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Bowling Green Football Opens the Home Portion of the Schedule with South Alabama

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Football

Bowling Green State University welcomes the South Alabama Jaguars in the Falcons' 2021 home opener on Saturday. Kick is set for 4 p.m.

Five Top Storylines
• WR Austin Osborne made eight catches in his Bowling Green debut at Tennessee. Osborne, a transfer from Washington, entered the 2021 season with one career reception. He was high school teammates with Bowling Green quarterback Matt McDonald at Mission Viejo High School in Southern California.
• LB Darren Anders was the only player in the nation the first week of the season to notch at least 10+ tackles (14), force a fumble (1), recover a fumble (1) and record at least one sack (1) when he did so at Tennessee. He is No. 1 in the MAC and No. 4 in the nation with 14 tackles. He was named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
• C Cade Zimmerly made his collegiate debut at Tennessee as the starting center. He is the only FBS player on offense or defense this season to start as a walk-on true freshman.
• Bowling Green head coach Scot Loeffler has coached seven quarterbacks who went on to play in the NFL. Those seven quarterbacks have gone on to win a combined nine Super Bowl championships (Tom Brady - 7; Brian Griese - 1; Chad Henne - 1).
• BGSU has 71 combined student-athletes on its roster from the classes of 2020 and 2021, which means that 67.6 percent of its current roster was in high school the last time the Falcons played a non-conference game.

Bowling Green's Remembrance of 9/11
• The Bowling Green football team will wear special 9/11 decals on one side of its helmet against South Alabama on Saturday in remembrance of the 20th anniversary of 9/11. On the other side will be the standard BG logo with a patriotic theme.
• During the game on Sept. 11, all Bowling Green graduates that lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, will be recognized. Also, individuals impacted by 9/11 will also be recognized. There will be a giant field flag during the National Anthem and a flyover will also take place.
• Saturday is also Scotty Miller Bobblehead Day. Miller played at BGSU from 2015-18 and is a current member of the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Bowling Green vs. South Alabama
• The Falcons and Jaguars are meeting for the second time in series history. BGSU beat USA in the inaugural Camellia Bowl, 33-28, in 2014. Saturday is the first campus meeting between these programs.
• With 1:04 remaining in the game, quarterback James Knapke found freshman wide receiver Roger Lewis for a 78-yard touchdown to put the Bowling Green State University football team ahead for good, 33-28, over South Alabama in the inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl. It was BGSU's first bowl win since the 2004 season.
• With his 44-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter of the lone meeting with USA, Roger Lewis became the first freshman in school history to reach the 1,000 yard mark, and was just the seventh player in school history.
• Tyler Tate's 39-yard field goal in the second quarter set a school record for FGs made in a season, with 22. He surpassed Brian Leaver (1994) who made 21 field goals. Tate also set a new school record for most points by a kicker in a single season with 114.
• Gehrig Dieter set a career high for receiving yards in the game with 103 first-half yards.
• Travis Greene became the third player in BGSU bowl game history to have two rushing TDs in a game.

Bowling Green vs. Sun Belt
• Bowling Green is 3-2 all-time against current members of the Sun Belt, which includes games against Arkansas State (1-0), Georgia Southern (0-1), South Alabama (1-0) and Troy (1-1).
• The Falcons last faced a Sun Belt team in the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl, losing 58-27.

Taylor Makes Impressive Bowling Green Debut
• CB Devin Taylor made his Bowling Green debut at Tennessee and defended three passes. His three passes defended ranks No. 3 in the nation behind San Diego State's Noah Tumblin (4) and Illinois' Devon Witherspoon (4).
• Taylor transferred to BG late in August from Virginia Tech.
• Taylor was an FCS All-American at Illinois State after spending the 2020 season as a starting cornerback at Virginia Tech.

Zimmerly Makes Debut for Falcons
• C Cade Zimmerly earned his first career start at Tennessee. He is the only offensive or defensive true freshman walk-on to start a game. Georgia Southern has a placekicker Britton Williams that started on special teams.

Debuts at Tennessee
• Thirteen Falcons made collegiate debuts at Tennessee: OG Gabriel Brown, OG Matt Fortner, RB Jamal Johnson**, CB Deshawn Jones Jr., DL Dierre Kelly**, LB Avi McGary, WR Jaedyn McKinstry, LB Diego Neri**, RB Jaison Patterson**, LB Charles Rosser, DL Ali Saad, RG Malone VanGorder, C Cade Zimmerly** - ** denotes true freshman
• Six Falcons made their first career starts: WR Cavon Croom, WR Austin Osborne, RB Terion Stewart, DL Billie Roberts, RG Malone VanGorder, C Cade Zimmerly
• Six receivers made their first career receptions against the Vols. Those six receivers collected 16 of Matt McDonald's career-high 25 completions.