Falcons Flying

EAST LANSING - There's a coup d'etat arising in college football.

From Boise State's Fiesta Bowl win in January over perennial power Oklahoma to Appalachian State's shocking upset of Michigan on Saturday, the have-nots are shaking their fists in the face of the college football elite.

And Bowling Green, which will play Michigan State at noon Saturday, wants a piece of the action.

The Falcons, like most teams from the Mid-American Conference, have a roster of players who were deemed too small, too slow or just not good enough to play in the Big Ten. The perceived snub creates a chip-on-the-shoulder attitude for players such as Tyler Sheehan, Bowling Green's sophomore starting quarterback.

"Those coaches from BCS schools passed up on us for some reason or another - even (Michigan State coach Mark) Dantonio when he was at Cincinnati," Sheehan said. "We all feel like we have something to prove."

They're proving something already. The Falcons beat Minnesota in their opener, 32-31, and did so by converting a win-or-lose two-point conversion in overtime.

Sheehan took the snap, rolled right, and connected with wide receiver Freddie Barnes for the victory. It capped a 34-of-51 passing performance for 388 yards and two touchdowns for Sheehan in his first career start.

"Our offensive coordinator told us all to look in his eyes, and he asked if we could get the two-pointer," Sheehan said. "We said, 'You call the play, and we'll execute it.'"

Going for two took guts. It's something a Big Ten team likely never would do against a MAC opponent in the same situation. But the way the Falcons saw it, they were better off playing for the win.

"We had that decision made before we went there - on the road, in a hostile environment, we wanted to be aggressive," Bowling Green coach Gregg Brandon said. "We knew it would be a great win for a MAC program. We wanted to go for it, we had momentum, and we had a great play ready."

It was the third time in Brandon's tenure that Bowling Green has beaten a Big Ten opponent. Brandon took over at Bowling Green in December 2002, after Urban Meyer left to become head coach at Utah. In Brandon's second game as head coach, the Falcons beat Purdue on the road, 27-26. They finished his inaugural season with a 28-24 victory over Northwestern in the Motor City Bowl.

Dantonio was on-hand for one of Bowling Green's strong showings against the Big Ten. In 2003, the Falcons stayed within striking distance of defending national champion Ohio State before losing by a 24-17 score. Dantonio was the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator.

"They're not going to sit on the ball when they're ahead - they're going to continue to play," Dantonio said. "...They'll represent, and they will not be intimidated. They will come in expecting to win."