If there’s one thing the Bowling Green Falcon defensive unit learned last season, it was not to let the cushion of a 20 point lead be enough, and that there is no such thing as a guaranteed win.

The entire Falcon football team learned that lesson the hard way on a fateful November night last fall against their I-75 rivals.

Toledo rocketed past the Falcons after trailing 27-7 at halftime and scored 35 unanswered points to come back and win by a final score of 49-41. The second half meltdown by the defense resulted in Toledo’s entry in the MAC championship game, and ultimately lost a shot at the title.

With that loss still lingering in the minds of returning players and coaches, the team ‘#173; and more specifically the defense, has stepped it up big time at camp this summer.

Coach Greg Brandon along with Defensive Coordinator John Lovett just doesn’t want to see another meltdown like the one a year ago that may have cost the team a MAC championship crown.

In the past few years, the orange and brown have been spoiled on offense by players like Josh Harris and Omar Jacobs, not to mention one of the nation’s best receiving units. This has given the defense a cushion to fall back on when they haven’t played their best.

This year, however, will be different.

The Falcons once again return this season with one of the nation’s top offenses, though they are still on a quest for the elusive MAC title, so with the offense producing enough to get them there, the improvements on defense will either make it or break it in 2005.

With those expectations comes discipline, and the Falcon ‘D’ is feeling the heat thus far in summer camp.

With two-a-days now in full-swing and soon to be over, the guys are working extra hard on bringing this defense to a championship level.

Lovett is pleased with the level of effort and overall progress so far in camp and feels like his defense is already coming together and working more as a group.

‘I feel pretty good about our defense. (They) are starting to grasp the concepts that we are teaching.

(They are) going to get better as we go along.’

The Falcon defense is indeed something to watch this year.

With six returning starters and many vital holes to fill in the lineup, camp has been both extremely competitive and enjoyable to watch.

Returning starters include Mike Thaler, Brad Williams, Devon Parks, Ted Piepkow, Jelani Jordan and Terrill Mayberry.

All six will return to lead a veteran starting lineup and a young bench.

The defensive line, which helped allow 132.4 yards per game on the ground last year, will line up with Thaler, senior, at nose guard, Monte Cooley, senior, at defensive tackle and juniors Williams and Parks at defensive end. Thaler is expected to have another NFL-worthy season, while Williams and Parks are expected to step up considerably and have impact seasons for the Falcons in 2005.

Starting at linebacker will be Teddy Peipkow, senior, at the weakside, Jamien Johnson, senior, in the middle and Terrel White, junior, on the strongside. Piepkow will continue to be a force again this year with his 160 career tackles, and Johnson and White will step up and start for the first time in their careers.

The backfield, which was nationally ranked 104th in pass defense in 2004 according by The Associated Press, will be put to the ultimate test this season, after losing Keon Newson and T.J. Carswell from their starting lineup. At corner, the Falcons will start Jelani Jordan, senior, and Terrill Mayberry, senior. The starting safeties will most likely be Tim Arnold, senior, and Mike Crumpler, senior. Jordan and Mayberry return to their same positions, while Arnold and Crumpler will start for their first times and attempt to fill some big shoes at safety.

With much-needed depth coming out of camp this summer, the defense will be able to continuously rotate players on and off the field, a common method used by Brandon in past seasons. Last year the Falcons rotated nine defensive linemen, and some even moved to defensive end.

‘These guys want to play, and they’re working very hard,’ said Coach Brandon, following the Falcons’ Aug. 13 scrimmage.

‘We’ve got several [young] guys who have shown up and are starting to show some signs,’ Lovett said about the younger players. ‘There are certainly some freshmen who could get into the mix. Those guys have shown some real promise.’

The young guys will need to prove themselves right away in 2005, with upcoming battles with Big Ten power Wisconsin, and Boise State.

Both coaches feel like the defense is fully prepared and will be ready to play against their opening day Big Ten challengers.

Both agree that the size of the Wisconsin front line will not be a factor, and that the only challenge will be coming mentally prepared and focused on shutting down an offense that accumulated 328 yards and scored 21 points per game.

‘We just have to go out there and play tough,’ Coach Lovett said. ‘We have to be committed and have pride in stopping the other team.’

‘We have shown real commitment. And that’s what really excites me.’

The Falcon defense will be ready to take the field Sept. 3 when they play Wisconsin.