With the first week of the BGSU football season in the book after Bowling Green’s 26-7 win over Lafayette on Aug. 28, there are still a lot of questions about the team.
Here are some of the questions that were sent in for this week’s Falcon Media Sports Network mailbag:
Q: Is it too early to be worried about Eddie’s hesitancy to throw the football, and past that, the state of the offense?
A (Tyler Kavalecz): I think it would be a bit of an overreaction to be worried about the offense this early. Yes, the Falcons ran the ball 44 times compared to only 18 pass attempts. However, the offensive game plan was also called “vanilla” by head coach Eddie George postgame. He also attributed the simple offensive scheme to playing an FCS team with a very new roster, with very limited game film available. So, I think it is a bit early to overreact to the offense based on one game. But the next few games, especially the matchup against Cincinnati, will be very telling.
Q: Drew Pyne looked uncomfortable when he actually had to pass. When do the growing pains and early-season jitters go away?
A (Sean Connelly): Every player is different for how long it takes them to settle back in. Week one is always—in a weird way—fun in that aspect. Some players are still getting used to the real game-time speed, while others are pouncing on the opportunity. I would say you have about four weeks, or until the end of September, to have a couple of jittery games. If any rustiness continues after that, then it would be time to panic.
Q: Where is Arlis Boardingham?
A (Kavalecz): Good question. There is currently a battle in the tight end and running back rooms to see which players will step up into the true starter roles, with each position group being five-plus deep. Currently, Boardingham is third on the depth chart at tight end, behind Jyrin Johnson and Jacob Harris. In the first game, Johnson, Harris and Blane Cleaver all caught one pass. On the surface, this may seem alarming. But I don’t really think it is. Boardingham is not at 100% currently and was listed as questionable before the game against the Cougars. He suffered a shoulder injury last season at Florida, which required surgery in February that he is still recovering from while trying to adapt to the new offensive system. So, I wouldn’t expect to see much of Boardingham throughout non-conference play, but I think he has the potential to move up the depth chart and become a big factor for the Orange and Brown’s offense in conference play.
Q: What was the big injury in camp?
A (Connelly): The big injury in camp has not been said or released to the public. The reason we know of any injury happening is due to wide receiver Finn Hogan posting Pudge the cat in the locker room, and it was later confirmed that long snapper George Carlson brought in Pudge to boost morale after the injury in practice. So, nothing has been said publicly on what the injury was and who it was that got injured.
Q: Who are you more concerned about: The receivers not getting separation or the line struggling in pass protection? To follow up, any word on why the line was changed during the game?
A (Kavalecz): Thanks for the question. If I had to choose one to be more concerned about, I would definitely choose the receivers not getting enough separation. The receivers are a bit of an unknown this season, with Hogan and RJ Garcia II being the top two returners. Hogan tallied just 12 receptions for 176 yards last season while Garcia missed the entire 2024 campaign because of an injury he suffered in camp. Meanwhile, the offensive line will be one of the best in the MAC this season, and I wouldn’t be too worried about them after one game. George clarified in the weekly press conference Monday that the reason the line was changed during the game is simply because they felt it was a good opportunity to get the backups some action early in the season and see how they fare. George explained he would rather see what they have now than later in the season if an injury were to force a change.
Q: Do you find it alarming that only one offensive touchdown was scored in the season opener?
A (Connelly): I don’t find it too alarming. In week one, you’re allowed to have some of these imperfection and still be okay, especially when playing an FCS school. I would even go as far as saying that if the offense can’t find a rhythm, that it really doesn’t matter until you start MAC play. Yes, I would love for Bowling Green to be competitive and win these next two out-of-conference games against Cincinnati and Louisville, but if they’re still finding their footing ahead of MAC play, then it’s okay.
To submit questions for next week’s mailbag, fill out the short form here. Questions will be accepted until midnight on Monday.
