Bowling Green (OH)-Thousands of Falcons fans, along with about a hundred Huskie fans, gathered to cheer, chant and argue on Saturday. — all because ESPN’s GameDay was at a MAC school for the first time.

Scouts from the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the Fed-Ex Orange Bowl were on hand to scout then-No. 23 Bowling Green (7-1) and No. 12 NIU (7-1).

Typical of a “College Gameday” show, creative signs were all around. One sign read “UnFalcon Believable!” A dummy of Michael Turner was hung from a rope on a stick.

About three NIU students had shirts that read “Real MACs do it doggy style.”

NIU sophomore marketing major Eric Crost drove to Bowling Green to enjoy the festivities of the weekend and was excited to be a part of the atmosphere.

“Every weekend I wake up to watch ‘College Gameday,’” Crost said. “I wished, man, wouldn’t it be cool if they went to a MAC school? Now they’re actually here.”

Crost, who had a “College Gameday” hardhat on and a “Fleck for President” shirt, was one of many Huskies fans who faced torture from the Falcon fans.

“Everyone was nice last night, but when we showed up this morning, they were just killing us,” Crost said. “We’ve been taking it. We expected it. It’s been a blast.”

BGSU fans were excited to have Gameday present and came out dressed as if it were Halloween.

One fan had a carved pumpkin on his head, accompanied by an orange cape, orange knee socks and a Bowling Green t-shirt. Others wore more traditional costumes, like a chicken and a cow.

Throughout the show, hosts Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit talked about running back Michael Turner, BGSU quarterback Josh Harris and the success the MAC and NIU has had.

“We’re one Ohio State loss away from a game between two undefeated teams,” said Fowler, to open the show.

Corso coached at NIU in 1984.

Midway through the show, a feature on former NIU offensive lineman Shea Fitzgerald was shown. A projected 2003 starter on the offensive line, Fitzgerald died in the Chicago porch collapse on June 29.

After ESPN introduced the piece leading into a commercial, Fowler addressed to the crowd that it would be running it to make sure the right approach was taken by the BG fans.

The five-minute segment seemed to touch even the BGSU fans as a small round of applause was given by the enthusiastic crowd.

“It was really nice that they did the story on NIU’s offensive lineman,” Bowling Green secondary education major Brock Howe said. “It’s sad that it happened, but it was really nice that they included it and nice to see that everyone here was really sincere about it.”