Nov. 25, 2002

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -

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The 2002 edition of the Bowling Green State University team will look to capture a share of the MAC West Division title when the Falcons battle defending MAC champion Toledo for the coveted Peace Pipe. The Falcons and Rockets, both 6-1 in league play, trail Northern Illinois who finished the MAC season with a 7-1 record.

With its 63-21 win over Eastern Michigan, BGSU notched the school's first nine-win season since 1994. The Falcons, who are looking to win the first game in the Glass Bowl since that same year, are looking to record just the fourth 10-win season in school history (1985, 1991 and 1992).

THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT
With 19 players either in their freshman or sophomore years on the depth chart, the Falcons are poised for more success in the future. Freshman defensive end Mitchell Crossley leads the team in TFLs (13) and sacks (7), while true freshman P.J. Pope has rushed for 577 yards, including a career-high 143 against EMU. True freshman defensive tackle Matt Leininger has started the last five games and has 34 tackles this season. At the end of this year, nine first- or second-year players will have started 10 games or more in their careers.

THE HIGHEST SCORING TEAM IN MAC HISTORY
With its 63-point effort against Eastern Michigan, the Falcons established a new league record for most points scored in a season at 466. That breaks the old mark of 453 set by Marshall in 1997. BGSU needs three TDs to set a new league standard of 65. The current record of 64 was set by Marshall in 1997.

BGSU IS A TOP MAC ROAD DRAW
Among those teams that are bowl eligible, BGSU has been a popular team to watch play on the road in the MAC. If 23,000 fans or more attend the BGSU/UT game, the Falcons will be the only MAC team to play in front of an average of 20,000 fans or more on the road in the MAC this year.

Average MAC road attendance in 2002
Miami (4 games) ................. 19,487
BGSU (3 games) .................. 19,038
Toledo (4 games) ................ 16,413
Marshall (4 games) .............. 16,197
Northern Illinois (4 games) ..... 12,587

BGSU RECORD WATCH
Josh Harris needs to score one more touchdown to set a new single-season TD record (19, Bernard White-1985 and Dave Preston-1974). He also needs 71 yards of total offense to set a new single-season record (3,009, Brian McClure-1983). Robert Redd needs three TD receptions to set a new single-season record (11, Jim Ladd, 1952), and career record (27, Ronnie Redd, 1991-94).

PAINT THE BGSU RECORD BOOK REDD
(Records set, tied or extended in the EMU game)

TEAM
 Home wins, season - 6
          (old record - 5; several times, most recently 1992)

 Points, season - 466 (391; 1994)

 Touchdowns, season - 62 (44; 1994)

 Total offense, season - 5,145 (4,518; 1994)

 First downs, season - 280 (259; 1997)

INDIVIDUAL
 Points scored, season - 116, Josh Harris
          (114; Bernard White, 1985; Dave Preston, 1974)

 TDs scored, season - 19, Josh Harris -- ties record
          (19; White, 1985; Preston, 1974)

 Receiving yards, career - 2,686; Robert Redd
          (2,679; Stan Hunter, 1982-85)

 Receptions, season - 78, Redd (72; Redd, 2001)

 Receptions, career - 206, Redd

NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Junior QB Josh Harris is second in the nation in points responsible for (20.7), fifth in the country in scoring (10.5) and 15th in total offense (267.2). The Falcons also are third in the nation in scoring (42.4), sixth in total offense (467.7), and 12th in rushing (232.0). Individually, senior Robert Redd is ninth in the country in receptions (7.1).