STARKVILLE, Miss. — Bowling Green, playing without coach Scot Loeffler as he deals with a personal health issue, bids farewell to the non-conference portion of its schedule with a road trip to Mississippi State.
Here’s everything you need to know about this matchup.
BASICS
■ Who: Bowling Green (1-2) at Mississippi State (2-1, 0-1 SEC)
■ When: Saturday, noon
■ Where: Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Miss.
■ Spread: Mississippi State by 30
■ TV: SEC Network
■ Radio: 100.7, Sirius XM 192
■ Follow: Patrick Andres
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bowling Green: He wasn’t the defensive player that got all the accolades last week — that would be senior defensive lineman and MAC East Defensive Player of the Week Karl Brooks — but junior inside linebacker JB Brown was crucial to Bowling Green’s upset win over Marshall. He forced both the game’s fumbles, including a critical Thundering Herd turnover that resulted in a touchback. His emergence could add a weapon to an already deep Falcons front seven.
Mississippi State: On any Mike Leach-coached team, the quarterback is the focal point, and Will Rogers answered the bell in the first two weeks of the season. He burned Memphis for 450 yards and five touchdowns against one interception, and Arizona for 313 yards and four touchdowns against one pick. Rogers struggled against LSU, however, and Bowling Green will provide an opportunity for him to get back on track ahead of a brutal conference schedule.
STATS TO KNOW
1: Bowling Green is the only team in the history of major college football to play another overtime game immediately after playing a game of seven overtimes or more.
78.6: Mississippi State kickers have made 78.6 percent (11 of 14) of their extra points so far this season, the fifth-worst percentage in the FBS. Only Akron, Colorado State, New Mexico State, and South Carolina rank below the Bulldogs at 75 percent.
14: Sophomore Falcons running back Ta’Ron Keith has 14 receptions, a figure that ranks third in the nation among running backs. (Mississippi State’s Dillon Johnson leads the nation with 17.)
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Mississippi State defensive line vs. Bowling Green offensive line: Bowling Green’s offensive line has been an unknown quantity all season as it’s dealt with injuries and senior center Jakari Robinson’s transfer-waiver nightmare. It’ll deal with a middle-of-the-road unit in terms of putting pressure on the quarterback — Mississippi State ranks seventh in the SEC with six sacks. Can the Falcons keep a clean pocket for senior quarterback Matt McDonald, or will he be forced to run? McDonald is fast, but “SEC speed” isn’t called that for nothing.
PREDICTION
In a sense, Bowling Green has been here before. The Falcons played UCLA in the first week of the season in blistering heat and led 17-7 before wilting. This, however, is a much different challenge. Mississippi State is battle-tested from a tough early stretch, while a Loeffler-less Bowling Green team would be forgiven for tiring after playing eight overtimes in two weeks. The Falcons have shown pluck, and McDonald will test the Bulldogs early, but Mississippi State should find a way to score a convincing victory. Mississippi State 42, Bowling Green 20.
WARMUP READING
Scouting report: Bowling Green football at Mississippi State
McDonald rebounds from difficult start to power Bowling Green to upset win
Bowling Green PFF grades: Ta'Ron Keith and Karl Brooks star in upset win
Bowling Green football celebrates resiliency after back-to-back overtime thrillers
Bowling Green football's northwest Ohio natives leave fingerprints on Marshall upset
First Published September 24, 2022, 12:00 p.m.
