BOWLING GREEN — There is only one official Battle of I-75 for Bowling Green State University’s football team, but the Falcons will have a second battle along the highway in 2025.
A trip to the University of Cincinnati highlights what will likely be another challenging but opportunistic portion of BGSU’s nonconference schedule. Along with facing the Big 12 Conference foe, the Falcons will also head to Atlantic Coast Conference opponent Louisville and host Liberty.
Two of BGSU’s four nonleague opponents have competed in significant postseason games within the past four years. Cincinnati lost to Alabama 27-6 in a 2021 College Football Playoff semifinal after going 13-0 with an American Athletic Conference championship, while Liberty fell to Oregon 45-6 in the Fiesta Bowl after going 13-0 with a Conference USA title in 2023.
Here is an early look at BGSU’s 2025 nonconference schedule.
Aug. 30: Lafayette
For the second straight season, BGSU will begin with a home contest against an FCS opponent as the Falcons host Lafayette at Doyt Perry Stadium. It will be the first meeting between the two schools.
Lafayette, which just completed its 143rd season of college football, has had some success under fourth-year coach and former player John Troxell. After going 4-7 in his first season in 2022, Troxell guided the Leopards to a 9-3 mark and a Patriot League title in 2023.
Lafayette made its fifth FCS playoff appearance in 2023, as well, but fell to Delaware 36-34. The Leopards went 6-6 last season, which included a 30-13 loss to MAC opponent Buffalo in the season opener.
Sept. 6: at Cincinnati
BGSU and Cincinnati will be renewing their matchup for the first time in more than 30 years, and if it’s anything like the first meetings, the Falcons could be in a position to get a big win.
BGSU is 4-0 all-time against Cincinnati. The Falcons won by an average of 17.5 points per game in squaring off four times from 1990 to 1994.
In the last matchup, BGSU dominated for a 38-0 victory en route to finishing 9-2 during the 1994 season. In 1991, the Falcons won 20-16 en route to going 11-1 overall, winning the Mid-American Conference title with an 8-0 mark, and claiming their first bowl victory with a 28-21 win over Fresno State in the California Bowl.
Cincinnati, which went 53-11 with two AAC titles from 2018 to 2022, has struggled in its first two seasons in the Big 12. In 2023, Cincinnati went 3-9 (1-8 Big 12) under first-year coach Scott Satterfield, and the Bearcats followed that with a 5-7 mark (3-6) in 2024.
Satterfield, a former quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at Toledo, had success in previous head coaching stints at Appalachian State (51-24 from 2013 to 2018) and Louisville (25-24 from 2019 to 2022). His teams have regularly been among the best in the country when it comes to rushing, and in 2024, the Bearcats ranked 36th in total offense at 420.6 yards per game.
Sept. 13: Liberty
A familiar foe awaits BGSU for its second home game of the season.
The Falcons and Flames squared off in Virginia to start the 2023 campaign. Five interceptions thrown by BGSU proved costly in a 34-24 loss.
The matchup in 2025 will be just the third meeting between the two schools. BGSU rolled to a 62-3 win in 2003.
Liberty has thrived early in Jamey Chadwell’s coaching tenure. After winning against BGSU in his first game as the Flames’ mentor, Chadwell led Liberty to 12 more wins in 2023.
The Flames finished 8-4 overall last year, including 5-3 in the Conference USA, while ranking 38th in total offense (418.5 yards per game). Their three regular season losses came by 15 combined points.
Liberty followed that with a 26-7 loss to Buffalo in the Bahamas Bowl.
Sept. 20: at Louisville
Perhaps the biggest challenge in BGSU’s nonconference slate will be in its finale against a Louisville team that, similar to Cincinnati and Liberty, boasted one of the best offenses in the country.
The Cardinals finished 10th in the FBS in scoring offense (36.5 points per game) and 13th in total offense (449.2 yards per game). Louisville scored at least 24 points in every game and surpassed 40 points four times.
The matchup at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium will be the first between BGSU and Louisville. The Falcons’ last game against an ACC opponent was a convincing 38-27 victory at Georgia Tech on Sept. 30, 2023.
Louisville went 9-4 (5-3 ACC) in 2024 and finished the season with three straight wins, including a 35-34 victory over Washington in the Sun Bowl. That came after a 10-4 campaign in 2023 when the Cardinals went 7-1 in the ACC and lost to Florida State 16-6 in the league title game under first-year Louisville coach Jeff Brohm, a former standout at the school and NFL quarterback.
First Published January 30, 2025, 11:56 p.m.
