Doyt Perry Field – Bowling Green,OH
ESPN+
By EVAN MEYER
THE SERIES: Saturday’s game marks the 28th lifetime meeting between the two schools, with the Falcons holding an 18-9 advantage,having won eight of the last 10 meetings.
UA won the last meeting on December 5, 2020 at InfoCision Stadium, 31-3. This will be the 14th meeting in Bowling Green, with the Falcons having a 9-4 edge. The Zips last win was on October 30, -- 2017 34-23.
BOWLING GREEN STATE FALCONS (2-3, 0-1 MAC):
>> Last Saturday, the Falcons saw their two-game winning streak come to an end, losing to the Kent State Golden Flashes 27-20 at Dix Stadium in Kent.
>> BGSU came back from a 13-6 halftime deficit with two touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 20-13 lead -- the latter being a 12-yard run by freshman RB Nick Mosley. Midway through the fourth quarter with the Falcons driving, senior QB Matt McDonald was intercepted at the KSU 26-yard line. The Flashes then converted the turnover into the winning touchdown.
>> Freshman RB Jaison Patterson led the ground game with 60 yards on 12 carries. McDonald was 29-of-45 through the air for 263 yards and a touchdown to WR Tyrone Bolden. Junior TE Christian Sims led the receivers with seven catches for 55 yards.
>>The defense was led by Junior LB Darren Anders (6 solo) and senior safety Sy Abney (four solo) with eight tackles each.
>>The Falcons split their four non-conference games, losing their first two to Tennessee and South Alabama, while defeating Murray State (FCS) and Minnesota.
>> In the 14-10 win over the Golden Gophers, Bowling Green had only 192 yards of total offense. It was just the third time in 2021 that an FBS school won a game with less than 200 total yards (Rutgers over Syracuse, and Iowa over Iowa State were the others).
>> Through the first five games of this season, BGSU has averaged only 17.2 points and 277 yards of total offense.
>> Patterson leads BGSU rushers with 120 yards on 39 carries.
>> McDonald (transfer from Boston College and the son of former USC and Cleveland Browns quarterback Paul) is completing 66.3 percent of his passes (118-of-178) for 1,149 yards (second best in conference) with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
>> Junior WR Austin Osborne leads the receivers with 31 receptions for 233 yards.
>> In five games, the Falcons defense has allowed 21.4 points (second in the MAC) and 336.0 total yards (third). In addition, BGSU leads in pass defense, allowing just 145.4 yards per game.
>> Anders leads the defense with 44 total tackles (19 solo), along with a forced fumble, and three interceptions (tied for fifth.
>> Junior P Matt Naranjo is fourth in punting averaging (43.5 yards per kick). He was the MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week against Minnesota.
>> PK Nate Needham was named MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts Saturday. He kicked two field goals at KSU -- one from 52-yards out. It was the longest made FG in the MAC so far this season. In addition, Needham is one of five FBS PK’s to have multiple 50-yard field in 2021.
>> The loss to the Golden Flashes was BGSU’s ninth straight in MAC play, dating back to 2019, and its fifth consecutive MAC opening setback.
UP NEXT: Next Saturday, the Falcons head to Northern Illinois to face the NIU Huskies who are 3-2 on the season going into their game this Saturday at Toledo.
AKRON ZIPS (1-4, 0-1 MAC):
>>The Zips last Saturday opened MAC play with a 34-17 loss to the Ohio University Bobcats at InfoCision Stadium.
>> It was a close game for three quarters -- tied at 10-10 at halftime and 17-17 after three periods. UA did have the lead in the second quarter when redshirt QB DJ Irons connected with freshman WR Konata Mumpfield for a 47-yard touchdown.
After Ohio regained the lead, UA responded tying the score on a nine-yard pass from Irons to freshman RB Tristan Brank. The fourth quarter however, belonged to the Bobcats as they rode their ground game. Ohio scored the last 17 points of the contest to register its first win of the season.
>> Irons was the main spark of the Zips offense as he led the team in both rushing (69 yards on 16 carries) and passing (9-of-10 for 119 yards and the two scores before leaving the game with a lower-body injury). WR Michael Mathison led the recievers with five catches for 53 yards.
>> The defense had a pair of sacks and an interception. S Jaylen Kelly-Powell, a transfer from Michigan, led with 11 total tackles (five solo), while LB Charles Amaukwaa collected the interception (his second in as many weeks).
>> Through the first five games, Akron is averaging 18.6 points and 324 yards. They registered 327 against Ohio.
>> Irons leads in both rushing (65 carries for 246 yards and two touchdows), and passing (completing 69.2 percent of his passes 72-of-104 for 824 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions). Six of his TD passes have come over the last three games. He also is sixth in total offense, averaging 202.8 yards per game.
>> Sophomore Michael Mathison leads the receivers with 26 catches for 306 yards and a touchdown. He had 108 yards on eight receptions against Temple.
>> The defense has allowed 42.4 points and 454.2 total yards in the five encounters.
>> Akron has allowed opponents to score on their opening drive only once (a touchdown in the season opener at Auburn).
>> Senior LB Bubba Arslanian leads the team and the MAC in tackles with 43 total (19 solo) despite missing the Ohio game with an injury.
>> Amaukwaa is tied for third with two interceptions.
>> Freshman P Ethan Slike is averaging 44.8 yards per punt, ranking him third in the MAC.
UP NEXT: The Zips complete their two-game road swing next Saturday when they travel to Southwest Ohio to battle Miami. The Redhawks are 2-3 on the season going into this week’s encounter with Eastern Michigan.