The competition
continues for playing time at wide receiver for Bowling Green, but Shaun Joplin, Ryan
Burbrink and Chris Gallon have moved to the top of the depth chart for Saturday’s
season-opener at Florida. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m.A redshirt junior, Joplin is BG’s most
experienced receiver, finishing third on the team last season with 21 receptions for 292
yards and a touchdown. Burbrink, a walk-on, and Gallon are both redshirt
freshmen."Those guys really came out of camp as probably the top three guys. They
deserve to play the most," BG head coach Dave Clawson said Monday.Clawson added
Je’Ron Stokes, a redshirt junior transfer from Michigan, and Heath Jackson, a redshirt
sophomore, have done well in fall drills and will also play."We feel we have six or
seven playable guys there," Clawson said. "But you have to list somebody at
the top of the depth chart and based on their body of work in camp, Shaun Joplin, Ryan
Burbrink and Chris Gallon deserve to be in those top three spots."FRESHMEN: Will
Watson has worked his way onto the depth chart as a backup cornerback. He is a true
freshman from Tampa Jefferson High School in Florida."The one thing you look for
from freshman is guys who can sustain it through camp and they compete. Will came up
here and he competes," Clawson said.During the fall drills, several cornerbacks
were hit with nagging injuries and Watson took advantage of the opportunity."He
stepped into that first defensive huddle and he never blinked," Clawson said.
"He went against our starting receivers and he competed. Sometimes he got beat and
sometimes he made plays, but he always came back and fought for the next rep
(repetition)."We think he’s ready to help us this year and that he can
play."True freshmen Anthony Farinella and Coy Brown III are also listed on the
two-deep.Farinella will handle the kickoff duties for the Falcons.Brown is a backup
linebacker.ROYSTER: With Hunter Maynard out for the season with a knee injury, walk-on
Taylor Royster has moved onto the depth chart at defensive tackle.Royster, 5-foot-9, 252
pounds, is a redshirt freshman from Lima Central Catholic.PAYDAY: Bowling Green is
receiving $1.25 million for playing the game at Florida.The opportunity to play Florida
came about when Urban Meyer, BG’s head coach in 2001 and 2002, was the head coach at
Florida."I think he wanted to help us out a little bit financially," Clawson
said. "I remember when I first got here, (Florida) was looking for a game and
either he did or he had someone on his staff reach out to us and ask if we would be
interested in playing."This is a great opportunity for our program to play against
one of the most historic and premier programs in the country on a national stage,"
Clawson continued. "These are opportunities that we don’t feel we could ever pass
up."OPENERS: Bowling Green has been successful in recent years in season openers,
going 4-1 including wins at Minnesota (2007) and at Pittsburgh (2008).KELLY: Rapper
Machine Gun Kelly, who was in concert at the Stroh Center Saturday night, visited with
the Falcon football team Saturday afternoon.TICKETS: Season ticket sales for Bowling
Green’s home football games are up 30 percent over a year ago. In addition, season
ticket renewals are at 92 percent while more than 500 new season tickets have been
sold.It’s BG’s highest season ticket base since the 2003 season.TV: The BG-Florida game
will be televised on ESPN with Mark Jones (play-by-play) and Brock Huard (analyst)
calling the action.