BGSU History • Bowl Games BGSU History
tion on the final play of the first quarter into the first touchdown of the game, a Chip Otten four-yard run capping a 48-yard drive. The Falcons took a 14-0 lead to the locker room after driving 73 yards on their next possession. Sophomore quarterback Brian McClure connected with John Meek on the scoring play. BG looked to be in the driver’s seat after McClure connected with Shawn Potts from five yards out in the third stanza. But, Fresno State answered BG’s score with their first of the contest later in the quarter. Bowling Green came right back as Potts picked up a fumble by receiver Greg Taylor at the five-yard line and ran it in to put the Falcons back up by three touchdowns. With Fresno State pinned back on its own 20-yard line and facing a third-and-ten, a Falcon stop might have put the final nail in the Fresno State coffin. But, FSU gained 15 yards on the third-down play and the comeback was on. With future NFL receiver Stephone Paige running and catching a pass for a touchdown, FSU closed to within six points with three minutes left.
This third quarter fumble recovery by Stu Tolle set up the third Falcon touchdown giving the Falcons a 21-0 lead over Fresno State in the 1982 California Bowl.
BG used up just 1:05 of the clock on its next possession and FSU moved 45 yards in eight plays with Jeff Tedford finding Vince Wesson over the middle with 11 seconds left. Scott Darrow’s PAT was the deciding point. BG gained just 26 yards on nine plays in the fourth quarter while FSU gained 220 of its 453 yards in the final 15 minutes.
1985 CALIFORNIA BOWL Fresno State 51, BGSU 7 Dec. 14, 1985 - Bulldog Stadium - 32,554 Bowling Green Fresno State
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0 16
0 14
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FS - Williams 10 run (Belli kick), 9:29, 1st qtr. FS - Mosley 1 run (Belli kick), 8:02, 2nd qtr. FS - Taylor 33 pass from Sweeney (Belli kick), 6:59, 2nd qtr. FS - Safety, McClure tackled in end zone, 4:39, 2nd qtr. FS - Taylor 53 pass from Sweeney (Belli kick), 10:08, 3rd qtr. FS - Skipper 29 run (Belli kick), 3:09, 3rd qtr. BG - Davis 18 run (Silvi kick), 14:28, 4th qtr. FS - Baker 40 pass from Sweeney (Belli kick), 8:56, 4th qtr. FS - Skipper 13 run (Belli kick), 5:57, 4th qtr.
2012 BGSU Football Media Guide
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Individual Leaders Rushing BG - Davis 7-78, Story 9-41; FS - J. Williams 18-94, Skipper 7-77 Passing BG - McClure 22-42-3-254; FS - Sweeney 9-19-1-185 Receiving BG - Schmelzle 7-84, Meehan 7-65; FS - Taylor 2-86, Baker 2-49 Team Statistics BG First Downs...................................................................................... 21 Rushes/Yards..............................................................................36/89 Passing Yardage.............................................................................. 259 Completions/Attempts/Int................................................ 23/48/3 Punts...........................................................................................6/35.3 Fumbles/Lost................................................................................. 6/5 Time of Possession..................................................................... 32:09
FS 15 48/225 194 10/20/1 7/47.4 2/1 27:51
The tone for what was expected to be one of the most evenly-matched California Bowls, came earlier in the week when BGSU head coach Denny Stolz told the team before their Wednesday practice he would be leaving
Wide receiver Mark Szlachcic (#84) had 11 receptions, two for touchdowns, for a school-record 189 yards in the 1991 California Bowl.
after the bowl game to accept the head coaching job at San Diego State. An indication of what was ahead for the Falcons in the game came early in the first quarter when, trailing 7-0, they drove to the Bulldog one-yard line where they fumbled the ball away in the end zone, the first of five on the day and the same number they had committed in the first 11 games of the season. Fresno State would score the next 37 points before BG would hit paydirt.
1991 CALIFORNIA RAISIN BOWL BGSU 28, Fresno State 21 Dec. 14, 1991 - Bulldog Stadium - 34,877 Bowling Green Fresno State
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7 7
0 0
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BG - Landman 5 pass from Smith (Leaver kick), 9:01, 1st qtr. BG - Szlachcic 29 pass from White (Leaver kick), 7:19, 1st qtr. FS - Barsotti 3 run (Mahoney kick), 2:27, 1st qtr. BG - Szlachcic 9 pass from White (Leaver kick), 12:39, 2nd qtr.
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