The Falcons and Chippewas have the honor of opening this year’s midweek #MACtion.
Our beloved Midweek MACtion has returned! Bowling Green travels to Central Michigan for their first matchup since 2022.
Game Notes
- Time and Date: Tuesday, November 5th at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant, MI
- Gambling considerations: Bowling Green (-14), over/under 48 per DraftKings.
- Viewing options: The game will be available on ESPN2. A valid cable subscription is required for viewing. Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and Steve Addazio (color) will provide commentary.
- Radio options: For Central Michigan, Adam Jaksa (play-by-play) and Brock Gutierrez (color) will provide the call on the Chippewa Sports Network. For BGSU, Todd Walker (play-by-play) and John Gibson (color) will provide the call on Eagle FM 99.
- All-time series: Bowling Green leads 24-19, with BG taking home the last contest in 2023.
What Happened Last Time?
The Falcons and Chippewas faced off at Kelly/Shorts Stadium on a crisp October afternoon. Bowling Green jumped out to a 17-3 halftime lead. The Central defense would hold BGSU to a shutout in the third quarter, allowing the offense to make it a one-possession game going into the fourth quarter. But in the last 15 minutes, the Falcons reclaimed control of the game to take home a 34-18 victory— the second leg of a three-game winning streak to turn their season around.
Getting to know the Falcons
Scott W. Grau/BGSU Athletics
The Falcons are coming off of nine days between games. They knocked off Toledo 41-26 in the Battle of I-75. That game was one where no one really stood out on offense, but the offense was still great.
Connor Bazelak went 17/27 for 171 yards and two touchdowns. He is now second in the MAC with 1,815 passing yards, and sixth in the MAC with 10 passing touchdowns. Bazelak averages 226.9 passing yards/game, while the Chippewas allow an average of 209.5 passing yards/game.
Terion Stewart had 21 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown against Toledo. This performance moved him up to third in the MAC with 557 rushing yards. He was part of a Falcon offense that rushed for 215 yards. The Chippewas give up an average of 185.5 rushing yards/game. If there was another time to get the ground game going, it would be this week.
Harold Fannin, Jr. is still top five in FBS for receiving yards. He is 53 receiving yards away from 1,000 on the season.
Defensively, the Falcons are starting to hit their stride. With five interceptions in two games, they brought their turnover total to seven. The Falcons give up an average of 22 points per game. Central only scores an average of 27 points per game. Jordan Oladokun leads the team with two interceptions. The Falcons also have 20 sacks, and Charles Rosser leads with 4.5 sacks.
Getting to know the Chippewas
Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images
The Chippewas also had nine days off between games. They were dominated by Miami 46-7. Central Michigan was outgained in yards by a total of 518-188, and they held the lead after the first quarter.
Tyler Jefferson went 7-of-17 with 62 yards and one interception in last week’s contest, his first start of the season. He’s likely the starter for the rest of the season, as Bert Emanuel, Jr. is doubtful to return this season and first-stringer Joe Labas is already out for the season with an arm injury.
Marion Lukes leads the rushing attack with 465 yards and four touchdowns. He averages 4.9 yards per rush. The Falcons give up an average of 169.1 rush yards/game, improving from early in the season. Lukes is a crucial to the offense, if the Chippewas are going to find a way to win.
Evan Boyd leads the receivers with 302 yards and two touchdowns, but unfortunately for the Chippewas, he picked up an injury which will take him out for the rest of the season. The injuries are starting to take their toll, as the Chippewas have failed to throw over 100 yards the last two games. To this point in the season, CMU is down five passcatchers— none of whom will return in 2024.
Defensively, the Chippewas allow 32.5 points per game and 395 yards per game. They’ve had to contend with a lot of extremely short fields this season, but still have great individual talents, especially in cornerback Donte Kent— one of the league’s best coverage corners— and linebacker Jordan Kwiatakowski. The Falcons score 27.1 points per game and average 376.1 yards per game. Jason Williams and Dakota Cochran lead the team with 3.5 sacks each for a team which has one of the highest havoc play rates in the country.
What Each Team Needs
The Falcons need the defense to stay hot. Five interceptions in two games may have provided the jolt that they needed.
Central Michigan will have to find a way to put a complete game together. They are in the midst of a losing streak, with a gauntlet of a schedule coming up. It all starts with the offense this week. Points have to go on the board.