It was a humble beginning for Bowling Green’s football program in 1919.
That year the team was 0-3 while being out-scored 28-0, including a 6-0 loss to Toledo in the season
opener.
Now 10 decades later, Bowling Green and Toledo will be playing Saturday at Doyt Perry Stadium to
celebrate 100 years of football.
“We specifically asked the league to schedule Toledo on a Saturday in October and thankfully the TV
executives agreed,” said Bob Moosbrugger, BG’s director of athletics. “It’s important to our fans to be
able to come to that rivalry game and have it on a Saturday.”
The planning for the anniversary event started last year. When the Mid-American Conference and its
television partners agreed to move the BG-Toledo game from a weekday in November, it became a great
opportunity to play the arch-rival game and celebrate the 100 years of the sport.
“It is certainly a milestone anniversary date and then to play your rival makes it even more meaningful
and even more special,” Moosbrugger said. “Obviously 100 years is an anniversary date people look
forward to.
“Hopefully the events surrounding the game attract more fans that want to come back and relive some of
the history of BGSU football,” he added. “That makes it a neat experience for everyone.”
A reception is planned for Friday night. It will include panel discussions with former players Phil
Villapiano, Vince Palko and Mark Miller. Dave Horger, who was the radio voice of the Falcons for many
years, is included as is former head coach Moe Ankney. Mickey Cochrane, a former coach and teacher at
Bowling Green, has put in many hours of work on the sports archives of all the sports at Bowling Green
and will be on the panel.
“They will give some perspective and some great stories in regards to the 100 years,” Moosbrugger said
about the panel discussions.
Also in the works is a 100th-anniversary documentary. Moosbrugger said.
“At some point there will be a full viewing, but at least we may show some clips at the reception,” he
said.
Saturday’s kickoff is at noon and the anniversary pregame tailgate will start at 9 a.m. There is a $20
cost for the tailgate.
Many former players are returning this weekend to renew old friendships as well as to be a part of the
100th anniversary.
Frank Snell, a player in 1948 and 1949, who is believed to be the oldest living Bowling Green player will
return. Also returning are members of the 1959 national championship team, who are celebrating the 60th
anniversary of their team as well as the 100th year of the sport.
In addition, descendants of players from the 1919 team are planning to come, Moosbrugger said.
“It’s a culmination of events and history,” Moosbrugger said.
Miller, who was a standout quarterback for the Falcons in the 1970s, and was later a BGSU assistant coach
for seven years and then worked with Horger on the radio, is looking forward to the weekend.
“You really remember the guys you played with; we are all Falcons,” he said.
On arrival at Bowling Green, one of Miller’s first interactions with a former player was with Franklin
‘Gus’ Skibbie. Skibbie earned 14 varsity letters at Bowling Green and scored the first touchdown in
school history in 1920. He went on to become a coach and teacher at Bowling Green High School and mayor
of Bowling Green.
“It’s many decades, but it’s one team and that is true,” Miller said, adding that Bowling Green is well
known across the country due in part to football, as well at Nate Thurmond who played in the National
Basketball Association and Dave Wottle who won an Olympic gold medal in track in 1972.
The one-team sentiment went beyond teammates and colleagues on the field, Miller pointed out. “It was
also about the people working at BGSU at the time,” people such as Becky Meek, Glenn Sharp, Ken Schoeni,
Bill Jones and Jim Treeger. Though some of these people are gone, there is still a camaraderie that
exists because of that history. For example, the “Sharpie Shootout’ football golf outing brings together
former football players each summer, Miller said.
One of the activities planned this weekend is the introduction of a Cast of Honor. Miller, who plans to
attend the anniversary events, is one of 10 Cast of Honor football recipients who will be recognized.
The other nine honorees are Villapiano, Palko, Bernie Casey, Fred Durig, Josh Harris, Jack Hecker, Kory
Lichtensteiger, Mike Weger and Bob Zimpfer.
“We will honor the numbers of these players for this event; we don’t officially retire the numbers,”
Moosbrugger said. “We will let them speak on Saturday during the pregame tailgate as we recognize this
important milestone.”