Feast week is here, and it’s a big one. BGSU football (7-4, 6-1) will welcome the defending Mid-American Conference champions, the Miami RedHawks (7-4, 6-1), to Doyt L. Perry Stadium on Black Friday at noon.
Matchup History:
Bowling Green and Miami have met 77 times, with Miami leading the series 47-25-5.
Their last meeting came over a year ago in October as Miami took the win 27-0 in Oxford.
Lowdown:
Well, folks, the biggest game in the Scot Loeffler era is here.
Win, and you’re in the MAC championship.
What is standing in their way?
The defending MAC champs.
Here’s what Loeffler has to say about the Miami RedHawks.
“I think Chuck [Martin] does a great job. I think they’re super athletic on defense. They’ve always got some defensive linemen that just cause chaos, which they do.”
“Offensively, I think they’re as consistent as they get. I think the offensive line is tough, big, athletic. Running backs are excellent. Wide receivers can catch and score,” said Loeffler. “I think the two best quarterbacks in the league are gonna be here on Friday at noon.”
The RedHawks have an opposite feel than their previous opponent, Ball State.
It’s a middle-of-the-pack offense and a really good defense.
Miami’s offense is ranked ninth in the MAC, while their defense stands alone at the top.
A big reason why for the defense?
Solapek is ranked fifth in the MAC for tackles.
Loeffler knows he, along with his team, will cause some chaos up front.
“Number 15, He is a good player. I think he was defensive player of the year last year. He’s excellent. Number 13, Strader, I think he’s a difference maker. So they’ve got a really a bunch of really good players on defense.”
On the Bowling Green side of things, star tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is a game-time decision that would drastically change things.
“I don’t know yet. That’s gonna be probably a game-time decision. I’m not sure where that’s gonna go yet. So we’ll try to figure that out this week.”
Any idea what the date of Sept. 28 signifies?
The last time Connor Bazelak turned the ball over.
That means Bazelak hasn’t thrown an interception to a MAC school since Nov. 8 of last year against Kent State.
Loeffler is extremely pleased with his play since that ODU game but points out that ever since the Miami of last year, Connor turned things around.
“The big transition occurred after this game last year. We did not play well offensively. Connor has put in some bad decisions, made some poor decisions, and missed a wide-open touchdown on the third or fourth play of the game,” said Loeffler.
“From that point forward, he became super disciplined. He bought into taking the right footwork with the right body position, getting his eyes where they need to be, and is, from that point forward, has played at a high, high level.”
Discipline will be a huge factor for the Falcons on both sides of the ball, and Loeffler believes it will be a key factor to control this game.
“At the end of the day, whenever you’re in one of these big ball games, you line up, you do what you’ve done all year long and just play really, really hard, play discipline, play smart, play together, play for each other,” said Loeffler. “It’s the people that get in trouble in these big games are worried about what happened in the past.”
It doesn’t get much better than this.
November football with a conference championship appearance on the line.
Where else would you rather be than Doyt L. Perry Stadium on Friday at noon?
Join Rhys Patrykus and Sean Connelly on Falcon Radio at 11:45 a.m. for coverage, with kickoff at noon.
