BOWLING GREEN — Who has the edge in certain matchups going into this year’s Bowling Green-Toledo football game?
Let’s find out.
Toledo pass offense vs. Bowling Green pass defense
Toledo junior quarterback Dequan Finn leads the Mid-American Conference in passing yards (2,008) and touchdowns (18) while completing 65.8 percent (154 of 234) of his passes. Four players have recorded at least 240 receiving yards and two touchdowns, led by junior wide receiver Jerjuan Newton, who has 502 yards and nine touchdowns (tied for 13th in FBS) on 36 catches. The Rockets’ 225.6 passing yards per game, 22 touchdowns, and 65.8 completion percentage each lead the MAC. Meanwhile, the BGSU defense leads the MAC and is tied seventh in the FBS with 13 interceptions. The Falcons’ 24 turnovers forced tops the FBS. Sophomore cornerback Jalen Huskey, whose four interceptions are tied for ninth in the country, is one of five BGSU players with multiple interceptions.
■ Edge: Even
Bowling Green rush offense vs. Toledo rush defense
The advantage between BGSU’s ground game and Toledo’s rushing defense will depend on the availability of BGSU running backs Terion Stewart and Ta’ron Keith, who are both game-time decisions due to right leg injuries sustained in recent games. Stewart, despite missing last week’s 49-19 win at Kent State, is fifth in the MAC in rushing (762 yards), tied for fourth in touchdowns (eight), and second in yards per carry (6.1). His 75 missed tackles forced are first in the FBS, and his 93.1 rushing grade from Pro Football Focus is tied for first. Keith, who has thrived in the passing game out of the backfield, is coming off his first career 100-yard rushing performance when he had 103 yards and one touchdown on nine carries vs. the Golden Flashes. BGSU is seventh in the MAC in rushing (147.9 yards per game), while Toledo is eighth in rushing yards allowed per outing (151.2). The Rockets have allowed eight of their opponents to rush for at least 140 yards.
■ Edge: BGSU
BGSU pass offense vs. Toledo pass defense
BGSU has made significant strides in the passing game the past several weeks by limiting its turnovers. The Falcons have thrown just one interception in their last three games after throwing 12 in their previous seven. Indiana transfer Connor Bazelak (1,206 yards, eight touchdowns, seven interceptions) and Camden Orth (452 yards, four touchdowns, four interceptions) have split time throughout the season and will be used in certain situations against the Rockets. Keith (35 catches, 389 yards, three touchdowns) and sophomore tight end Harold Fannin, Jr. (26, 385, four) have been the top targets. Toledo’s pass defense has been solid, as the Rockets have allowed just 172.9 yards per game through the air. Toledo, led by junior All-American cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, has allowed just nine passing touchdowns and has racked up 11 interceptions.
■ Edge: Toledo
Toledo rush offense vs. Bowling Green rush defense
The Rockets have the top back in the league in junior Peny Boone — his 1,042 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 7.1 yards per carry each lead the MAC — and Toledo’s rushing attack doesn’t stop there. Finn (499 yards, five touchdowns) is also a threat with his legs, and Jacquez Stuart has chipped in 399 yards and four scores. Overall, Toledo’s 214.2 rushing yards per game lead the MAC and are sixth nationally. BGSU ranks in the top half of the MAC in rushing defense (fourth with 137.5 yards per game).
■ Edge: Toledo
Special teams
Toledo has one of the most dangerous kickoff return players in the country in Stuart, who ranks fourth in the FBS in averaging 30.5 yards per return. One of his 13 returns resulted in a touchdown — a 97-yard score in the Rockets’ 31-13 win vs. Buffalo on Oct. 31 — and Stuart is one of just 27 FBS players to have a kickoff return touchdown this season. Toledo and BGSU have similar statistics in kickoff return yardage and punt return yardage, but the Rockets are seventh in the country in kick return defense (14.66 yards per return), while the Falcons are 52nd (18.5). Both teams have blocked multiple kicks this season; BGSU is the only team in the nation to have returned at least one blocked field goal and one blocked punt for a touchdown. Toledo’s Luke Pawlak (8 of 9 on field goal attempts) and BGSU’s Alan Anaya (9 of 13) have converted all of their PATs this season.
■ Edge: Even
Coaching
Fifth-year BGSU coach Scot Loeffler, who received a contract extension through 2025 earlier this year, has helped the Falcons become bowl eligible and record at least six wins for the second-straight season, a first for the program since 2014-15. Loeffler, who has a 19-33 record guiding the Falcons, is 2-2 against the Rockets. Toledo’s Jason Candle, who earlier this year signed a contract extension through 2026, is 5-2 against BGSU and 63-33 overall in eight seasons leading the Rockets. Candle is the only current MAC football coach with multiple conference championship titles.
■ Edge: Toledo
First Published November 13, 2023, 4:44 p.m.
