UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Bowling Green State University’s first road game of the 2024 campaign will be in one of the toughest venues in college football as the Falcons will face No. 8 Penn State.

BASICS

■ Who: BGSU (1-0) at Penn State (1-0)

■ When: Saturday, noon

■ Where: Beaver Stadium

■ Spread: Penn State by 34½

■ TV: Big Ten Network

■ Radio: 100.7

■ Follow: Michael Burwell

PLAYERS TO WATCH

■ BGSU: Wide receiver Malcolm Johnson, Jr., who had three catches on three targets for 33 yards in his BGSU debut against Fordham, has experience playing against Penn State. The transfer from Auburn had two catches for 28 yards in the Tigers’ 41-12 loss to the Nittany Lions early in the 2022 season, as well as one catch for 14 yards in a 28-20 Auburn setback in 2021. With fellow transfer wide receiver R.J. Garcia II (Kansas State) having missed the season opener due to a leg injury, Johnson could take on a bigger role in trying to help the Falcons’ passing game.

■ Penn State: BGSU struggled to contain Fordham’s running game, specifically Julius Loughridge, who had 112 of the Rams’ 182 yards on the ground in the Falcons’ 41-17 win. Penn State, meanwhile, has a pair of junior backs in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen who could certainly cause problems for BGSU. Singleton has 1,927 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in his career, including 114 yards and a score in the Nittany Lions’ win at West Virginia last week, and Allen isn’t far behind with 1,789 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.

STATS TO KNOW

9: BGSU has nine wins in 35 total games against current members of the Big Ten. The Falcons have beaten Purdue three times, Northwestern and Minnesota twice, and Indiana and Maryland once. BGSU’s last win over a Big Ten team came in 2021 when the Falcons stunned Minnesota 14-10 as 31-point underdogs.

30: In 33 games against current Mid-American Conference opponents, Penn State owns a 30-3 record. The Nittany Lions have played a MAC team in 21 of the past 23 seasons, with last year and the 2020 campaign in which they only played a Big Ten schedule being the lone exceptions.

11: BGSU running back Terion Stewart was up to his tackle-breaking ways again in his return from a leg injury that cost him the final four games of the 2023 campaign. According to Pro Football Focus, the 5-foot-9, 220-pound standout broke 11 tackles — tied for seventh in the FBS — while tallying 161 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries against Fordham. Stewart’s 139 yards after contact ranked second in the country, according to PFF.

MATCHUP TO WATCH

BGSU’s offensive line vs. Penn State’s defense: If the Falcons want to have any success offensively, the line has to play perfect football. BGSU’s big and experienced unit, which averages 6-6 and 314 pounds per projected starter, performed well against Fordham in preventing the Rams from getting a sack and helping the Falcons rush for 305 yards. Penn State, however, is a different animal.

PREDICTION

BGSU should be able to provide some highlights with the talent and experience it has throughout most of its depth chart. But Penn State is a top-10 ranked team for a reason. Considering how many injuries BGSU had at No. 2 Michigan a year ago, coming out of the Penn State game healthy might end up being the Falcons’ top priority, especially if the Nittany Lions are well ahead at halftime. Penn State 38-7.

First Published September 7, 2024, 11:00 a.m.