BGSU football hosts Buffalo at Doyt L. Perry Stadium on Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day on Saturday at noon.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Sean Connelly and Kevin Hutchinson will have the call of the game on Falcon Radio, streaming on bgfalconmedia.com. There will also be an in-studio pregame, halftime and postgame show, hosted by Artie Abrego, Ben Corak and Brendan Feighan, beginning at 11:35 a.m.
Falcon Media Sports Network will have additional coverage of the game on bgfalconmedia.com and @BG_FMSN on Twitter/X.
Matchup History
The teams have played each other just 21 times, with the Falcons leading the all-time series 13-8 since 2000, when Buffalo joined the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
However, the Bulls have had success in recent history, winning five of the past seven matchups. But Bowling Green has won two of the past three contests, including a 24-14 victory in their last battle in 2023.
The last time BGSU defeated Buffalo at the Doyt was 2016, a 27-19 win. The Falcons have lost three straight against the Bulls at home, with the road team winning four straight matchups.
Scouting Bowling Green
The Falcons are 3-5 overall and 1-3 in MAC play, with their dreams of making the conference championship game all but crushed.
Bowling Green is coming off a gutting 24-21 loss to Kent State, blowing a 21-point lead.
The major question for BGSU is who will start at quarterback.
The opening-game starter, Drew Pyne, has been out for the past three weeks with an undisclosed leg injury. His backup, Lucian Anderson III, who started the first two games after Pyne went down, missed last week with a knee injury. Both are questionable going into Saturday’s game.
“We are expecting to see Drew Pyne, who is a veteran transfer quarterback that I have a lot of familiarity with. He’s from New Kane in Connecticut, played for a guy named Lou Marinelli, who is one of my all-time favorite high school coaches,” Buffalo head coach Pete Lembo, who is in his second season leading the Bulls, said. “He’s missed the last few games with a lower-body injury, but we’re fully expecting to see him on Saturday.”
Meanwhile, the team’s third-string signal-caller, Baron May, suffered what appears to be a long-term injury, according to Mike and Jan Wilcox Head Football Coach Eddie George.
If Pyne and Anderson are unable to go, Hunter Najm, the team’s fourth-string quarterback, will get his first collegiate start as a redshirt freshman. The only other quarterback on the roster is true freshman Carsen Melvin, who is the only quarterback that has not thrown a pass for the Falcons this season.
“So, we’re down to our fourth-string quarterback, and he’s healthy as of right now,” George said. “He’ll probably get the lion’s share of reps this week.”
There are also injury questions at running back and the offensive line for the Bowling Green offense.
Redshirt freshman running back and kick returner Cameron Pettaway missed last week with an injury and is questionable for this week’s game. Freshman Austyn Dendy stepped up last week with his first carries of the season, rushing 93 times on 20 carries, recording the most yards on the ground by a Falcon in their debut since 2011.
Meanwhile, starting offensive guard Jake Burns, who left last week’s game with an injury, will also be questionable for the matchup against the Bulls. Backup center/offensive guard Brody Bolyn came into the game for Burns against KSU.
The Falcons have been middle of the road offensively with their quarterback carousel, ranking eighth in the MAC with 20.1 points per game and ninth with 316.0 yards per game.
Defensively, Bowling Green has been slightly better. The Orange and Brown allow 354.9 yards and 25.4 points per game, ranking sixth and eighth in the conference, respectively.
“The first thing that jumps out to me about Bowling Green is this is a very, very physical and athletic football team,” Lembo said.
However, Bowling Green has not recorded a defensive takeaway in the past two games.
“I think teams are mindful that we’re a team that’s very aggressive trying to get the ball out, and that’s how we create our momentum,” George said.
BG also has the worst red zone defense in the conference, with opposing teams scoring on 91.3% (21-23) of their drives inside the Falcons’ 20-yard line.
The Falcons have also suffered from discipline issues, committing 61 penalties for 63.8 yards per game, the second-worst marks in the MAC.
Scouting Buffalo
Buffalo enters the game still in contention for a MAC Championship game berth, with a 4-4 overall and 3-1 conference record.
The Bulls are also coming off a loss after falling 24-16 to Akron.
Every conference game has been close for Buffalo, as they defeated Kent State by three points, Eastern Michigan by one point in overtime and UMass by seven points.
“A very solid unit; they’ve won a lot of close ballgames…It’s playing ball in the MAC. On any given Saturday, you can win a game or lose a game; it comes down to who’s going to make the plays and give yourself a chance to win in the fourth quarter,” George said.
Buffalo features one of the more consistent offenses in the conference, ranking third in the MAC with 367.1 yards per game and fifth with 24.4 points per game.
“They’re a very efficient offense,” George said. “Quarterback is a really good passer, dual-threat guy.”
However, UB’s offense has struggled some recently, scoring less than 20 points in three of their past five games.
“Offensively, some of our issues have been hampering us all fall, and we’ve got to find some creative ways to get those fixed now that we’re in the last third of the regular season,” Lembo said. “Slow starts, and Saturday was no exception. We’ve got to come out of the gates faster and get some points on the board in the first quarter, so we’re not playing from behind in these games.
The Bulls’ defense has also been one of the better in the MAC, ranking fourth in the conference with 337.0 yards and 21.6 points allowed per game.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Gideon Lampron (Bowling Green No. 4)
Lampron has been one of the best linebackers in the country this season, ranking ninth in the nation with 42 solo tackles and 24th with 77 total tackles.
The junior middle linebacker has double-digit tackles in four of his past five games. He is also sixth in the MAC with 9.5 tackles for loss.
“[Lampron], I think, is an all-conference linebacker. He’s very, very twitchy, very physical. He’s got a great nose for the football, will strike you with his near foot in the ground, and really generate a lot of force when he does. Excellent open field tackler,” Lembo said. “Just a fun guy to watch, and certainly a guy that you need to be aware of where he is at all times.”
Jackson Kleather (Bowling Green No. 14)
Kleather has been one of the best kickers in the country. He is tied for the lead in the MAC and tied for seventh in the country with 14 field goals made.
However, he will be looking to bounce back after missing just his second kick of the season last week.
Khalil Murdock (Buffalo No. 2)
Murdock, who goes by the first name “Red,” is one of the best defensive players in the MAC.
The graduate student linebacker was named a First Team All-MAC selection last season after setting a program record and leading the nation with seven forced fumbles, while also ranking second in the country with 156 tackles.
This season, Murdock leads the MAC with five fumbles forced. He also ranks second in the conference with 92 total tackles and third with 11.0 tackles for loss.
Ta’Quan Roberson (Buffalo No. 2)
Roberson, the team’s starting quarterback, transferred to Buffalo from Kansas State.
The graduate student has completed 61% of his passes for 1,603 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has also added 51 rushing attempts for 148 yards and two touchdowns.
Roberson leads the MAC with 229.0 passing yards per game, with a season-high of 403 yards two weeks ago against UMass. However, he will be looking to rebound after throwing four interceptions in the loss to Akron last week.
