In a spirited competition this month, Matt Schilz has emerged as the starting quarterback for the
Bowling Green State University Falcons.A fifth-year senior, Schilz beat out redshirt sophomore Matt
Johnson.‘‘The way I played last year wasn’t a high enough standard for this team,’’ Schilz said Wednesday
evening. ‘‘I really thought I had to make progress and get a lot better.‘‘I could have been frustrated, but
I took the challenge and it made me a lot better.’’When asked about his emotion when he was told he would be
the starter, Schilz said: ‘‘I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited. But we’re all here just to win
games, to push each other, and we all are really good friends.’’Schilz has started 35 games at BG, including
the last 32. He has completed 702-of-1,202 passes in his career. He ranks third in BG history with 7,832
career passing yards, and third with 702 completions. His 50 career touchdown passes are the fifth-most in
BG history.Johnson saw limited action in eight games last season.‘‘I got in some bad habits (last year) and
I think I got rid of those,’’ Schilz said. ‘‘I’ve been more comfortable in there and I think that’s helped
me a lot.‘‘And I’m running the ball a little more and just working on the complete game.’’During this
month’s practices, Schilz and Johnson both got playing time with the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses.‘‘There were
definitely some ebbs and flows, but I think Matt earned the job,’’ BG head coach Dave Clawson said about the
competition. ‘‘Sometimes as a coach, you want these decisions to be easy and it wasn’t easy.‘‘Matt Johnson
can play for us and win games too.’’Schilz said he and Johnson are still really close friends.Johnson was
not made available to the media Wednesday.MOCK GAME: The Falcons used Wednesday’s practice as a mock game
with the team wearing shorts and limited pads.The practice was used for situations that would rarely occur
in games, some involving sudden change plays or injuries.‘‘It’s a long list of different things that have
happened in games over 24 years,’’ Clawson said. ‘‘Some of it I have stolen from other programs; there are
no copyright laws in football.‘‘You just want guys to go through the flow of how quickly the substitutions
happen and what they might have to be prepared to do (during) the course of the game.’’Clawson said the list
is ever expanding and he expects new things to be added for next year.While the Falcons have been working
this month on a few things for next Thursday’s season-opener against Tulsa, Wednesday’s practice marked the
end of fall camp, and the entire focus now is getting ready for the Golden Hurricane.HOUSTON: William
Houston, a transfer from Ohio State, is eligible to play for the Falcons this fall Clawson said.A running
back, Houston was a preferred walk-on at OSU and went to school there for one semester.He changed his mind
about Ohio State and is now a preferred walk-on for the Falcons.‘‘There is a process that you have to go
through with the previous school and we finally got all the information back that allows him to play this
year,’’ Clawson said.‘‘There is certainly a role he can play in our offense,’’ Clawson added about the
6-foot, 262 pound Houston. ‘‘He’s still got to get work and he’s still got to get himself in shape. But in
small spurts, he has been pretty effective.’’HUNTER: Cornerback Darrell Hunter, who is battling a wrist
injury, will not play against Tulsa.‘‘He’s not going to play (against) Tulsa and at this point he is
probably doubtful for the season,’’ Clawson said.SCHOLARSHIPS: With several players leaving the program
there are some scholarships available, but Clawson said no current walk-on would be given a scholarship at
this time.‘‘Usually I do those after the fall and the spring,’’ Clawson said about awarding scholarships.
‘‘You have to deal with how many initials (scholarships) you have. Because of the gray-shirting, there are
some guys coming in, in January and we can’t go above 85 (scholarships).’’