BOWLING GREEN — No matter what happens the rest of the season, Bowling Green knows it won’t be playing in a bowl game, it’s out of Mid-American Conference contention, and a winning record is out of the question.
Instead, the Falcons are playing with next season in mind.
BG (1-8, 0-5 MAC) has suffered one difficult loss after another in the past month, but interim coach Carl Pelini said the Falcons can use their final three games to build a foundation for years to come.
Although this is far from where BG hoped to be at the start of the season, the Falcons think there is something to salvage from the end of the schedule.
“Obviously, it’s kind of disappointing that we’re not going to a bowl game or [winning] the East Division championship,” Falcons tight end Dorian Hendrix said, “but there’s still a lot to look forward to, and that’s something coach Pelini’s talked about often is setting the standard for the upcoming years, going out with some wins.”
Seniors like Hendrix will play their final games at Bowling Green with nothing on the line in terms of the standings, but they still see an important role to play for their younger teammates.
Bowling Green's 2018 football schedule
“Although it might not translate to a bowl game or championship, it’s important for our young guys to understand how to win and just to show them this is what it takes to get to that next level and carry on to next season,” Hendrix said.
The Falcons will head to Central Michigan (1-9, 0-6) on Saturday in the face of more bad injury news at a position where they can ill-afford another lost player.
Defensive end Roland Walder was playing his best game of the season last week against Kent State — he accumulated 2½ tackles for loss in just more than two quarters — but suffered a broken ankle in the third quarter and will miss the rest of the season, Pelini said.
The Falcons lost their best defensive lineman, David Konowalski, in training camp, and also lost linebacker Hassan Belton for the season.
“We have been decimated up front, but that just happens at this level sometimes,” Pelini said. “You’ve just got to deal with it and move on, and you can’t sing the blues. You’ve got to get the guys who are healthy enough ready to play.”
During a season in which little has gone Bowling Green’s way, Pelini said he is encouraged by the leadership on the part of the Falcons’ elder players.
Pelini said the lesson of persistence matters for any team regardless of record, and BG has stayed focused despite a coaching change and a lopsided record.
“I think that’s a good lesson for our guys, and I’m really proud of the way that they’ve stayed engaged,” Pelini said. “They do come out and work hard every day. We’re beat up and there [are] a lot of guys out and we’re playing a lot of young guys, but still, the seniors have been great leaders. I’m indebted to them completely.”
In the face of an adverse season, BG thinks it still has something important for which to play the rest of the way.
“Knowing the season’s been a disappointment and we’ve only got a few games left, not one of them has checked out,” Pelini said. “I think that’s a great lesson for these younger guys. I told our seniors, ‘You can be really proud of that.’”
First Published November 5, 2018, 11:34 p.m.
