MAC FOOTBALL PREVIEW: - Saturday, 11-23-24
BOWLING GREEN at BALL STATE -- 2 p.m. ESPN+
Scheumann Stadium -- Muncie, IN
Scheumann Stadium -- Muncie, IN
With a regular season-ending showdown against Miami awaiting next week, Bowling Green will need to keep its focus on the present Saturday when it visits Ball State.
The Falcons are tied with Miami and Ohio with just one conference loss and control their own fate for earning a MAC title game berth if they defeat BSU this week. Ball State, meanwhile . . .
The Falcons are tied with Miami and Ohio with just one conference loss and control their own fate for earning a MAC title game berth if they defeat BSU this week. Ball State, meanwhile . . .
. . . already knows it will finish with a losing record. That means no bowl, so the present is everything for BSU.
Saturday marks the 32nd all-time meeting between Bowling Green and Ball State.Bowling Green has won eight of its last nine games against BSU dating back to 1999.
Due to the unbalanced MAC schedule, you have to go back to 2015 for the last time BGSU played Ball State in Muncie. BGSU wrapped up that regular season by defeating Ball State, 48-10, at Scheumann Stadium.
BALL STATE (3-7, 2-4 MAC)
The Cardinals entire MAC season to date has been a series of close calls. Unfortunately, BSU has been on the wrong end four times, while pulling out just two victories.
The four MAC losses were by 3,3, 6 and 3 points. The two wins were each by two points.
Not only do the Cardinals have just three wins overall, they finish against two of the top teams in the conference -- Bowling Green and Ohio. Both are contending for a spot in the MAC championship game.
>> The Cardinals are coming off a 51-48 loss at Buffalo. BSU lost despite out-gaining UB 520-470 and forcing three Bulls turnovers while committing one.
>> After finishing the first quarter tied at 7-7, both offenses caught fire. Ball State scored 21 points in the second period, while UB put 17 points on the board.
It was back to seven points apiece in the third stanza, but Ball State ran off 10 straight to grab a 45-31 edge with 7:08 remaining. That proved to be too much time as the Bulls scored two touchdowns. The first was followed by a failed two-point conversion, but the second two-point try was good. That evened the score at 45-all and send the game to overtime.
BSU was forced to settle for a field goal on its possession. Buffalo used just two plays to score a game-winning TD.
>> Cardinals QB Kadin Semonza completed 25-of-37 passes, good for four TDs with one interception.
>> Justin Bowick led BSU with seven catches for 148 yards with two scores. Tannier Koziol caught 11 balls totaling 95 yards with one TD.
>> Nine different Cardinals had at least one rush, collectively producing 193 yards on the ground. Kadin Semonza made four trips totaling 53 yards. Vaughn Pemberton logged 11 carries for 25 rushing yards.
>> DD Snyder recorded two interceptions, returning them a total of 61 yards. Thailand Baldwin recovered a Buffalo fumble.
>>The Cardinals rank sixth among MAC teams in scoring (27.0 ppg) and are 11th in scoring defense (44.2 ppg).
>> Although BSU is 10th in rushing (114.9 ypg), the Cardinals are third in passing offense (239.6 ypg). Unfortunately, they are 12th/last in pass defense (289.1 ypg).
BOWLING GREEN (6-4, 5-1 MAC)
The Falcons have been on a roll, winning four straight and five of the last six (all MAC games).
>> BGSU is coming off a 31-13 win over Western Michigan.
Zac Long's 50-yard field goal put the Falcons in front and was the only score of the first quarter.
Jalen Buckley gave WMU its only lead with a 6-yard run at 10:36 of the second quarter. However, Bowling Green scored two touchdowns before intermission and two more in the third quarter before Western Michigan added a final TD.
>> The Falcons out-gained WMU 402-292.
>> Connor Bazelak completed 15-of-22 passes, good for 176 yards with two touchdowns.
>> Tight end Harold Fanning Jr. led Falcon receivers with 10 catches totaling 137 yards with two TDs.
>> The Falcons ground game churned out 226 yards and two TDs while averaging 6.8 ypc. Terion Stewart led the effort with 15 carries for 150 yards and a score. Jaison Patterson recorded 10 carries for 51 yards.
>> Jacorey Benjamin and Todd Bumphis picked off passes.
>> Fannin Jr. leads all tight ends nationally in receptions (83), receiving yards (1,170), yards after catch (646), first downs (56), broken tackles (25), and receiving touchdowns (8). According to Pro Football Focus, Fannin has the nation’s highest overall grade (96.9) and ranks No. 1 in pass routes grade (96.9) among all receivers. He’s also ranked No. 3 in receptions, No. 2 in receiving yards, T-No. 1 in broken tackles, No. 2 in first downs, and No. 1 in yards after catch.
>> Fannin ranks No. 5 all-time in FBS history for single-season receiving yards recorded by a tight end. He needs 183 receiving yards to break the FBS record held by Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro.
>> During BGSU’s current four-game winning streak, RB Terion Stewart has rushed for 490 yards and two touchdowns. He is averaging 8.0 broken tackles a game, and 363 of his rushing yards have come after contact. On the season, his 7.5 broken tackles per game rank No. 2 in the nation behind only Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.
Saturday marks the 32nd all-time meeting between Bowling Green and Ball State.Bowling Green has won eight of its last nine games against BSU dating back to 1999.
Due to the unbalanced MAC schedule, you have to go back to 2015 for the last time BGSU played Ball State in Muncie. BGSU wrapped up that regular season by defeating Ball State, 48-10, at Scheumann Stadium.
BALL STATE (3-7, 2-4 MAC)
The Cardinals entire MAC season to date has been a series of close calls. Unfortunately, BSU has been on the wrong end four times, while pulling out just two victories.
The four MAC losses were by 3,3, 6 and 3 points. The two wins were each by two points.
Not only do the Cardinals have just three wins overall, they finish against two of the top teams in the conference -- Bowling Green and Ohio. Both are contending for a spot in the MAC championship game.
>> The Cardinals are coming off a 51-48 loss at Buffalo. BSU lost despite out-gaining UB 520-470 and forcing three Bulls turnovers while committing one.
>> After finishing the first quarter tied at 7-7, both offenses caught fire. Ball State scored 21 points in the second period, while UB put 17 points on the board.
It was back to seven points apiece in the third stanza, but Ball State ran off 10 straight to grab a 45-31 edge with 7:08 remaining. That proved to be too much time as the Bulls scored two touchdowns. The first was followed by a failed two-point conversion, but the second two-point try was good. That evened the score at 45-all and send the game to overtime.
BSU was forced to settle for a field goal on its possession. Buffalo used just two plays to score a game-winning TD.
>> Cardinals QB Kadin Semonza completed 25-of-37 passes, good for four TDs with one interception.
>> Justin Bowick led BSU with seven catches for 148 yards with two scores. Tannier Koziol caught 11 balls totaling 95 yards with one TD.
>> Nine different Cardinals had at least one rush, collectively producing 193 yards on the ground. Kadin Semonza made four trips totaling 53 yards. Vaughn Pemberton logged 11 carries for 25 rushing yards.
>> DD Snyder recorded two interceptions, returning them a total of 61 yards. Thailand Baldwin recovered a Buffalo fumble.
>>The Cardinals rank sixth among MAC teams in scoring (27.0 ppg) and are 11th in scoring defense (44.2 ppg).
>> Although BSU is 10th in rushing (114.9 ypg), the Cardinals are third in passing offense (239.6 ypg). Unfortunately, they are 12th/last in pass defense (289.1 ypg).
BOWLING GREEN (6-4, 5-1 MAC)
The Falcons have been on a roll, winning four straight and five of the last six (all MAC games).
>> BGSU is coming off a 31-13 win over Western Michigan.
Zac Long's 50-yard field goal put the Falcons in front and was the only score of the first quarter.
Jalen Buckley gave WMU its only lead with a 6-yard run at 10:36 of the second quarter. However, Bowling Green scored two touchdowns before intermission and two more in the third quarter before Western Michigan added a final TD.
>> The Falcons out-gained WMU 402-292.
>> Connor Bazelak completed 15-of-22 passes, good for 176 yards with two touchdowns.
>> Tight end Harold Fanning Jr. led Falcon receivers with 10 catches totaling 137 yards with two TDs.
>> The Falcons ground game churned out 226 yards and two TDs while averaging 6.8 ypc. Terion Stewart led the effort with 15 carries for 150 yards and a score. Jaison Patterson recorded 10 carries for 51 yards.
>> Jacorey Benjamin and Todd Bumphis picked off passes.
>> Fannin Jr. leads all tight ends nationally in receptions (83), receiving yards (1,170), yards after catch (646), first downs (56), broken tackles (25), and receiving touchdowns (8). According to Pro Football Focus, Fannin has the nation’s highest overall grade (96.9) and ranks No. 1 in pass routes grade (96.9) among all receivers. He’s also ranked No. 3 in receptions, No. 2 in receiving yards, T-No. 1 in broken tackles, No. 2 in first downs, and No. 1 in yards after catch.
>> Fannin ranks No. 5 all-time in FBS history for single-season receiving yards recorded by a tight end. He needs 183 receiving yards to break the FBS record held by Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro.
>> During BGSU’s current four-game winning streak, RB Terion Stewart has rushed for 490 yards and two touchdowns. He is averaging 8.0 broken tackles a game, and 363 of his rushing yards have come after contact. On the season, his 7.5 broken tackles per game rank No. 2 in the nation behind only Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.
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