It was a strange start to the 2022 season for Bowling Green, which jumped out to a 17-7 lead against UCLA in the Rose Bowl on Saturday before allowing 38 consecutive points to seal a blowout defeat.
What figures to be the toughest test for Bowling Green this fall bears closer examination.
Here are five observations from an opener to forget for the Falcons.
1. An answer to the running back question is a necessity
Bowling Green was dealt a blow by running back Terion Stewart’s Aug. 28 announcement he wouldn’t play in 2022, but Saturday revealed just how much the Falcons would miss him. Seven different players carried the football for Bowling Green, and none were able to gain a foothold as the Falcons averaged 1.5 yards per carry. Sophomore Jamal Johnson led the team with 10 carries but was ineffective, and sophomore Nick Mosley outrushed him on a per-carry basis, but had just three attempts. A more consistent 1-2 dichotomy between some combination of Johnson and Mosley — or a more effective multi-back committee — must emerge for Bowling Green going forward.
2. The Falcons need more firepower in Year 3 with Matt McDonald
McDonald has been capable in his two-year Falcons tenure, but rarely a game-wrecker. His 125 yards on 34 attempts Saturday trailed each of his previous two outings against Power Five opponents, and he finished with one passing touchdown or fewer for the fourth consecutive game. His offensive line — missing senior center Jakari Robinson, a late scratch due to transfer-waiver issues — did him no favors, and he was missing favorite target Austin Osborne (out with injury), but a leap from McDonald is a must if Bowling Green harbors bowl aspirations.
3. Third down continues to be a problem
Here’s one that works on both sides of the ball. On offense, the Falcons were an unsightly 2-for-16 on third down. Their first four attempts set the tone, as one McDonald pass was short of the sticks, one was incomplete, one was complete for a loss, and senior wide receiver CJ Lewis missed McDonald on an ill-fated trick play. It was an inauspicious start for a team that finished 115th in the country on third down in 2021.
On defense, Bowling Green wasn’t much better, as UCLA converted on 10 of its 19 third-down attempts. The Bruins turned a third-and-3 situation on their initial drive into a 68-yard rushing touchdown for quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and kept a steady pace throughout the afternoon that tired the Falcons out in the scorching California heat.
4. Special teams make special teams
Searching for a bright spot in a game where Bowling Green was outgained a ghastly 626-162? Look no further than special teams. Senior place-kicker Mason Lawler was steady throughout, hitting both extra points and his first field goal attempt in three years, but the real fireworks came in the first quarter. The Falcons lit up UCLA punter Nicholas Barr-Mira on his first attempt, blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown for the first time since Sept. 6, 2014 against VMI. Later, they pounced on a muff by the Bruins’ Jake Bobo. It was a solid debut for special teams coach Alex Bayer, hired away from Valparaiso in the offseason.
5. Things were bleak, but it’s worth remembering UCLA is UCLA
A 45-17 loss in which Bowling Green was bullied for much of the afternoon is virtually impossible to dress up. UCLA, however, is much different from the Falcons’ usual MAC fare. On top of the obvious talent gap, searing game-time conditions — Los Angeles was placed under an excessive heat warning Saturday afternoon — led numerous Falcons to cramp up in the second half. For all intents and purposes, the real test for Bowling Green comes next Saturday against Eastern Kentucky. Can the Falcons find separation from a Colonels team coming off a narrow 42-34 loss to Eastern Michigan? A flop in their home opener against an FCS foe would say far more about the program than a blowout loss to a Chip Kelly team.
First Published September 4, 2022, 5:22 p.m.
