The Bowling Green Falcons (3-6, 1-4 MAC) and Eastern Michigan Eagles (2-7, 1-4 MAC) get set to take each other on this Saturday, hoping to put an end to odious losing streaks.
The Falcons, who have suffered
from a rash of injuries and an ineffective offense, have lost three straight games, and find themselves in a must-win situation to even keep the embers of a postseason bowl alive. This is their last Saturday game of the season.
Eastern Michigan’s fate, meanwhile, is already written on the wall. They lost last week to put them at seven losses overall. 2025 will be the second-consecutive season Eastern will miss out on the postseason; at this point, they’re playing for pride.
Last time out back in 2021, the Falcons hosted Eastern Michigan. After taking a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter, the Falcons would be outscored 48-17 as the Eagles took home the 55-24 win. Ben Bryant finished with 283 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Eagles to their fifth win. This was Bowling Green’s fourth straight loss, on their way to lose six of their final eight.
Game Notes
- Time and Date: Saturday, November 8th, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: Maxx Crosby Field at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, MI
- Gambling considerations: Eastern Michigan (-2.5), over/under 50.5 per FanDuel.
- Viewing options: ESPN+. A valid subscription is required for viewing. Michael Reghi (play-by-play) and Ryan Cavanaugh (color) will provide commentary.
- Radio options: For Bowling Green, Eagle FM 99 will broadcast with Todd Walker (play-by-play) and John Gibson (color) providing commentary. For Eastern Michigan, Tom Helmer (play-by-play) and Rob Rubick (color analyst) will provide the Eastern Michigan call for WEMU 89.1.
- All-time series: Bowling Green leads 25-14-1 all-time. EMU won the last contest between the two sides by a margin of 55-24 on Oct. 23, 2021.
About the Bowling Green Falcons
Whatever good vibes there may have been at the start of the 2025 season— highlighted by the emergence of Pudge the Cat and some unexpected victories— are essentially gone, with the reality of a potential lost season starting to set in.
The Falcons already made headlines earlier this week by releasing offensive coordinator Travis Partridge, who head coach Eddie George brought with him from Tennessee State in the offseason. In nine games, the Falcons ranked tenth in the MAC for points scored (18.2; 126th in NCAA), ninth for total yards (304.9), and tenth in passing offense (157.8 yards per game) despite pulling in a former Notre Dame starter from the transfer portal. To make matters worse, three players were arrested after an altercation after an altercation at a local bar. Not a lot to feel good about if you are a fan of this team.
Drew Pyne returned against Buffalo, and it was about what one would expect considering his body of work in 2025, finishing 7-of-16 passing for 52 yards after returning from injury. Fourth-stringer Hunter Najm also saw time and went 4-of-12 passing for 48 yards and one interception. Both quarterbacks found Jyrin Johnson most often, as he finished with 69 yards on five catches. The passing game has continued to be a weak point in this offense, and it doesn’t necessarily look like it’s going to get better overnight.
Austyn Dendy has been brilliant these past two weeks. He’s compiled 155 yards and one touchdown. Chris McMillian still leads with 340 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, the Falcons have been doing rather well despite it all. In the recent losing streak, the Falcons have not allowed more that 300 yards per game. It’s hard to rely on your defense to play perfectly when the offense cannot play complementary football. Gideon Lampron leads the team in total tackles with 88, Myles Bradley leads the team with four sacks, and five Falcons lead the team with one interception. If the defense can get any sort of rest during the game, the Falcons may have a chance against one of the most explosive offenses in the MAC.
About the Eastern Michigan Eagles
Head coach Chris Creighton is in his 12th year at the helm, compiling a record of 59-82 with a bowl record of 1-5. His consistency has been a major reason EMU has dug out of the basement and into relative competitiveness in the MAC table over the last decade.
However, outside of 2022, the Eagles have never had more than seven wins in a season under Creighton. Now, they sit at two wins with three games remaining, already out of the postseason running. It’s an unfamiliar position for a team which has largely stood up to such pressure in his tenure.
Quarterback Noah Kim leads the MAC in passing yards with 2,051. Adding on 14 passing touchdowns, five rushing touchdowns and six interceptions, he’s shaping up to have a fine season. You wouldn’t think having your quarterback put up these numbers would equate to your team going 2-7, but that’s where they sit through nine games.
His leading receiver is Nick Devereaux, catching 27 passes for 409 yards and five touchdowns. Joshua Long is a good tight end, catching 28 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns. The passing game is a strong point for Eastern Michigan. The Falcons defense has allowed an average of 122.7 passing yards/game over the last three games, and Kim is going to have to find a way to throw efficiently.
Even with how explosive the pass offense is, don’t sleep on EMU’s run game. Their leading back Dontae McMillan is having a great year with 723 yards on 126 carries and is also one of the team’s best receivers (24 receptions, 206 yards), scoring four total touchdowns. The Falcons defense has seen the field a lot the past three weeks, and the Eagles can take advantage of their fatigue.
Defensively, the Eagles rank last in the MAC for yards allowed (459.2 yards/game) and rushing yards allowed (246 yards/game). They rank eighth for passing yards allowed at 213.2 yards/game. Defensive back Bryce Llewellyn leads the team with 80 total tackles and two interceptions. Quincy Byas leads with two sacks. Going against a flat Falcon offense could be the spark for the Eagles to have a big day.
What Each Team Needs
Bowling Green’s offense has been abysmal in this recent stretch. They need to score to keep themselves in it, not just bowl game hopes but in the game itself.
Eastern Michigan has nothing to lose. They’ll look to take advantage of a disheartened Falcon team searching for any good result.
