A little over ten years ago, the Falcons hosted the Minutemen in what was meant to be their final matchup as MAC members, as UMass would opt for independence at the conclusion of the season. To borrow some words from Douglas Adams, “this had made many people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.”
The game itself was a shoot-out from start to finish, with both teams combining for 45 points at halftime and 100 points overall. The Falcons would ultimately take control, going on a 45-21
scoring run after falling behind by a 10-7 margin early in the first quarter, eventually winning by a final score of 62-38 win thanks to 725 yards of total offense and five passing touchdowns from campus legend Matt Johnson. UMass QB Blake Frohnapfel kept up with 409 passing yards and three touchdowns, but crucially, UMass only put up 30 rushing yards.
Now, the two are set to clash once again a full decade later, with the 3-8 Bowling Green Falcons taking a return trip to Amherst to play the 0-11 UMass Minutemen on a Tuesday afternoon.
The Falcons are coming off a brutal 19-16 loss to Akron in a game where they squandered a last-chance drive to either tie or win the game thanks to an interception in Zips territory.
The Minutemen got the initial punches in against the Ohio Bobcats in their last game, but wound up regressing back to form in a 42-14 loss which saw them give up 363 rushing yards to a dominant Ohio ground game.
Game Notes
- Time and Date: Tuesday, November 25th, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. ET
- Location: McGuirk Alumni Stadium in Amherst, Massachusetts
- Gambling considerations: Bowling Green (-14.5), over/under 45.5 per FanDuel.
- Viewing options: ESPNU. A valid cable subscription is required for viewing.
- Radio options: For Bowling Green, Eagle FM 99 will broadcast with Todd Walker (play-by-play) and John Gibson (color) providing commentary. For UMass, Jay Burnham (play-by-play) and Matt Goldstein (color) have the call for WHMP-FM 101.5 FM and 1400 AM
- All-time series: Bowling Green leads the series all-time, sitting at 4-0, with a 62-38 victory the last time these two teams met on Oct. 10, 2015.
About the Bowling Green Falcons
The Falcons are now in the midst a five-game losing streak after a promising start to the season. BG hasn’t seen a streak this long since 2018, when they lost six-straight.
Coach Eddie George did not name a starting quarterback in his press conference. Does he go with Drew Pyne if healthy enough? Does he put Lucian Anderson III back in, who helped in the Battle of I-75 win? Or does he stick with Hunter Najm, who was essentially thrown into the pile over the past few weeks? Either way, whoever goes at quarterback will have to be on point this week.
No matter who’s under center, Austyn Dendy will be a reliable piece of the offense at the halfback spot, sitting at 378 yards over four games since being activated on Oct. 25. The Missouri transfer is a power back who averages 4.38 yards per rush, easily overtaking the previous leading rusher in half as many games. He rushed for 110 yards and had a reception for 27 yards against Akron last week.
Defensively, the Falcons have held opponents to under 30 points in eight games this season (including the last six). Gideon Lampron leads the team with 109 tackles and 2.5 sacks. MJ Cannon now leads the Falcons with two interceptions. The Falcons defense has some great players, and they’re praying the offense can play complementary football to end the season.
About the UMass Minutemen
UMass is on the verge of joining the winless club. Since 2009, four MAC teams have gone 0-12 (2009 Eastern Michigan, 2013 Miami, 2019 Akron, and 2024 Kent State), and UMass could be number five at the end of Tuesday’s matchup.
The Minutemen have played three quarterbacks this season, none of which have found a lot of success. AJ Hairston has 957 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions on a 49.5 percent completion percentage. Brandon Rose has 424 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions. Grant Jordan follows up with 372 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions- and also offers running upside. The leading receiver is Jacquon Gibson with 478 yards. Tight end Max Dowling has two receiving touchdowns, with four others having one.
UMass ranks last in rushing yards (920) and rushing yards per game (83.6). Brandon Hood leads with 359 yards and two touchdowns, while Rocko Griffin follows up with 220 yards and two touchdowns. This is the part of the offense that needs major help in this game, as the Falcons rank sixth in the MAC for rushing defense.
Linebacker Tyler Martin leads the team defensively with 94 tackles, emerging as one of the few bright spots on the team. He has a chance to be the first Minuteman to eclipse 100 since Brayton Barr in 2018. Marques White leads the team with five sacks, and four players each have one interception. UMass’ defense ranks in the bottom third of the conference in most categories. With Bowling Green’s offense still struggling, they’ll look to play aggressive.
What Each Team Needs
Bowling Green looks to avoid complete embarrassment to end the season. They risk a six-game losing streak, and need the offense to be more dynamic. The QB carousel has not helped matters, but the choice of who will play could be an indication of how they feel about the roster. With the post-season out of the question, Tuesday’s game will be about trying to finish on a strong note and finding contributors for the future.
UMass has struggled all year, as has been well-documented. They’ve had the nasty habit of keeping their most competitive games close before finding a way not to finish, which has really not helped the issue. Last week saw them take the fight to an Ohio team which won the MAC in 2024, so there’s potential on this team. With one last chance to prove their worth in front of the home fans, they’ll need to play their most inspired football of the year to get into the win column.
