Life is good for the Bowling Green football team’s offense.
The Falcons (6-2, 4-1) are currently among the nation’s best in scoring (fourth, 41.3), total offense (seventh, 469.3) and passing offense (fourth, 321.4) and doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon with a game against Western Michigan (1-7, 0-5) this Saturday.
The Broncos haven’t exactly been a powerhouse defensively this season, as they rank at the bottom of the Mid-American Conference in scoring defense and defense (38.9 points per game) and are next to last in total defense (454.9 yards per game).
To say the Broncos will have trouble slowing down a the Falcons’ offense on the kind of roll they’re on would be an understatement.
And with Marshall and Toledo games around the bend, it may be easy for the Falcons to overlook a Broncos team that has yet to beat a Division I team.
But BG head coach Gregg Brandon knows all to well that overlooking a team like Western is a mistake.
“This is a big game, too,” he said. “If we don’t win this one, the last two don’t mean squat.”
The Falcons will be looking for quarterback Omar Jacobs to continue his hot play. The sophomore has thrown for 2,533 yards and an NCAA best 23 touchdowns.
Jacobs and the passing attack have gotten to show their stuff all season.
But in last weekend’s win over Eastern, the running game got to stretch their legs out a bit. P.J. Pope led the Falcons’ running attack with 128 yards and a touchdown while picking up another 61 yards through the air.
“We talked all week about getting the running game going,” he said. “And that it would be a big part of our success.”
Against a Western Michigan team that allows 194.5 yards per game, Pope wll probably get a crack at moving the ball against the Broncos, especially considering the field conditions for Saturday will be fairly muddy.
“Sure we will have to run,” offensive lineman Andrew Hart said.
For the line, the Falcons’ offensive display this season has made their lives a little more fun.
“A lot of defenses try to blitz us and bring their entire playbook on us,” Hart said. “We like the challenge of picking everything up they try to throw at us.”
It is for this reason the Falcons can’t look past the Broncos, especially with what the team has ahead for them.
“We still have a legit shot at winning the (MAC) championship,” Brandon said. “Northern still has to win their games and we still play Toledo.”
Every game from here on out will be a big one for BG, even the ones that are supposed to be easy.
“We still have to take care of business and hopefully the bowl people will take notice,” Brandon said. “But all that doesn’t matter if we don’t beat Western Michigan.”
The Falcons host the Broncos at 1 p.m. this Saturday at Doyt L. Perry Stadium.
