There wasn’t too much excitement in Bowling Green when the Falcons took a share of the MAC East title last year. When you enter a season expecting to win the league title outright and have designs on a third-straight bowl game, a 6–5 record and a share of a division crown aren’t reason for celebration.

Bowling Green faces a much tougher route to success in 2006, now that record-setting quarterback Omar Jacobs has bolted a year early for the NFL, leaving the Falcons cleaned out at the skill positions. Graduation also hit hard on the defensive side at linebacker and along the line. Fourth-year head coach Gregg Brandon thinks he’s recruited well, and he’s about to find out. “These kids haven’t played a lot of football, I won’t sugarcoat it,” Brandon says of his recruits. “We really have to rebuild this whole team. There’s a lot of uncertainty on both sides of the ball.”

LOWDOWN

Coach: Gregg Brandon (4th season, 26-11)
2005 record: 6-5
MAC finish: 5-3 (t-1st East)
2005 I-A offensive rankings:
Rushing: 61st (143.8 ypg)
Passing: 17th (283.9 ypg)
2005 I-A defensive rankings:
Rushing: 86th (174.7 ypg)
Passing: 37th (204.9 ypg)

DEPTH CHART

Offense (5)

WR  3  Marques Parks  So.  81  Matt Emans  Jr.
WR  80  *Ruben Ruiz  Sr.  19  Kenneth Brantley II  Sr.
WR  1  *Corey Partridge  So.  6  Brandon Jones  Sr.
LT  71  *Drew Nystrom  Jr.  74  Jeff Fink  So.
LG  68  John Lanning  Sr.  75  Shane Steffy  Fr.
C  78  *Kory Lichtensteiger  Jr.  55  Brandon Curtis  So.
RG  70  *Derrick Markray  Sr.  65  Patrick Watson  Jr.
RT  73  Kevin Huelsman  Jr.  61  Kevin Mahoney  Fr.
TE  88  Sean O’Drobinak  Jr.  89  Jimmy Scheidler  Fr.
QB  17  Anthony Turner  So.  14  Freddie Barnes  Fr.
TB  5  Dan Macon  Jr.  39  Bobby Thomas  So.

Defense (5)

DE  99  Diyral Briggs  So.  58  Jacob Hardwick  Fr.
NG  59  Nick Davis  So.  -  Matt Leininger  Jr.
DT  92  *Brad Williams  Sr.  -  D.J. Young  Fr.
DE  57  *Devon Parks  Sr.  -  Orlando Barrow  Fr.
SLB  30  Erique Dozier  So.  95  Jon Jakubowski  Sr.
MLB  45  Cody Basler  Fr.  44  John Haneline  So.
WLB  48  *Terrel White  Sr.  10  Scott Goodwin  So.
CB  2  *Antonio Smith  So.  7  Van Johnson  Sr.
CB  16  Kenny Lewis  So.  4  Jerrett Sanderson  Fr.
SS  9  Loren Hargrove  Jr.  15  Calvin Wiley  Fr.
FS  24  *Deaudre Perry  Jr.  12  Chris Wright  Fr.

Special Teams

K  -  Sean Ellis  Fr.
P  -  Alonso Rojas  Fr.
KR  6  Brandon Jones  Sr.
PR  1  Corey Partridge  So.

(#) Number of returning starters
* Indicates returning starters

2006 SCHEDULE

Sept. 2  #Wisconsin
Sept. 9  Buffalo
Sept. 16  at FIU
Sept. 23  Kent State
Sept. 30  at Ohio
Oct. 7  at Ohio State
Oct. 14  Eastern Michigan
Oct. 19  at Central Michigan
Oct. 28  at Temple
Nov. 4  at Akron
Nov. 15  Miami (Ohio)
Nov. 21  at Toledo
#Cleveland, OH

OFFENSE

For the past five years, the Falcons have had the luxury of having a future NFL quarterback running their complex spread offense — first Josh Harris, and then for the past two seasons Omar Jacobs. But with Jacobs leaving early for the pros, sophomore Anthony Turner gets pressed into service. Adding to the degree of difficulty for Turner is the fact all the experienced running backs are gone, as well as most of the skill at wide receiver.

Junior Dan Macon is the successor in the one-back offense, while the sure-handed Corey Partridge becomes the first option through the air. Senior Ruben Ruiz and sophomore Marques Parks will likely line up at the other receiving positions, but the Falcons will call on senior Kenneth Brantley II and junior Matt Emans plenty in their four- and five-receiver sets.

The good news for the new quarterback is the return of some experienced bodies up front, led by a pair of returning all-conference players in Kory Lichtensteiger, who’s moving from guard to center, and senior guard Derrick Markray. Junior tackle Drew Nystrom and senior guard John Lanning, along with tight end Sean O’Drobinak, are all proven performers.

DEFENSE

This group struggled to stop the run last season, and coach Gregg Brandon expects end Devon Parks, entering his fourth year as a starter, to lead a revival that starts along the line. Sophomore end Diyral Briggs missed spring practice after breaking his foot on a winter fall on the ice but should join Brad Williams and Parks to form a decent trio. Don’t be surprised to see incoming freshmen D.J. Young (6'5", 278) and Orlando Barrow (6'3", 268) face live fire this season. 

Senior linebacker Terrel White led the Falcons with 100 tackles last fall, but there’s not a ton of experience with the rest of this group.

The Falcons have junior Deaudre Perry back at safety and sophomore Antonio Smith, who returned two interceptions for scores last year, at corner, but that’s where the experience ends in the secondary.

SPECIALISTS

Brandon might roll the dice and go with true freshmen at both kicker and punter, since he feels that strongly about a couple guys he recruited out of Florida earlier this year. Punter Alonso Rojas from Miami and kicker Sean Ellis from Merritt Island arrive with the kind of leg strength the Falcons have been missing in recent seasons.

FINAL ANALYSIS

There wasn’t too much excitement in Bowling Green when the Falcons took a share of the MAC East title last year. When you enter a season expecting to win the league title outright and have designs on a third-straight bowl game, a 6–5 record and a share of a division crown aren’t reason for celebration.

 The route to success will be much tougher in 2006, due in large part to Jacobs’ decision to declare for the NFL Draft, leaving the Falcons nearly cleaned out at the skill positions. Graduation also hit hard on the defensive side at linebacker and along the line.

Brandon, now in his fourth year, thinks he’s recruited well, and he’s about to find out. “These kids haven’t played a lot of football, I won’t sugarcoat it,” Brandon says of his young players. “We really have to rebuild this whole team. There’s a lot of uncertainty on both sides of the ball.” 

Brandon doesn’t get a break from the schedule, either, since the Falcons have to face Wisconsin and Ohio State in the first half of the season.

This Bowling Green team preview was pulled from our 2006 National College Football preview magazine. To order this or the 2006 Regional preview magazine - with expanded team page coverage and conference features - click here