The Falcons and Broncos look for a win to stay on top of the MAC
Bowling Green and Western Michigan face off in another Midweek MACtion contest this week, representing two of the four teams tied for first in the MAC which look to separate themselves and get back to Detroit.
How do they match up against each other under the weeknight lights?
Game notes
- Time and Date: Tuesday, November 12th, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: Doyt Perry Stadium in Bowling Green, Ohio.
- Gambling considerations: Bowling Green (-7.5), over/under 56.5 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 Western Michigan, Robin Hook (play-by-play) and John Creek (color) will provide the call on the Bronco Radio 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 34-20-3, with BGSU defeating WMU 34-10 in their last meeting on Nov, 21, 2023.
What Happened Last Time?
The Falcons and Broncos faced off in the last regular season game of 2023. Connor Bazelak led the Falcons with two passing touchdowns. Adding a pick-six by Jordan Oladokun, Bowling Green led 31-3 at half, eventually winning 34-10. This win gave Bowling Green a winning season for the first time since 2015, while Western Michigan finished at 4-8.
Getting to know the Falcons
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The Falcons are coming off a gritty 23-13 win over Central Michigan. This is the third-straight year the Falcons have produced a winning streak of three games or more.
Connor Bazelak went 19-of-30 for 207 yards and one touchdown against the Chippewas. This brings him to 2,022 yards (3rd in the MAC) and 11 touchdowns (t-6th in the MAC).
Terion Stewart and Jaison Patterson have become a nice one-two punch for the Falcons. Stewart finished with 20 carries for 117 yards, bringing his total to 674 yards. Patterson finished with nine carries for 75 yards and one touchdown.
Harold Fannin, Jr. became the 16th tight end ever to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. With 1,033 yards and six touchdowns, it’s the best season anyone has seen from a Bowling Green player in a while.
Defensively, the Falcons added another gained turnover to bring their total to eight. While it’s definitely not like last year, it definitely feels like the defense is coming together at the right time. The Falcons give up 21 points per game, with 339.4 yards per game.
This is the last midweek MACtion game for the Falcons; it is the first season since 2021 that the Falcons only have two midweek MACtion games.
Getting to know the Broncos
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The Broncos have really turned around since last season. They are coming off of a 42-28 loss to Northern Illinois.
Hayden Wolff has made strides as a quarterback this year. However, the last game was ultimately not up to what he’s capable of. He finished 14-of-27 for 179 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. His totals are now at 1,765 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Jaden Nixon has been a force for the rushing attack. All eyes were on Jalen Buckley last year, they’re on Nixon now. He leads the MAC with 847 rushing yards. The next closest rusher is 153 yards away.
The Broncos have three receivers at 300+ yards. Anthony Sambucci (353 yards, two touchdowns), Kenneth Womack (347 yards, one touchdown), and Blake Bosma (335 yards, six touchdowns) are the biggest threats to look out for.
Defensively, the Broncos have recovered 10 fumbles. Tate Hallock leads the way with three interceptions. Western gives up 34.7 points per game, with 428.4 yards per game. They’re a boom-or-bust defense, looking to generate a turnover at all times. That could be difficult to do against the Falcons, who are all about ball control. If the Broncos want to win, the defense has to step up and limit the yards.
What Each Team Needs
Going off of last game, the Falcons need to limit the penalties. 12 penalties for 88 yards won’t help going forward.
Western Michigan’s offense will need to break down the Falcon defense. The Falcons have been known to struggle against the run, and that’s where it has to start.