Falcons defense delivers

10/21/2007

KENT, Ohio - Bowling Green State University's defensive players arrived at Friday's practice expecting to watch film of the previous day's practice. Instead they watched a highlight tape.

Defensive coordinator Mike Ward put in a film displaying some big plays that BG produced in its first four games - prior to its two-game losing streak.

"He challenged us to have that team show up and play with the intensity and fly to the ball like we did in those first four games," linebacker John Haneline said.

The statistics from yesterday's 31-20 win at Kent State won't show much progress, but the film will.

Twice the Falcons halted Kent drives that were almost certain to end in points.

The first came midway through the third quarter with BG leading 21-13. Julian Edelman ran for five yards to BG's 3, setting up a fourth down play that ended badly for the Golden Flashes. Andre Flowers was stopped for no gain by D.J. Young and Cody Basler.

BG's next big stop came midway through the fourth quarter. Edelman threw an incomplete pass from BG's 4 to set up third-and-goal. Then Edelman was stopped for a one-yard gain. Then he threw another incompletion.

BG ball.

This all came despite the Falcons missing three starting defensive linemen. Sean O'Drobinak, Nick Davis and Jacob Hardwick are injured. Safety Jerett Sanderson also missed the game with an injury as did receiver Keston Cheathem.

EDELMAN OUT: Kent QB Edelman broke his right (throwing) arm late in the fourth quarter. Edelman, named second-team All-MAC last year, was the focal point of a BG defense that has not been successful defending agile quarterbacks. Edelman ran for 104 yards on 17 attempts but was not much of a factor throwing the ball. He attempted just one pass in the first half.

REMEMBERED: Kent reserve running back Greg Keys was the best friend of former BG football player Aaron Richardson. Richardson, who walked onto the team in 2004, died after becoming ill at practice three years ago. Keys and Richardson were teammates on the football and track teams at Sandusky Perkins before Keys transferred to Bellevue.

Keys wears No. 27, the same jersey number worn by Richardson at Perkins.

Keys has three rushes for nine yards this season.

ALL DAY: Tyler Sheehan had plenty of time to make his reads because of a sturdy performance by the Falcons' offensive line. Sheehan was solid in his seventh career start.

He completed 14 of 25 passes for 184 yards and two touchdown passes. He was sacked twice.

LOOKALIKE: Eugene Jarvis and Willie Geter mirror one another in their stature and running styles. Geter, at 5-foot-8, is three inches taller than Jarvis, though both weigh 170 pounds. Jarvis and Geter both make defenders whiff with their side-to-side moves.

Jarvis, a redshirt sophomore, leads the nation with 1,103 yards rushing after picking up 168 yesterday.

Geter rushed for 203 yards and caught four passes for 51 yards.

"Both are quick, little elusive guys," BG coach Gregg Brandon said. "Willie Geter's going to be a great player before he's through."