Bowling Green’s Jacobs Is the Next Big Thing

Omar Jacobs went from Bowling Green’s question mark to the Mid-American Conference’s latest standout quarterback.

Jacobs capped a marvelous sophomore season by passing for 365 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Falcons to a 52-35 victory over Memphis on Wednesday night in the GMAC Bowl at Mobile, Ala.

“This is just a sign of things to come,” Bowling Green Coach Gregg Brandon said in what could have been a compliment or a warning. “When we first talked about what we needed him to do, we needed him to manage the offense and don’t turn it over, and if you get a chance make a play every once in a while.

“Well ... he took it to the next level.”

The Falcons (9-3) turned a shootout into a blowout after leading at halftime, 35-28, to win their fourth consecutive bowl game.

Jacobs got them started with four first-half touchdown passes -- two apiece to Charles Sharon and Steve Sanders -- and P.J. Pope helped carry them the rest of the way.

Pope ran 28 times for 151 yards and two one-yard touchdowns. He also caught a 13-yard pass for the only score of the third quarter.

The Tigers (8-4), playing in back-to-back bowl games for the first time, couldn’t keep up with the nation’s No. 4 offense, which totaled 558 total yards.

“That first half, we felt like we got in a rhythm with our run-pass mix, but we’re not good enough to be one or the other,” Memphis Coach Tommy West said. “No team is.”

Memphis’ DeAngelo Williams rushed for 120 yards in 18 carries before limping to the locker room at the end of the third quarter with a broken right leg.

Jacobs, whose 41 touchdown passes led the nation and set a MAC record, completed 26 of 44 passes with an interception.

If his first season as a starter is an indication, he’s in line for the kind of prolific career of former MAC quarterbacks such as Byron Leftwich and Ben Roethlisberger.

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Dave Wannstedt, the former Miami Dolphin and Chicago Bear coach, reportedly has been offered the job as coach at Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that Wannstedt could be named Panther coach as early as today. He would replace Walt Harris, who resigned to become coach at Stanford.

Wannstedt is a former Pittsburgh player and assistant coach.

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Derrick Williams, the nation’s top-rated prep prospect, announced that he plans to attend Penn State. Williams is a 6-foot, 189-pound receiver from Greenbelt, Md..