That fall-like nip in the air means it’s time for football.
The high schools started last week, the colleges get going this week and the National Football League is
just around the corner.
For the Bowling Green Falcons, the season gets started Thursday at home against Troy, the top team in the
Sun Belt Conference over the last three years. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Perry Stadium.
Troy was 8-5 a year ago, including close losses to LSU (40-31), Ohio State (28-10) and Southern
Mississippi (30-27 in OT).
"It’s been a long process going back to December … I think we’ve had a real productive month in
camp and we’re excited to play Troy," said Dave Clawson, BG’s first-year head coach. "You work
all year for what comes down to 12 opportunities to play … If you can’t get excited for them,
something is wrong with you."
Clawson wants his team to play hard and he said getting the team to accept that mandate has been a major
point of emphasis.
"One thing that we’ve preached all along is that good football teams are tough – physically tough
and mentally tough," Clawson said. "They are able to overcome adversity and they always play
hard, regardless of if they are up 14 or down 14.
"One expectation of our guys is that they play hard … That they take pride that they’re never that
guy who is not playing hard. I think that has been one of our biggest challenges, just getting guys to
realize what playing hard is. I think we’ve made strides.
"We need to do that this whole month with the teams that we play. At the very minimum we have to
play hard and play with great effort. If we do that, I think we give ourselves a great chance."
CHECKLIST: The Falcons are making sure everything and everyone is in place for Thursday’s game.
"You’re going through that checklist to make sure you have everything covered," Clawson said.
"There are so many things that happen during the course of a game.
"Through spring and through camp we tried to hit every situation a couple of times. Now we just want
to remind our players, that especially in an opener things always seem to go differently because you are
not exactly sure what you’re going to get."
MOVING UP: Senior Brandon Jackson has played in nine games in three years as a Falcon. The highlight, so
far, of his career was two tackles at Boston College in 2007 as he has never really been a factor on the
defensive line.
Now heading into his final season at Bowling Green, Jackson has worked his way into a starting spot at
defensive end.
"Brandon really had the best camp," Clawson said. "The one thing he does, is he knows
where he’s going, he plays extremely hard. He’s physical at the point of attack.
"We will play a lot of different defensive linemen. Brandon will play the first snap and he’ll play
a lot, but we’ll be mixing a lot of different guys in there on the defensive line," Clawson added.
"We have seven or eight guys that we feel comfortable that we can roll in there and give us
productive snaps and keep us fresh so that whoever we’re rolling in there, we’re getting a lot of energy
and guys who play with a motor … Brandon has done that probably more consistently than our other ends
through camp and that’s why he’s starting."
Clawson also mentioned sophomore safety Keith Morgan and redshirt sophomore receiver Ray Hutson, as
Falcons who worked hard in August and have earned some playing time.
"As all these individuals get better, they just make our team better," Clawson said.
"There has been a lot more internal competition which is really the key to a good program."

LORENZI: BG’s Robert Lorenzi, a redshirt junior cornerback, is ready to play.
Lorenzi was involved in an off-the-field incident last August and was suspended by then head coach Gregg
Brandon for one game along with current teammates Willie Geter and Adrian Hodges.
However, Lorenzi broke his leg in the preseason and was not able to play in 2008. Geter and Hodges served
their suspensions in the 2008 opener against Pittsburgh.
On Monday Clawson said: "Robert Lorenzi is cleared to play."
Lorezni is listed behind stater Adrien Spencer on the depth chart.
OUT FOR TROY: Four Trojans, who had earned spots on the depth chart, will miss the Bowling Green game.

Linebacker Bear Woods, Troy’s second-leading tacker in 2008 with 108, was declared ineligible by the NCAA
for Troy’s first two games of the season.
Cornerback Jorrick Calvin, a preseason All-Sun Belt selection, is academically ineligible for the season.
Calvin was also Troy’s top kick returner.
Backup left tackle Tyler Graves was declared ineligible for the first three games of the season by the
NCAA.
Backup quarterback Tanner Jones is out for the season after knee surgery.