Cleveland Plain Dealer MAC Insider Report

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MAC INSIDER

Bowling Green not too far behind NIU

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Elton Alexander
Plain Dealer Reporter

There is still little doubt Northern Illinois (6-2, 5-0) is the top team in the MAC this season. But don't think coach Joe Novak and Co. aren't exhaling long sighs that Bowling Green is in their rear-view mirror.

The Falcons have recovered from a no-doubt-about-it early season NIU whipping (34-17) and started taking a switch to the competition themselves. Since then, coach Gregg Brandon's team has defeated Temple, 70-19; Central Michigan, 38-14; Ball State, 51-13; and Ohio University, 41-16.
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That mirror now says "careful, objects may be closer than they appear," considering the Falcons (5-2, 3-1), one game behind NIU, have very winnable home games against Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan upcoming. Meanwhile, NIU's Novak, a former Mentor High coach, and his Madison High quarterback, Josh Haldi, must go on the road to Ball State before hosting Toledo (6-2, 5-0).

Omar the Magnificent:

So who has keyed this Falcons' uprising? Sophomore quarterback Omar Jacobs, a 6-4, 224-pound dreadlocked hulk from Florida. Since the NIU loss, Jacobs has passed for 367 yards and four TDs vs. Temple; 387 yards and four TDs vs. CMU; 279 yards and four TDs vs. Ball State; and a career-high 389 yards and two TDs against the Bobcats.

The Falcons end the season with three out of four at home, with the last two against Marshall and at rival Toledo.