2019 Bowling Green Falcons football team

The 2019 Bowling Green Falcons football team represented Bowling Green State University during the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Falcons were led by first-year head coach Scot Loeffler and played their home games at Doyt Perry Stadium in Bowling Green, Ohio. They competed as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

2019 Bowling Green Falcons football
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionEast Division
Record3–9 (2–6 MAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorTerry Malone (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorBrian VanGorder (1st season)
Home stadiumDoyt Perry Stadium
Seasons
← 2018
2020 →
2019 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Miami (OH) x$   6 2     8 6  
Ohio   5 3     7 6  
Buffalo   5 3     8 5  
Kent State   5 3     7 6  
Bowling Green   2 6     3 9  
Akron   0 8     0 12  
West Division
Central Michigan x   6 2     8 6  
Western Michigan   5 3     7 6  
Ball State   4 4     5 7  
Northern Illinois   4 4     5 7  
Toledo   3 5     6 6  
Eastern Michigan   3 5     6 7  
Championship: Miami 26, Central Michigan 21
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions

Preseason edit

Coaching changes edit

Seven games into the 2018 season, Bowling Green fired third-year head coach Mike Jinks; defensive coordinator Carl Pelini served as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. On November 28, 2018, the school announced that Scot Loeffler had been hired to become the new head coach.[1] Loeffler had spent the previous three seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Boston College. On December 4, Loeffler announced that he would retain Pelini as defensive coordinator and hired former Western Michigan tight ends coach Terry Malone to be the new offensive coordinator.[2] On December 10, former Louisville defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder was announced as the new linebackers coach. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in February 2019 after Carl Pelini left to pursue other opportunities.[3]

MAC media poll edit

The MAC released their preseason media poll on July 23, 2019, with the Falcons predicted to finish in sixth place in the East Division.[4]

East Division
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Ohio 144 (24)
2 Miami 107
3 Buffalo 100
4 Kent State 62
5 Akron 54
6 Bowling Green 37

Schedule edit

Bowling Green's non-conference schedule will consist of home games against Morgan State of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Louisiana Tech of Conference USA; and road games against Kansas State of the Big 12 Conference and Notre Dame, a football independent.

In Mid-American Conference play, the Falcons will play home games against Toledo, Central Michigan, Akron, and Ohio; and road games against Kent State, Western Michigan, Miami, and Buffalo. They will not play games against West Division members Ball State, Eastern Michigan, or Northern Illinois during the regular season.

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 297:00 p.m.Morgan State*ESPN3W 46–317,620
September 712:00 p.m.at Kansas State*FSNL 0–5246,075
September 145:00 p.m.Louisiana Tech* 
  • Doyt Perry Stadium
  • Bowling Green, OH
ESPN+L 7–3518,021
September 213:30 p.m.at Kent StateESPN3L 20–6219,700
October 53:30 p.m.at No. 9 Notre Dame*NBCL 0–5277,622
October 1212:00 p.m.Toledo
CBSSNW 20–719,199
October 192:00 p.m.Central Michigan
  • Doyt Perry Stadium
  • Bowling Green, OH
ESPN3L 20–3815,000
October 2612:00 p.m.at Western MichiganESPN3L 10–4916,778
November 22:00 p.m.Akron
  • Doyt Perry Stadium
  • Bowling Green, OH
ESPN+W 35–612,113
November 138:00 p.m.at Miami (OH)ESPNUL 3–4419,897
November 197:30 p.m.Ohio
  • Doyt Perry Stadium
  • Bowling Green, OH
ESPNUL 24–669,715
November 2912:00 p.m.at BuffaloESPN+L 7–4913,749

[5]

Game summaries edit

Morgan State edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Bears 0 3 0 0 3
Falcons 13 17 7 9 46

At Kansas State edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Falcons 0 0 0 0 0
Wildcats 17 21 7 7 52

Bowling Green managed 140 total yards (79 passing and 61 rushing) and completed just 8 of 19 passes.[6] Kansas State led 31-0 and put up over 300 yards of total offense before the game was halfway through the second quarter. Kansas State ended up with 521 total yards by the end of the game and the final score was Kansas State 52, Bowling Green 0. The shutout was Bowling Green’s first since losing 37-0 at Virginia Tech in 2012.[7]

Louisiana Tech edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Bulldogs 14 7 0 14 35
Falcons 7 0 0 0 7

At Kent State edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Falcons 7 0 0 13 20
Golden Flashes 21 3 17 21 62

At Notre Dame edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Falcons 0 0 0 0 0
No. 9 Fighting Irish 21 14 10 7 52

Toledo edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Rockets 0 7 0 0 7
Falcons 10 7 3 0 20

Bowling Green broke their 9-year drought with their first victory in the Battle of I-75 rivalry since 2009.

Central Michigan edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Chippewas 7 14 7 10 38
Falcons 7 0 7 6 20

At Western Michigan edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Falcons 3 0 7 0 10
Broncos 0 21 28 0 49

Akron edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Zips 6 0 0 0 6
Falcons 7 14 7 7 35

At Miami (OH) edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Falcons 3 0 0 0 3
RedHawks 10 27 7 0 44

Ohio edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Bobcats 24 14 28 0 66
Falcons 14 10 0 0 24

At Buffalo edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Falcons 0 7 0 0 7
Bulls 21 14 0 14 49

References edit

  1. ^ "Scot Loeffler named new Bowling Green coach". ESPN.com. November 28, 2018.
  2. ^ Piotrowicz, Nicholas (December 4, 2018). "Loeffler retains Pelini, revamps offensive staff at BGSU". Toledo Blade.
  3. ^ Taylor, John (February 19, 2019). "Brian VanGorder replaces Carl Pelini as Bowling Green DC". MSN.com. NBC Sports.
  4. ^ "MAC Announces 2019 Preseason Football Poll". getsomemaction.com. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  5. ^ "2019 Bowling Green Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  6. ^ Black, Ryan (September 7, 2019). "PERFECT GAME - Kansas State blanks Bowling Green 52-0, starts Chris Klieman era 2-0". Manhattan Mercury. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  7. ^ Piotrowicz, Nicholas (September 7, 2019). "Bowling Green routed in visit to Kansas State". Toledo Blade. Retrieved September 8, 2019.