BOWLING GREEN — Oddsmakers have assigned Bowling Green the biggest point spread in program history for this week’s game at No. 9 Notre Dame.
The Falcons are a whopping 45-point underdog for the game in South Bend, topping a 40 1/2-point spread during a 1997 visit to Ohio State, which also was ranked ninth at the time.
Bowling Green had a week off after a 62-20 loss on Sept. 21 to Kent State — which went 2-10 last season — and finds itself with its toughest game of the year in a road game against a top-10 opponent.
The Falcons (1-3) go into the game knowing full well that the Irish are heavy favorites.
“We’re the underdog, I feel, for most games, out-of-conference, at least, so we’re used to that,” BG middle linebacker Brandon Perce said. “We all have a chip on our shoulder, too. These guys, they’ve been recruited more than us throughout high school.
“Everybody here has a chip on our shoulder, and I feel like we have nothing to lose, either.”
Notre Dame (3-1) lost by six points at No. 3 Georgia and remains an outside hopeful to go back to the College Football Playoff for the second season in a row.
The Irish are not exactly the ideal opponent for a Bowling Green team that has been outscored 149-27 by its three Football Bowl Subdivision opponents so far this season, though the Falcons are mostly focused on themselves during a challenging week.
In the off time, BG coach Scot Loeffler said the Falcons pared back the playbook to focus on overall execution. And in practice, they are pitting their offensive first team against their defensive first team more often and adding more competitive scenarios that have winners and losers.
“It’s very different than what we typically do during the season, but it’s where we’re at right now,” Loeffler said.
“We’re going to limit what we do and try to get better at a few things, and chip away at this,” he added.
Make no mistake, Loeffler is acutely aware of the challenge facing his team in South Bend. As a player and coach at Michigan, Loeffler has seen plenty of the Irish — and he believes this team is different.
Loeffler complimented Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, whom Loeffler said has brought a new caliber of athlete to South Bend.
“Whenever you’re watching the University of Georgia struggle with them at times, you know you’ve done a really good job recruiting, and they have,” Loeffler said.
The Falcons’ biggest challenge will be matching the speed of Notre Dame’s defense. Last week against a ranked Virginia team, the Irish forced more turnovers (five) than they allowed rushing yards (four), and their pass rush harassed the Cavaliers for eight sacks in a 35-20 victory.
“The one thing where they’re different than they ever have been is their recovery speed right now is off the charts. It is a top-five recruited team, in my opinion,” Loeffler said. “When they make a mistake, they’re so fast that they can recover, and those plays that on a typical team would go for 20 yards go for six or seven.”
Bowling Green returns to the Mid-American Conference starting next week with its home game against Toledo.
First is a game in which very few people — a generous estimate — believe Bowling Green can hang with Notre Dame.
But as the Falcons see it, they have the chance to take a worry-free crack at one of the nation’s top teams this week.
“They have a lot to lose. We have nothing to lose and a lot to gain,” Perce said. “We’re just trying to prove that we are the team we expected to be this year.”
First Published September 30, 2019, 7:16 p.m.
