurt Gerling. Coming off a 1998 campaign in which he was named the MAC's Freshman of the Year, Gerling put to rest any notions of a sophomore slump. Gerling led the team with 53 catches and 775 yards, and scored five touchdowns. Gerling has caught at least one pass in all 22 of his games as a Falcon, the ninth-longest current streak in the nation.
Robert Redd (39 grabs, 552 yards, six TDs) is gone, but Aaron Alexander is ready to take over at split end after a solid 1999 season. Alexander caught 35 balls for nearly 500 yards a year ago, and combined with Gerling for 288 yards receiving in the Akron game. That duo became only the fifth BG receiving combo to have at least 100 yards each in the same game.
Reserves Cleon Ghant, Joe Fisher and Andre Pinchem should provide additional speed and depth at the receiver spots.
The Falcons lost two key members of the offensive corps in fullback Brent Martin and tight end Kevin Steinke. The fullback and tight end spots are traditionally important on Blackney-coached teams, and the duo will be difficult to replace.
Juniors Eric Clark and Doug Kingsbury will battle for time at fullback, while Ross Durham and Jason Van Dam will compete for the starting tight-end job. Clark saw limited action in each of the last two seasons, while Kingsbury is a junior-college transfer. Durham saw time on special teams last fall, while Van Dam sat out as a redshirt. At 6-foot-6, both tight ends give Sahm (or Schneider) a huge target, and will provide big bodies to utilize in blocking situations.
"In our offensive scheme the fullback and tight end are each very valuable, not only in the running game, but also the passing," said Blackney. "Replacing Martin and Steinke will be very difficult because they were senior players, and we will now be playing with younger players at both positions.
"That's going to be a situation where a young player like Eric Clark will need to step up. He came off of back surgery this past winter, and really had a good spring. We recruited Doug Kingsbury, a junior-college player, to come in and help us out in that area.
"At tight end, I think Ross Durham has a lot of potential, and I really like Jason Van Dam. He had a very good spring. The only problem is that does not have any game experience, but he's got size, speed and athleticism, and he catches the ball very well. Again, he just needs to get a little experience and to understand the system."
Another question mark to Falcon followers is the offensive line, but Blackney feels that the ingredients for success are there. A pair of experienced players return to anchor the line in senior co-captains Rob Fehrman and Eric Curl. Fehrman, an All-MAC candidate, has started 33 consecutive games heading into the 2000 season, and will return to his familiar left-tackle spot.
Curl, after starting 22 consecutive games at right guard, will move to center this season to replace the graduated Doug Dorley, who was invited to training camp by the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals. Curl actually started the first two games of his freshman season before breaking his foot.
A number of younger players have been awaiting a chance to step into the starting lineup, and that chance is now.
"Offensive line is an area where we've recruited well over the last several years," said Blackney. "And, we do have two real focal points in Rob Fehrman and Eric Curl.
"I really feel that Rob can be as good an offensive lineman as there is in the league. Eric is a tough player and he had a very good spring. They both will do an excellent job of leading because of the kind of character and intelligence they both possess.
"We will be building the offensive line around those anchor points, and we do have some young players that have a chance to be very good."
Among those players are juniors Mike Bodnar and Malcolm Robinson and sophomores Jon Mazur, Dennis Wendel, Greg Kupke and Ryan Yeager. Mazur appears to have the inside track for the left-guard position, with Bodnar giving him a run for his money. Kupke and Yeager enter the fall listed one-two at right guard. Robinson, a defensive starter last year, could start at right tackle, but will be pushed by fifth-year senior Eric Gilbo. Wendel should see time at the tackle spots as well.
"Mike Bodnar has been in the program for four years, and could really step up and make a contribution," said Blackney. "Jon Mazur and Greg Kupke are two of the more athletic players that we've had around here. Both of those players will compete for starting positions.
"At right tackle, because of injuries, we were without two players. Eric Gilbo is coming off knee surgery. We would all like to see Eric have an opportunity to step up and have some success. He's been in the program now for five years, he's had to battle the injury bug, and hopefully this will be his year.
"Behind him we have a young player, Dennis Wendel, who is very athletic. He even played some tight end for us last year in our two-tight-end schemes. And then, on top of that, realizing that we've had some problems, injury-wise, we moved Malcolm Robinson to tackle.
"The talent and ability is there, it's just a matter of getting the kinks out and creating a well-coordinated component of our offense. But, certainly, there's a lot of reason for optimism. I think, with the leadership of Curl and Fehrman, we have some guys that are just waiting to blossom."
DEFENSE:
When talking about the Falcon defense, it is difficult for Blackney to contain his excitement. A total of nine starters from last season are back. The head coach, who has seen a plethora of young faces line up at starting spots over the past several years, is looking forward to reaping the rewards of the experience gained during that time.
"We have nine defensive starters returning, and I really think we're as athletic and skilled in our defensive front as we have been in a long time. As I look at our defense overall, and especially our front seven, the biggest thing we have going for us is the fact that we have a lot of people that have played a lot of football. They understand the system and they have a better feel for the techniques within the schemes. Again, I think that relates to their experience."
Blackney is particularly encouraged by his front seven. The Falcons lost just one starter from that group in middle linebacker Joe O'Neill. After a stellar career in the Brown and Orange, O'Neill joins his brother, Kevin, in the Detroit Lions training camp. The bulk of the other defensive standouts from 1999 are back, led by senior end D.J. Durkin. Blackney calls Durkin the "heart and soul of the defense.
"D.J. is the key guy on our defense," said the coach. "He will be a second-year captain, he's coming off an ankle problem that hopefully has been resolved, and there's not a player on our football team that has more of a passion for the game or plays with more energy and effort. He really sets the standard for our defense and raises the bar. D.J. has the ability to elevate the level of play of everyone around him."
Junior Ryan Wingrove will return at the other end, while senior nose guard Brandon Hicks also is back. Wingrove is a very athletic player, while Hicks shared team Defensive MVP honors with O'Neill in 1999.
"Ryan has excellent speed for a defensive lineman," said Blackney. "He will be even a better player at that position, now that he has a year of starting experience under his belt.
"Brandon sat out spring ball due to mononucleosis, but he's a very productive guy, very athletic. He is a player that could achieve all-star type status this year."
Yet another returnee, but the lone new starter, on the line is D.J. Owchar. A sophomore, he saw action in eight games behind Malcolm Robinson last year. With Robinson's move to the offensive side of the ball, and Hicks suffering from mono, Owchar got a ton of playing time in the spring.
"D.J., in my opinion, was one of the most improved players on the defense, if not the whole team, this spring," said Blackney. "He really has put himself in position to be a solid starter on the line."
Also battling for time on the line will be Rodney Dawson and the Glantzis brothers, Alex and Chris. Dawson, a junior-college transfer, saw time on the line in '99, and made his first BGSU start in the win over Toledo. Alex Glantzis, a sophomore, played in five games in his initial collegiate campaign. His brother, a junior, sat out the 1999 season after transferring from Youngstown State. Chris Glantzis helped the Penguins to an NCAA Division I-AA championship in 1997 and totalled 42 tackles in nine games the following year. According to Blackney, both players are capable of playing inside or outside on the line. Blackney feels that it all adds up to a promising future for the D-line.
"The move of Malcolm Robinson to the other side of the ball shows the depth and the quality that we think we have in the defensive line. We have excellent talent, and we're probably as deep at those positions as we are anywhere, in terms of both talent and experience."
At linebacker, a pair of juniors will man the outside spots. Both Khary Campbell and Garry Fisher will be in their third year as starters, and should benefit from the experience gained.
"I mentioned how encouraging it is that we have so much depth in our defensive line," said Blackney. "I feel the same way about our linebackers. Kids like Khary Campbell and Garry Fisher started as redshirt freshman.
"We have gone through some growing pains in some positions on the defensive side of the ball, and now those players have accumulated a lot of playing time and have gotten a lot of experience. Again, we're very athletic in those positions, and we have some depth.
Senior Chris Della Vella looks to be the replacement for O'Neill, and could play a key role for the Falcons. Sophomores Geno Burden and Chris Haneline and freshman Mitch Hewitt all should see their share of time in the lineup as well.
"The guy who had a phenomenal spring, in my opinion, was Chris Della Vella," said Blackney. "He really came out of nowhere to take over the middle linebacker position. Chris has seen some playing time over the years, and it just seems like he's going to take advantage of this - his last opportunity - to really play a significant role on our defense.
"Mitch Hewitt, only a redshirt freshman, looked really good in spring ball. We will need to try to find a way to get him on the field, because he might have been the most productive LB in the spring. He just seems to always be around the ball, and he makes plays.
"I guess you can see my reason for feeling good about the defense, just from some of the guys I've mentioned."
A pair of juniors will look to anchor the secondary. Chad Long and Karl Rose have combined to start 36 games over the last two years, with Long starting all 22 contests during that time. Long, who looks to be the starter at strong safety, led the team with 111 tackles a year ago. He is considered one of the nation's most underrated players, according to CBS Sportsline. Long actually made two starts in 1997 before breaking his thumb and earning a medical hardship season.
"The secondary is another area where we have some experience," said Blackney. "Look at Karl Rose and Chad Long, in particular. Here are two more guys who will be in their third year playing a lot of football for us. They should be pretty good football players at this point."
Rose is pencilled in at one starting cornerback spot, with senior Ken Dobbs at the other corner. Junior Sergio Lund is the leader in the competition at free safety, with junior Jerry Wagner as his backup. Dobbs started the final two games a year ago, and has made nine career starts, while Lund started the final four games of '99. Wagner was one of BG's top special-teams players a year ago.
"Kenny Dobbs is going to be a senior, and he is yet another guy that has played a lot of football," said Blackney. "It is really time for him to step up and play a significant role, and there are some young players that need to do the same thing.
"It's no secret that we have had trouble covering people. That has been an Achilles heel for us for a long time. It is a tough position to play, and those guys are hard to find.
"That may be the key for our defense: to find a couple of corners to complement the other members of the secondary, and then to tie this whole thing into the front seven."
Blackney feels good about his defense as a whole, and says that group will need to lead the team in the early going of the 2000 campaign.
"We will have to hang our hat on the defense early in the season. They will need to hold us in games until our offense can develop and mature a little bit more. But, in my experience, both at Bowling Green and looking at the rest of the conference, it's very difficult to position yourself to win the division or win the championship without playing good defense."
SPECIAL TEAMS:
One of BGSU's key losses came in the special teams department, where Jason Strasser has exhausted his eligibility. Strasser hit 24-of-28 field-goal attempts over the past two seasons, and capped a four-year reign as starter with an appearance in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
The primary candidate for the placekicking job will be freshman Shaun Suisham. Suisham, an Ontario native, was enrolled in school last spring, but was injured on the first day of spring practice. Junior walk-on Mike Knapp and freshman Kyle Turano will be in the hunt for the job.
"I guess the biggest question mark that I have, and maybe the biggest question mark on our football team, is who's going to be our kicker," Blackney said. "Shaun came in for the spring semester, and was with us in winter conditioning. But, on the first day of spring practice he pulled a quadricep muscle, and couldn't kick. So, there's an unknown there.
"Michael Knapp came on and did a very nice job as a walk-on. Also, we went out and - probably for the first time since I've been here - we recruited another kicker. Kyle Turano was a highly-regarded kicker from the Worthington area. We had to get some people in here with some talent, and the challenge is being able to zero in on who our kicker will be when we open up on September 2.
At the punter spot, Pat Fleming returns for his sophomore season. Fleming was solid a year ago, averaging 40.3 yards per boot and placed 10 kicks inside the opponents' 20-yard line during his initial year.
"Pat Fleming did a nice job for us last year," said Blackney. "He was one of the top punters in the league, he has a very strong leg, and I think he is going to be a lot more comfortable handling the punting chores this coming year."
Another returnee in the special-teams area is long snapper Ryan Diepenbrock, a senior.
Blackney feels that BG's large contingent of returning players at the skilled positions is a harbinger of good things for the Falcons' special teams unit.
"I feel like the coverage and the protection part of our special teams can be outstanding, because those positions are usually manned by skilled-position players. Because of the quality of those players, I think that our special teams in those areas have a chance to be very good."
THE SCHEDULE:
The 2000 schedule is a daunting one, even for a school that has always tried to schedule the strongest teams possible in non-conference action. The Falcons open the season with a trip north, facing Michigan in Ann Arbor on Sept. 2. The following weekend, the Brown and Orange will host a big-name opponent at Doyt L. Perry Stadium, taking on Pittsburgh in a noon start. The Falcons will conclude non-league play with another Big East Conference foe, heading to Philadelphia to face Temple on Sept. 16. The Mid-American Conference opener is set for the following Saturday (Sept. 23) at Buffalo. Blackney is excited about the 2000 schedule.
"Obviously, Michigan is one of the most nationally-recognized programs, and one of the most successful programs, on a national scale. I think Michigan may be the best team we've played, and that's a powerful statement when you consider that we have played teams like Ohio State, Penn State, Alabama, Virginia Tech, Missouri and Kansas State. It is going to be exciting, and it's going to be a tremendous challenge for our team to go and play in front of more than 100,000 people.
"Also, the opportunity to play against Pittsburgh at home is really significant for our program. I can't remember when we've had a team with so much tradition and history coming in to play at Perry Stadium. And then, we play another team (Temple) out of the Big East Conference that is improving and emerging. The toughness of those games helps you prepare for the conference schedule. And, the most important thing for us is to be the very best football team that we're capable of being when we head to Buffalo for our first conference game."
After that game at UB (Sept. 23), the Falcons conclude a three-game road swing with a contest at Kent. The first weekend in October sees the Brown and Orange hosting Akron in a homecoming matchup. After a trip to Miami, BGSU will play three consecutive home contests, facing Eastern Michigan, Marshall and Ohio. The EMU game will be a 7:00 p.m. start, marking the sixth night game in Perry Stadium history.
The Falcons end the regular season with a game at Toledo on Wednesday, Nov. 22. The game between the arch-rivals is scheduled to be televised nationally.
"The approach I'm going to take with our team is that we have two seasons," Blackney said. "We have a three-game non-league schedule, and then we've got the real season.
"Let's face it, we would love to win any of those games on the front end of our schedule, but we can't judge ourselves by the outcome of the Michigan game. What is most important is how fast we come out of the blocks in our first three MAC games. We play Buffalo, Kent and Akron, and two of those are on the road. Those games are what will define our season."
THE MAC:
As always, the Mid-American Conference race shapes up to be as competitive as ever. Blackney sees Marshall as the frontrunner again in 2000.
"Marshall has got to be the team to beat. They've won the MAC the past three years, and they've brought a lot of recognition and prestige to the conference.
"I look at our division, though, and I see a lot of balance. Ohio really improved as the season went on last year. Miami has one of the most talented returning quarterbacks, and an excellent receiver. They have had a lot of tradition and history, and are always a very good team.
"Akron seems like it broke out last year, and the Zips will be a team to contend with. And, Dean Pees has done a better job of positioning Kent to have some success. I don't know a whole lot about Buffalo because we didn't play them last year. But, as you look around our division, I think Marshall has got to be the team to beat - even with their personnel losses to the NFL - because they have raised the bar and set the standard.
"I look at our conference, and really - with the exception of Marshall the last few years - you can put `em in a hat and shake `em up, and there is not a whole lot of difference from team to team in the conference.
NEW FACES:
Blackney welcomes a number of new coaches to the Falcon fold for his 10th season. Former Ohio University head coach Tom Lichtenberg comes on board as the offensive coordinator. He will also be in charge of the quarterbacks. Al Seamonson will serve as the special teams coordinator while also overseeing the linebackers. Other new additions include Jim Bridge (tight ends/offensive line), Brian Jenkins (running backs), Ron Hudson (offensive line) and former BGSU strength and conditioning coach Mike Ward (defensive line). The returnees include Tim Beckman, who will serve as defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator, as well as Dino Dawson (passing game coordinator/wide receivers) and Tim Banks (defensive backs).
"(The new coaches) bring an excitement to the program," said Blackney. "For the players, it is a chance to wipe the slate clean and get a fresh start. The coaches are simply excited to be here. There is an enthusiasm, an electricity, and I feel it myself. They are here because they want to be here, and there is no replacement for that."
INJURY REPORT:
With very few exceptions, Blackney sees the 2000 squad as pain-free heading into fall practice. Not surprisingly, it is vital for the Falcons to keep injuries to a minimum in order to experience success this, or any, season.
"We are probably as healthy as we have ever been, at least heading into preseason," said Blackney. "(Eric) Gilbo had the knee injury, but we have had no surgical injuries other than Dennis Wendel (hand) and D.J. Durkin getting his ankle cleaned up.
"In order for us to have success and position ourselves to compete in the division, we have to stay healthy. That is a key, not only for us, but for a lot of teams (in the MAC). Most of us don't have the kind of depth that we would like to have. But I will say this: in certain positions, we have more depth right now than we've had in a long time around here."
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Blackney lists several other factors as instrumental to his 2000 team's success. "One of the things that we did, offensively, in my early years was protect the football. We hurt ourselves a lot last year by not taking care of the ball.
"We also hurt ourselves on defense by not tackling very well. These are fundamental things that are correctable. On defense, we must tackle better, and on offense, we must hang on to the ball. When we made tackles and didn't turn the ball over, we were able to play with a good deal of success and respectability.
"Additionally, when we've been good, we've always been a very physical football team, both offensively and defensively. I would like our team to become more physical so that, when we come out of a game, no matter the score, the other team will say, `those guys come to play, and they play hard,' and they will know they were in a physical football game."
"We don't want to lose that sense of electricity that surrounds our program right now. We've got to convey to our kids what is important, and what's important is winning our division and getting to that MAC Championship game."
