2010 outlook • Position breakdown Season Two Under Clawson Begins
The Bowling Green State University football team finished the 2009 season 7-6 overall and 6-2 in MAC play, while advancing to the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho. All of this was accomplished while being picked to finish fifth in the MAC East and introducing a brand new coaching staff, led by head coach Dave Clawson. Gone are 18 seniors, noted by quarterback Tyler Sheehan and Biletnikoff Finalist Freddie Barnes, who recorded 155 catches in 2009, a new NCAA record. So what returns? Of the 85 scholarship players, 44 of them have at least four years of college eligibility left and just a handful have seen significant time over the past couple of years. On the offensive side of the ball, senior running back Willie Geter will lead a group that returns just three offensive starters. He, along with offensive linemen Tyler Donahue and Ben Bojicic will lead a young offense heading into 2010. But the biggest question mark will be who will be under center when 2010 begins? Tyler Sheehan took 95 percent of the snaps since the start of the 2007 season and the Falcons will have five quarterbacks battling to take the reigns of the Clawson offense. Defensively, the Falcons return four starters as well, including three up front on the defensive line. BGSU will have to find a way to replace all three starters at linebacker and three of the four secondary spots will be up for grabs.
Scouting the Falcons
Quarterbacks Lettermen Returning: 1, Lettermen Lost: 1 Starters Returning: 0, Starters Lost: 1 As mentioned before, Tyler Sheehan and his 10,117 yards passing and 70 touchdowns graduated last season. Who will fill in for his shoes will be the biggest talk until the Falcons face Troy on Sept. 4, 2010. Red-shirt sophomore Aaron Pankratz, along with red-shirt freshmen Kellen Pagel and Matt Schilz and true freshmen Caleb Watkins and Trent Hurley will battle it out for the starting role. Of the five, only Aaron Pankratz has taken an actual snap during a game (he threw for 52 yards versus Boise State in 2009).
Cmp-Att-Int Pct. 5-13-0 .385
Yds. 52
TD 0
John Pettigrew, Erique Geiger and Mark Mays will all battle for the No. 2 job. Pettigrew had just seven carries for 24 yards as a freshman and Geiger and Mays both redshirted in 2009, but with the graduation of Chris Bullock, all three will have an opportunity for playing time in 2010. Local product Zach Akenberger will return for his third year with the Falcons and will compete with Jake Thompson for the fullback position.
2010 Returning QB Stats Name GP Pankratz 1
Running Backs Lettermen Returning: 3, Lettermen Lost: 1 Starters Returning: 1, Starters Lost: 0 The running back position will be headed by senior Willie Geter, who established career-bests in carries (176), yards (705) and touchdowns (9) in 2009. Geter ended his junior year on a high note, running for 116 yards and three touchdowns versus Toledo and added 92 yards and two scores in the Humanitarian Bowl versus Idaho.
Long 14
2010 Returning RB Stats Name Geter Pettigrew
-27-
GP 13 11
Att 176 7
Yds. Avg. TD 705 4.0 9 24 3.4 0
Long 61 13
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