Need to Know: Bowling Green Falcons

After winning the Mid-American Championship in 2013 and 2015, the Bowling Green football program has fallen on harder times. Now in his third year, head coach Mike Jinks has a couple of top five MAC recruiting classes behind him. Will this be the year the Falcons turn the corner and get back into the mix in the MAC East Division?

Here is some information you need to know on the 2018 Bowling Green Falcons:

Stadium: Doyt L. Perry Stadium

Named after legendary Falcon Head Coach Doyt Perry

Capacity: 24,000

Surface: Artificial FieldTurf®

Built: 1966

Last Renovated: 2007 when the attached Sebo Center was constructed

2018 Schedule

Sat., Sept. 1 at Oregon 8:00 p.m. PAC-12 Network

Sat., Sept. 8 Maryland 6:00 p.m. ESPN+

Sat., Sept. 15 Eastern Kentucky 4:00 p.m. ESPN3

Sat., Sept. 22 Miami TBA TBA

Sat., Sept. 29 at Georgia Tech TBA TBA

Sat., Oct. 6 at Toledo 3:30 p.m. ESPN+

Sat., Oct. 13 Western Michigan 3:00 p.m. ESPN+

Sat., Oct. 20 at Ohio 2:00 p.m. ESPN3

Tue., Oct. 30 Kent State 8:00 p.m. ESPN2/ESPNU

Sat., Nov. 10 at Central Michigan 3:00 p.m. ESPN+

Sat., Nov. 17 at Akron 3:30 p.m. ESPN3

Fri., Nov. 23 Buffalo TBA TBA

Head Coach

Mike Jinks

3rd Year

6-18 (overall), 5-11 (MAC)

Came to BG after spending the 2015 season as Associate Head Coach at Texas Tech, and serving as the Red Raiders’ running backs coach for three seasons. Prior to Texas Tech, he was a National Coach of the Year finalist while winning the 2010 Texas State High School Championship and compiling a record of 43-4 in his final three seasons at San Antonio powerhouse, Steele High School.

Key Players

Jarret Doege

Quarterback, 6’3” 205 lbs.

Sophomore, Lubbock, Texas

Doege played in seven games last year as a true freshman, starting five. He threw for 1,381 yards and 12 touchdowns, while completing 64% of his throws. Had one of the two best statistical seasons by a true freshman quarterback in program history.

Named to the Early Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List, presented annually to the top offensive player in Division I football who exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell, and was born in Texas and/or graduated from a Texas High School and/or played at a Texas-based junior college or four-year college.

Andrew Clair

Running Back, 5’ 10”, 200 lbs.

Sophomore, St. Louis, Missouri

As a true freshman, played in 11 games last year, amassing 725 yards on the ground and four touchdowns. His yard per carry average of 6.8 set a Bowling Green school record. Also caught 13 passes for 129 yards. Returned 16 kickoffs for an average of 20.6 yards per return. Finished with a team-best 1,184 all-purpose yards, ranking fifth in the country among true freshmen with 107.6 all-purpose yards per game.

Named to the 2018 Doak Walker Award Watch List, presented annually to the nation’s top college running back. As well as the 2018 Paul Hornung Award Watch List, given annually to the most versatile player in major college football.

Jamari Bozeman

Defensive Back, 6’2”, 180 lbs.

Redshirt Junior, West Palm Beach, Florida

Missed all of 2017 with a knee injury. Was named Third-team All-MAC in 2016 after starting all 12 games as a sophomore. Second on the team with 71 tackles, 42 of which were solo. Had a team-best three interceptions and added 1.5 tackles for loss.



Style of Play



Offense

With his familiarity of the prolific Air-Raid offense at Texas Tech, Jinks plays an up-tempo, pro‑style spread offense that likes to throw the ball around. He hasn’t had a quarterback with the skillset to run his offense totally the last two years but may have found that person in Doege late last season. With a veteran offensive line and a premier back in Clair, the Falcons' running game should take some heat off Doege and open some things up when he does pass. The key to the offense will be finding someone to catch the ball beyond senior wide receiver Scott Miller, especially after the recent dismissal of projected starting receiver Datrin Guyton.

Defense

The Falcon defense in 2017 can only be described as awful. They ranked near the bottom in every defensive statistical category in the MAC. In the offseason, Jinks brought in Carl Pelini to become his defensive coordinator. Pelini had pervious stints as defensive coordinator at both Nebraska and Youngstown State. He’ll have his work curt out for him as an already thin group of defensive players has gotten even thinner with offseason defections and preseason injuries.

Falcons in the NFL

Gehrig Dieter (WR) – Kansas City Chiefs

Ryan Hunter (OL) – Kansas City Chiefs (also a draft pick of the CFL's Toronto Argonauts)

Roger Lewis (WR) – New York Giants

Izaah Lunsford (DT) – New York Giants

Teo Redding (WR) – Detroit Lions