For every college football team in the nation, the season plays out like a movie. There are twists and turns, drama, action and even a little comedy thrown in on the side. For two senior Falcons leading the offensive charge, it’s up to them to make sure the 2009 season is an autumn blockbuster instead of a box office disaster. The tale for each individual player and coach started at various points during the year, but for those two players, this year’s journey didn’t begin on the green turf of Doyt Perry Stadium; it began on a green felt in the team room.

When they’re not calling plays on the football field, seniors Tyler Sheehan and Freddie Barnes may be calling shots of a different variety.

Instead of the ‘Monday, Monday, set, hut’ Sheehan will bark out countless numbers of times during games this season, it’s a calmer, ‘Eight ball, corner pocket’ during a game of billiards in the team room.

And unless Sheehan is a liar, that is most likely how it plays out more often than not.

‘I think I am [better], and I think he’d admit to that too,’ Sheehan said. ‘But he’s not bad.’

The duo has been using their billiards to set a good example of off-the-field interaction to supplement their natural on-the-field success because as captains, it’s partly their job to ensure younger players understand getting along off-the-field breeds on-field success.

‘It’s all about chemistry,’ Sheehan said. ‘If you get along off the field, you’ll get along on the field. It’s not a one way street.’

And the better a team gets along on the field, the better the chance it has to win something like a Mid-American Conference championship – something the team has been without since 1992. The team hasn’t even had a chance to play for the title since losing to Ben Roethlisberger and Miami in 2003.

But the first senior quarterback/wide receiver duo since Andy Sahm and Robert Redd in 2002 is looking to change all that – setting sights on Ford Field in Detroit for the MAC title game.

‘If we can end up at Ford Field, it would be a happy ending to my career,’ Barnes said.

The Falcons will have to overcome many obstacles on their way if they plan to play in Detroit though, and as arguably the top two offensive players on the team, fans will be looking to Sheehan and Barnes to carry to load throughout the season.

For Sheehan, the pressure comes from being elected a captain not because of what the fans may be expecting from him.

‘Maybe a little bit just to lead the way,’ Sheehan said. ‘We were both elected captains so we need to do what’s necessary to lead the team from that standpoint.’

Barnes said he doesn’t really feel that much pressure coming into this season as the new coaching staff has put him in a position to make the plays he knows he needs to make.

‘Not so much,’ Barnes said. ‘The main thing is the new coaching staff is making things a lot easier for us where we don’t have to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to do extra things.’

That coaching staff – headed up by first-year coach Dave Clawson – has implemented similar offense as the Falcons have run in recent years.

That will be good news for Sheehan and Barnes, considering those two have been on the same page since day one.

As sophomores, the two hit off with Barnes piling up 962 receiving yards – mostly from Sheehan – and scoring two touchdowns in the third game of the season – a 48-35 home win over Temple. Last season, Barnes was limited to nine games due to injury but was still second on the team with 355 receiving yards.

And Barnes doesn’t expect that chemistry to go away this season.

‘Me and Tyler, we have always been able to connect since I have been here, and this year paying attention to detail and having this new coaching staff has allowed us to do that more,’ Barnes said.

Clawson said he’s planning on running plays to get Barnes the ball, but will in no way just run his passing game through his standout senior.

‘We’ll throw it to Freddie,’ Clawson said with a laugh. ‘Anytime you have a returning senior receiver and a senior quarterback, those guys have to be on the same page, but your passing game can’t go through one guy.’

Sheehan does have several other targets to throw to once the Sept. 3 season opener against Troy rolls around, but he will likely put his own words to the test, seeing if all those games with Barnes on the green felt off the field will translate into success on the green turf of Doyt Perry Stadium.