Biggest win in school history

[mk455]

Why does the record book state that the 1949 game, Wyoming vs. Northern Colarado, is the biggest shutout? (103-0)??

[gentlesatirist]

...ranked the '01 Northwestern win at the top?

That seemed to be the catalyst for the successes of the next few seasons. You could argue that BG is still riding the impact of that game, at least in areas of national recognition and recruiting.


- FE
Wickliffe OH

[gentlesatirist]

...I think Rich Dackin led a pretty big last-minute win vs. the Rockettes in '89. May have thrown a winning td to Reggie Thornton or Ron Heard.

BG finished 5-6 that year and UT at 6-5 - and it wasn't all that important historically, with BG still in the throes of the Ankney era - but I recall it being an exciting game to watch as a BG sophomore, especially since the team had been so bad in '88.


- FE
Wickliffe OH

[irs]

Why is not the GMAC bowl win over Memphis in the Poll? Wasn't Memphis favored? Wasn't this a National Game? Didn't we get a lot of exposure? Is this a game that everyone gives Brandon a lot of credit for?

[jpfalcon09]

I voted for the NIU game, only because I was in high school at the time and it was on my birthday...my dad had surprised me with tickets to that game and we got to experience Gameday, as well as having seats next to the NIU fans and chanting overrated at them. This game actually solidified me being a BGSU fan and wanting to come to this school. The MAC was so powerful that season, that was truly a special year for all BG fans and MAC fans...let's hope it happens again soon!

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Why is not the GMAC bowl win over Memphis in the Poll? Wasn't Memphis favored? Wasn't this a National Game? Didn't we get a lot of exposure? Is this a game that everyone gives Brandon a lot of credit for?

For one, that was a bowl game we didn't really earn. It was a fluky year and we got a bowl because a couple BCS boys enjoyed some fisticuffs.

I'm of the opinion, that I don't think many share, that Memphis would have rolled us in the second half had Williams not busted his leg up. The game had a completely different feel after he went out. Think a reversal of our 2005 WMU game.

Sure -- any bowl is a big win, but I was far more excited and proud of the 2003 win than the 2004 win.


edited to add: Yes Brandon does get a ton of credit for that win -- our offensive gameplan was superb, and the playcalling was very good as well (assuming he had input into the playcalling).

[1987alum]

Yep, the GMAC win was a nice one, but Memphis wasn't ranked, so comparing a win against an unranked non-BCS team doesn't quite match up with either of the Purdue wins.

[Falcon52]

The NIU game was hands down the greatest Home game in BG history. Everything was perfect, except the weather.

The '91 Cal Bowl was huge. I don't think people realize everything that was against us. So much was overcome, including a 15 yarded from our own Master of Ceremonies - Phil.

[JohnnySwoop '85]

And for the record, let me say once again.....I never get tired of seeing that picture directly above!

Where do I have to move to see her on the news???

[Schadenfreude]

Schad,
(and others),
I know most of you will probably vote for one of the more recent "big" wins i.e. NIU when both teams were ranked. And some of you weren't even born before the FIRST BG-Purdue game in 1972. But it's the biggest win in school history TO ME, in that it was the FIRST TIME we'd played a school of that stature...And Purdue was picked to win the Big 10 that year. All I know is that there was a heck of an impromptu alum party after the game, and that I didn't get home with my friends who were with me until TWENTY SIX hours after we'd left on early Sat. Morning! It proved that BG could compete with the "Big boys" and was the start of many game trips for me and my friends, to Kentucky,Syracuse,Navy,Pitt, Mich.St. etc.

You make a great case -- which is I'm floored by the number of people who are picking the 2003 Purdue game over the 1972 game. I find the rationalizations in favor of it almost funny. Fans are admitting they weren't around in '72, so the '03 game was bigger. I guess I was hoping for a pretense of objectivity about this.

I think I had the '72 game No. 1 on my list until I really started thinking about it Saturday.

And I guess I see the question I posed as not just "when did we play the farthest above our heads?" or "which was our most shocking win?", but, also, "which win advanced our program most?"

And that's how I come to the Northern Illinois win.

I think if that win had been against a 12th-ranked Boise State at Boise -- or, if it had not been on a coast-to-coast telecast in front of a sold out home crowd with ESPN doing their national pregame show in Bowling Green -- then maybe I could keep Purdue at the top of my list (as it was).

NIU was the highest-ranked opponent we have ever beaten, and we did it under quite special circumstances. I think we advanced our program more that day. I think the national spotlight was bigger. It's debatable, but that's my judgment.

Another game I want to thow in here -- and, Class of '61, it's possible you were there -- was the 1959 Miami game.

Here is why:

1. It sealed a share of the MAC title, against the two-time defending MAC champion.
2. It broke a horrible Miami Whammy. Some of us are familiar with the 1973-82 winless streak. This one was worse: A 14-game winless streak against Miami dating back to 1943.

I'm not sure this was bigger than the '59 Delaware game, but it was still big. Frankly, I'm not sure why I put the '59 Ohio game up there (but I'm sure TG1996 will tell me).

Anyway, I'm not saying where I got this unless the guy wants to be outed, but here you go, a description of the game from The BG News:

(Looking at that headline, times have sure changed)

Falcons Scalp Redskins 33-16; 'Jinx' Is Broken
Casey Is Star In Victory Before 9,400 Onlookers
by Dave Young

For those who doubted -- and there were many -- the undefeated Bowling Green Falcons proved what a truly awesome football machine Coach Doyt Perry has built this year when they smashed the highly regarded Miami Redskins 33-16 before 9,400 jubilant fans in the Stadium Saturday. The victory for Bowling Green was its sixth straight and assured the Falcons of at least a tie for the Mid-American Conference Championship.

"The most satisfying win," exclaimed Coach Perry, and "one of our best games since I've been here." "Determination and fight is what won it for us, but I knew all along that we were the better team."

"We thought we could beat them (Bowling Green) if we stopped (Bob) Colburn and Casey," commented one of the Miami coaches. "We did a good job of containing Colburn, but Casey broke our back."

Colburn, who had completed 33 of 52 passes prior to this game, was able to connect on only five of 18. In discussing the game, Perry said, "I didn't think Colburn was up to par on his passing." Most of Colburn's passes were within reach of their intended receivers, but the slippery pigskin was too hard to handle.

Casey scored Bowling Green's first three touchdowns to boost his point total for the season to 46. His touchdowns came on runs of 11 and 13 yards, and a 44-yard pass play from Colburn. Perry was full of praise for Casey as he exclaimed, "I thought he was tremendous."

The Falcons had little trouble in building up a 21-0 half-time advantage. The closest Miami came to penetrating Bowling Green territory in the first half was on its last series of plays in the second quarter, when it advanced the ball to the Falcons' 46.

Miami seemed to have a case of the jitters in the first half as it repeatedly fumbled and ran offside. On one series of plays the Redskins were penalized twice for being off-side and a third time for unnecessary roughness.

Bowling Green was unable to take advantage of Miami's errors until late in the first quarter, when Casey made the first of his three spectacular touchdowns. he ran wide to the left, but seeing that he would be trapped, reversed himself and scampered 13 yards around right end for the touchdown. Chuck Ramsey converted.

"The law of averages finally catches up with you," stated a Miami coach after the game, when he recalled that in last year's contest in Oxford, Miami's Dave Gilbert scored the decisive touchdown on the very same type of play. He referred to Casey's run as the "key play" of the game.

The Falcons put together their second scoring drive midway through the second quarter when they drove 63 yards in nine plays. Casey carried the final 11 yards for the score. Ramsey's second conversion sent the Falcons into a 14-point lead.

Bowling Green scored its third touchdown just minutes later on a 44-yard pass play from Colburn to Casey. The extra point was added by Ramsey, and the Falcons had a 21-point lead at half-time.

"I thought Miami would have a hard time coming back," stated Perry. "I felt the 21-point lead would enable us to win."

However, the Redskins came out in the second half, as they had done last year, a fired-up team. They proceded to march 36 yards on four plays to register their first touchdown with 9:55 remaining in the third period. Miami's quarterback Tom Kilmurray fired a 12-yard pass to Howie Millisor for the tally, and Bill Triplett ran the ball for the extra two points.

An intercepted pass by the Falcons' Larry Smith on the 50 yard line stopped the next Miami threat.

The Falcons made sure there would be no recurrence of last year's game as they added two more touchdowns in the final period. The first TD came early in the quarter when Jerry Dianiska romped seven yards for the score. Bowling Green's second tally of the quarter came with 6:54 remaining, as Jerry Roberts caught a nine-yard pass from Dave McClain.

Miami added its final touchdown with a little over a minute remainging in the game, on a one-foot sneak by Joe Griffith. Dave Bernard gathered the yardage for the extra points.

Casey suffered the only Falcon injury, on a play early in the third quarter. He was carried off the field on a stretcher, unconscious with a head injury. However, he quickly regained consciousness and his injury was not serious. Although he played little more than half the game, he was the leading gainer with 90 yards on 13 carries.

Dianiska turned in one of his best performances to date as he was second for the Falcons in rushing with 74 yards in 20 carries. He also made several key tackles.

Russ Hepner was another top performer for the Falcons, carrying 13 times for 46 yards. He picked up yardage when it was most needed.

(BG News, Tues. 11/3/59)

[Bleeding Orange]

Personally, the greatest game that I have ever witnessed in person was the 2003 NIU game. We absolutely dominated NIU and proved, on national television, that we belonged in the same breath with any team in the country.

Still, that game did not get my vote. Perhaps it is the historian in me, but given the selections at hand, I chose the 1959 game vs. Ohio. If it was in there I don't know if I would have chosen the game vs. Delaware that year or not, but either way, a National Championship is certainly nothing to scoff at - ESPN or no. Yes, 2003 was really, really fun, but I can't even begin to imagine what it was like around Bowling Green in 1959. That must have been unreal!

[Lord_Byron]

Part of the beauty of the 1972 game was the landscape of college football at the time. Big 10 teams did not regularly play MAC teams. The NCAA closely policed how many times a team could be on TV in a season. There was one college football game on a week, etc.

Add to that the dramatic fashion in which we won the game, and I gotta go with 1972.

Schad, I believe you have the score wrong in the poll. It was 17-14 with BG winning on a late FG.

[Schadenfreude]

Schad, I believe you have the score wrong in the poll. It was 17-14 with BG winning on a late FG.

I believe you are right.

[BGSUFootballFan]

Schad, I believe you have the score wrong in the poll. It was 17-14 with BG winning on a late FG.

I believe you are right.

Yes, you guys are right. It was 17-14 BG.

[Dayons_Den]

My parents were at the 72 PU game. Do I recall correctly that former Falcon hoopster and current Oakland Grizzz head basketball coach Greg Kampe kicked the winning FG?