ATHENS, Ohio — A spot in the Mid-American Conference championship game could be up for grabs.
A win for Bowling Green State University football on Tuesday and a University at Buffalo loss to Kent State on Saturday would send the Falcons to the title game.
For now, Bowling Green (6-5, 5-2 MAC) is focused on its Tuesday matchup at Peden Stadium against Ohio University.
Ohio has won six consecutive games. The Bobcats (8-3, 6-1) last suffered a loss to Kent State, their first MAC game of the season. Kurtis Rourke, Ohio’s quarterback, sustained a knee injury in the Bobcats win over Ball State, and his status for Tuesday is in question.
Here’s what to know about Bowling Green’s matchup against Ohio.
BASICS
■ When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
■ Where: Peden Stadium
■ Spread: Ohio by 5
■ TV: ESPNU
■ Radio: 100.7 FM
■ Follow: Amanda Levine
PLAYERS TO WATCH
■ Bowling Green: Odieu Hiliare. The transfer wide receiver from Alabama A&M broke out for 246 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions in Bowling Green’s win over Toledo. In 11 games, Hiliare has 696 yards and six touchdowns on 51 receptions.
■ Ohio: Sam Wiglusz. The graduate student transfer from Ohio State leads the Bobcats and is tied for second in the conference with 65 receptions. Wiglusz also leads Ohio in receiving yards (794), touchdowns (10), and average yards per game (72.2).
STATS TO KNOW
■ 37: Bowling Green leads the conference with 37 sacks. The Falcons had four sacks that combined for a loss of 20 yards in their win over the Rockets.
■ 312.3: The Bobcats allow an average of 312.3 passing yards per game, which is last in the MAC. Opponents have passed for 26 touchdowns against Ohio’s defense.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
■ Sieh Bangura vs. Bowling Green’s front seven: Bangura, a redshirt freshman running back, has 788 rushing yards on 150 carries in nine games this season. He averages 5.3 yards per carry and 87.6 yards per game, which is fourth in the MAC. If Rourke doesn’t start or isn’t fully healthy, the Bobcats could lean heavily on Bangura. He rushed for 148 yards and two scores on 23 carries last week against Ball State.
PREDICTION
Bowling Green will get it done — and then become big Kent State fans on Saturday. Bowling Green 28, Ohio 24.
WARMUP READING
■ Bowling Green swipes Battle of I-75 in classic, reaches bowl eligibility for first time since 2015
■ Bowling Green’s Hiliare has monster game at the right time
■ Tracking win probability in Bowling Green football's dramatic win over Toledo
First Published November 22, 2022, 2:00 p.m.
