BGSU football is 2-1 after their Homecoming win over Liberty on Saturday, giving the Falcons momentum heading into their final non-conference matchup of the season against Louisville.
However, there are still many questions about the Orange and Brown.
Here are some of the questions that were sent in for this week’s Falcon Media Sports Network mailbag:
Q (Brendan Hall—North Royalton, Ohio): With one week remaining in the non-conference, how does this team stack up against the first few Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponents (OU, Toledo, Buffalo)?
A (Tyler Kavalecz): Appreciate the question, Brendan. While we have not seen the Orange and Brown against another MAC team, we can somewhat compare them based on their performances so far. On paper, Toledo seems like the best team in the conference, especially on offense. The Rockets lead the MAC with 40.3 points, 464.7 total yards, 208.7 rushing yards and 256.0 passing yards per game. Toledo scored a MAC-record 43 points in a single quarter in their 60-0 win over Morgan State on Saturday. Meanwhile, Ohio’s numbers don’t look as glamorous, which is probably due to their tougher schedule. The Bobcats lost by just three points to Rutgers, defeated West Virginia and stayed somewhat close with the top team in the country, Ohio State, for a half of football. I would say the Falcons are closer to Buffalo, who escaped with a three-point win over Kent State over the weekend, right now than they are to Toledo or Ohio, who I believe are the top two teams in the conference by a fair margin.
Q (Nick—Marysville, Ohio): Given results over the weekend, where do you see BG finishing the season? Would it be fair to say BG is a solid third behind Toledo/OU?
A (Sean Connelly): I think with the win, it certainly should give all Falcon fans hope for a fun rest of the season. You hate to try and predict wins and losses, but it’s what we do as fans, and the Falcons were projected to lose this past weekend. So, winning and winning convincingly gives a lot of fans hope going forward. That said, the first two MAC games for BG are the toughest two-game stretch the rest of the season: at Ohio and vs. Toledo. If Bowling Green can somehow go 1-1 in those games, then things could get really interesting for the Falcons the rest of the way. The schedule favors the Falcons over the second half of the season. But what trumps all of that? MACtion baby. Anything can happen at any given time in this conference. But I’d say if BG can go 1-1 against OU and Toledo, and we’re in a good position in mid-October.
Q (Dominik—BGSU senior): Do you think we’ll get more wins than any of the past 3 years and win our bowl game?
A (Kavalecz): Hey Dominik, thanks for the question. I think it is very possible for the Falcons to pass their win total from the past three seasons (six in 2022; seven in 2023 and 2024). The win on Saturday against Liberty was huge, and makes it a real possibility that BG can reach seven or eight victories. I would say the winnable games right now for BGSU are Central Michigan, Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Akron and UMass. If Bowling Green takes care of those matchups, that puts them at seven wins already, without counting possible wins over Ohio, Toledo or Buffalo, along with a bowl game appearance.
Q (Ed Helinski—Auburn, New York): What vibes are you getting about the upcoming Louisville game? Good, bad or meh vibes?
A (Connelly): I would say anytime you go into a Power 4 game, it always has different vibes. You’re going to want to win, obviously, but at the same time, these bigger schools are the ones paying you to play them. That said, if you walk out with a win, which we’ve seen multiple times by a Bowling Green squad in years past, it makes the win so much more meaningful and exciting. I think most of the players are ready and have some new juice after last week’s win. So, vibes for the team are high. But the vibes going into any game will be to win, that’s no doubt.
Q (Lee—Atlanta, Georgia): What will it take to get the passing game going?
A (Kavalecz): Good question, Lee. The passing game has not been awful, with the Falcons placing seventh in the MAC with 176.3 passing yards per contest. However, it has not been close to great. The main problem I’ve noticed is that the passing game looks stagnant and not very dynamic. The longest pass BGSU has completed so far this season is 31 yards. Just looking at the roster, RJ Garcia II seems to be the only reliable deep threat at this point, which is a red flag. I think there are also a lot of other factors, such as Drew Pyne’s comfort in the system, the offensive line stepping up and receivers winning more one-on-one matchups that need to click for the passing game to start firing on all cylinders.
