The first game of the Eddie George era could not have gone much better for Bowling Green fans, as the homestanding Falcons rode the wave of momentum to a 1-0 start in front of a packed Doyt Perry Stadium by dispatching FCS foe Lafayette in a pole-to-pole victory.
The Bearcats, on the other hand, suffered a humiliating loss in front of a sold-out crowd at Arrowhead Stadium, as the Kelce-Swift whirlwind
added an unexpected electricity to Cincinnati’s game against Nebraska. Cincy looked off-kilter all game, but had a shot at a win at game’s end before tossing a brutal interception to seal defeat.
There’s a lot riding on this game for both sides. A second win for the Falcons would be a statement for a BGSU program which has invested a lot of resources in the offseason to be a MAC title competitor. A loss for Cincy would mean a look at the state of the program, which has reeled since the departure of Luke Fickell; a win would mean fighting for another day on the march to a bowl bid in a ferocious Big XII.
What should we expect to see?
Game Notes
- Time and Date: Saturday, September 6th at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Gambling considerations: Cincinnati (-21.5), over/under 46.5 points, per FanDuel.
- Viewing options: The game will be available only on ESPN+; a valid subscription is required for viewing
- Radio options: Todd Walker (play-by-play) and John Gibson (color) will provide the BGSU call for Eagle FM 99.
- All-time series: Bowling Green leads 4-0, with the Falcons winning 38-0 back on Oct. 1, 1994 the last time the two teams met.
About the Falcons
The Falcons look to remain undefeated in their matchup with Cincinnati, winning all four meetings on the gridiron from 1990-94. Coming off a good showing against the Lafayette Leopards, the Falcons will face their first FBS opponent under Eddie George.
Drew Pyne didn’t show much in the last game, finishing with 109 passing yards, but considering the success they had in other areas and the opponent in front of them, there wasn’t a lot of need for Pyne, the former Notre Dame starter, to carry the load. There were some good passes thrown in the last game, but not enough to say the Falcons are where they want to be passing the ball.
Five different running backs touched the ball for the Falcons last week. The majority of snaps were played by Kaderris Roberts and Chris McMillian, who both combined for 111 yards on 26 carries. We might be witnessing a two-back system for the Falcons this year with both of them, unless one outperforms the other.
Bowling Green’s linebackers are the group to watch this year on defense. Gideon Lampron and Dorian Pringle each ended with nine total tackles and half-sacks against the Leopards, bringing a certain aggressiveness that the Falcons needed.
The special teams unit looked very good last week, with Cameron Pettaway taking the opening kick to the house. MAC Special Teams Player of the Week Jackson Kleather went 4-for-4 on field goals, including a career long of 56 yards. John Henderson averaged 46.3 yards/punt, with two punts landing inside the 20-yard line.
About the Bearcats
The Bearcats are fresh off their loss against Nebraska at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The Bearcats got to the Nebraska 33-yard line on their final drive, but a costly interception with 34 seconds left ultimately sealed their 0-1 start.
Quarterback Brendan Sorsby was quiet passing the ball last week, going 13-of-25 for 69 yards. He did excel running the ball with 96 yards, accounting for both of Cincinnati’s touchdowns and half of their rushing yards. Sorsby will definitely be on the radar for the Falcons as the main guy to watch.
When Sorsby isn’t running the ball, Tawee Walker and Evan Pryor are the names sharing the running duties. Walker transferred in from Wisconsin, where he had 864 yards and ten touchdowns on 190 carries. Pryor has been at Cincinnati for two seasons and had 418 yards and six touchdowns on 56 carries last year.
Cyrus Allen is definitely a receiver to watch, although he was kept quiet against Nebraska. Allen was at Texas A&M, and played in only eight games. His best season was in 2023 at Louisiana Tech, catching 46 passes for 778 yards, and he has an explosiveness that shouldn’t go unnoticed. Another name to watch out for is Joe Royer. At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Royer can catch and block at a very high level.
Defensively, the Falcons need to watch lineman Dontay Corleone, and linebacker Jake Golday. Corleone is on the shorter side for a defensive lineman, but when he’s healthy, he can use that to his advantage. He’s averaged a little over three sacks per season, and he may have a good chance to do that today. Golday, with 12 tackles so far, leads a linebacker corps that needs to find their identity for the season ahead.
What Each Team Needs
Bowling Green needs to get their passing game working. They relied on the run to the point where they stalled on some drives last week. The Falcons will need to stop the run as well, as the Bearcats racked up over 200 rushing yards against Nebraska.
Cincinnati has to win this game to get any momentum. They need to gain more confidence after playing for the win last week. If the Bearcats lose, the already hot seat for Scott Satterfield (for most fans) may be turned on to high.
