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Clawson wants young Falcons to stay grounded |
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Written by Bowling Green Sentinel Tribune
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Tuesday, September 06 2011 |
 It’s been well-documented that Bowling Green is a young football team this fall. A total of 74 players were on the travel roster for the season-opener at Idaho. Of the 74 players, 28 were freshmen (37.8 percent). That total includes 11 true freshmen, or 14.8 percent of the travel roster. There were also 20 sophomores on the trip.
The youthful Falcons responded with a 32-15 victory.
Now the task for the upper classmen and the coaching staff is to keep the young team grounded for the home opener against FCS foe Morgan State. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Saturday at Perry Stadium.
“We talk all the time about every game is a one-game season,” BG head coach Dave Clawson said Monday. “The Idaho season is over and that was a successful season. Now we need to have a successful Morgan State season.
“(We) will go back to work, get back to game planning, get back to watching film, get back on the practice field,” he continued. “Any time you win a game there are a lot of mistakes on that film that we need to get corrected to get better and that’s where our focus is right now.”
Clawson said it’s easier for an older team to remain on an even keel, because they understand the flow of the season and the emotional swings that can occur. With a younger team those swings are a lot higher and a lot lower, Clawson added.
“We don’t have a lot of older guys here, but the older guys that we do have, have given us, so far, tremendous leadership,” Clawson said. “Its become a much more vocal group. They have been a lot more assertive.
“To me it’s not how many you have, but the quality of the ones that you have. So far this senior group has done a great job of trying to lead the younger guys and trying to work through the ups and downs and emotion of a season.”
JONES HONORED: Bowling Green junior defensive tackle Chris Jones has been named the Mid-American Conference East defensive player of the week for helping the Falcons to a 32-15 win at Idaho.
Jones had three tackles, all three for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble. Jones also recorded a safety for the Falcons’ final score of the day.
STARTS: Against Morgan State, BG is in search of its first 2-0 start since 2003.
The Falcons are 2-0 in home openers with Clawson as the head coach.
QUIZ TIME: Where is Morgan State?
Morgan State is located in Baltimore and was founded in 1867. The enrollment is listed at 7,500 students.
The schools colors are Orange and Blue for the Bears, who are members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
BEAR TO WATCH: Morgan State redshirt junior Tyrone Hendrix has been named the College Sports Performance Awards FCS national kick returner of the week for his efforts in the Bears 42-3 loss to Towson.
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