With 44 of 85 scholarship players having four years of eligibility left, BG football coach Dave Clawson has a different task on his hands than he did in 2009.

In his first season as coach, Clawson inherited 22 seniors, including 15 starters, but he also inherited an inexperienced underclass that has led to fierce position battles this spring.

“So many jobs are open. We only return seven starters,” Clawson said. “There’s a lot more competition (than in 2009).”

Gone from the secondary is a trio of players — P.J. Mahone, Roger Williams and Jahmal Brown — who combined to start 88 games in their careers.

Gone from the receiving corps are three players — Freddie Barnes, Chris Wright and Jimmy Scheidler — who combined for 228 receptions for 2,672 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2009.

Gone from the backfield is record-setting quarterback Tyler Sheehan who threw for 4,051 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2009 and running back Chris Bullock, the team’s bruiser.

Here now is a crop of young, but talented, players that must prepare themselves to play immediately if the Falcons are to have a successful season in 2010.

“You enjoy both parts of it,” Clawson said. “You enjoy having more established guys [because] you’re certainly starting at a higher level. But I don’t think we lack for talent, we’re just young. If you’re young and not talented, you have no shot. We’re young, but we have talent.”

Senior running back Willie Geter said he doesn’t believe he has the starting job locked up since he has watched sophomore John Pettigrew and redshirt freshman Erique Geiger show the speed the coaches are demanding in practice.

“The only difference I’ve noticed is we’re playing much faster,” Geter said. “The offense is really getting in and [Clawson’s] mindset is talking a toll on the team.”

Clawson said he thinks the players are showing more speed this spring because his staff is able to focus on making improvements instead of implementing a new system.

Senior defensive end Angelo Magnone said that change will benefit all the younger players.

“We just have a lot more younger guys,” Magnone said. “[Practice has] pretty much the same emphasis with a little bit more on the little things for the young guys coming up.”

Alvarado

Junior defensive lineman Kevin Alvarado is practicing with the team but has not been fully reinstated from his suspension.

He was suspended from all football activity on Dec. 3 after being arrested on assault charges on Nov. 31, but those charges were reduced to disorderly conduct with persistence, according to Bowling Green Municipal Court records.

“There are a number of things he needs to do. If he does those things, our plan is to reinstate him,” Clawson said.

Hutson

Junior receiver Ray Hutson, who battled injury throughout last season, had surgery following the Humanitarian Bowl and has not been cleared to begin practice.

Hutson missed two games last season and played through pain for many more as he continued trying to help the team any way he could.

“He’s getting better,” Clawson said. “Ray played with a lot of pain last year because we needed him. We think he’ll be at full-strength by camp.”

Tipton

Defensive lineman Carlos Tipton will graduate from the University in May and will not return to the football team for his senior season.

Tipton played in eight games in 2009, making 10 tackles. He also recovered a fumble in the season-opener against Troy.

For his career, Tipton had 14 tackles in 15 games as a reserve defensive end.

“He was a good player,” Magnone said. “He would have been helpful to have back.”

Stevens

Backup offensive lineman Marc Stevens has transferred to Youngstown State.