Countdown to BGSU vs. UT

Battle of I-75 by the numbers

9/10/2012

1 -- The number of times the two teams have played in September before this year. The only previous September meeting came on Sept. 24, 1988, in a contest the Rockets won 34-5 at the Glass Bowl.

2 -- Consecutive victories by the Rockets in this series. UT won at home by a 33-14 score in 2010 and captured last year's contest by a 28-21 margin at Doyt Perry Stadium.

3 -- Number of MAC division titles won or shared by Bowling Green (2007 East shared; 2005 East shared, 2003 West).

3 -- Number of consecutive three-game winning streaks in this series if Toledo wins this year's contest. Rockets won three straight from 2004-06, but Falcons won three in a row from 2007-09.

8 -- Number of MAC West Division titles won or shared by Toledo (2011, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1997; all shared but 1998 and '97).

9 -- Number of Mid-American Conference titles won or shared by Toledo (2004, 1995, 1990 (shared), 1984, 1981, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1967).

10 -- Number of Mid-American Conference titles won or shared by Bowling Green (1992, 1991, 1985, 1982, 1965 (shared), 1964, 1962, 1961, 1959, 1956).

12 -- Longest win streak in the series. Bowling Green won every meeting of the two teams from 1955-66. The next-longest winning streak is four games, done by BG three times (1928 through 1932, did not play 1931; 1975-78 and 1991-94) and UT once (1995-98).

14 -- Number of shutouts in this series. Toledo has six shutouts, BG has five, and there are three scoreless draws. There hasn't been a shutout since the Falcons' 21-0 win in 1985, and the Rockets haven't posted a shutout since 1970's 20-0 victory.

19 -- The number of miles separating the two schools. Only 10 potential FBS matchups would involve two teams closer than these rivals, and only four of those pairings involve teams from the same league: Houston and Rice, Akron and Kent State, Duke and North Carolina, and UCLA and USC.

53 -- Number of Mid-American Conference wins for former UT coach Gary Pinkel, the fourth-highest total for a coach in league history. Tied for fifth on the list are a pair of former BG coaches in Doyt Perry and Denny Stolz with 49 apiece.

63 -- The most points scored by one team in this series. In 1935 the Rockets swamped BG 63-0, and the two teams did not meet again until 1948.

39-33-4 -- The all-time series record, with Bowling Green having 39 wins, Toledo 33, and four ties.