Just mention Bowling Green to Justin Ingram or Jordan Lauf, and the University of Toledo assistant coaches perk up.
Ingram and Lauf both played for the Rockets, so they’ve lived the Battle of I-75 rivalry for years. Even now as coaches, the BGSU game elicits a passion and energy that doesn’t exist for the other 16 Mid-American Conference games.
“You treat them all the same, but it’s a different game,” Ingram said. “The game definitely means more. I say it all the time: we don’t like them and they don’t like us. There’s a mutual respect. Your juices get flowing a little bit more. You know there are going to be a lot of people in the stands. It’s a fun game, and, hopefully, we come out with a win.”
Lately, that hasn’t been a problem for Toledo, as the Rockets have won four consecutive games against their archrival and five of six. The average margin of victory has been 18 points, with four wins by double figures, including a record-setting 40-point victory two years ago.
No one on Toledo’s roster has played in a loss against BG. Ra’Heim Moss was in the midst of a redshirt season the last time the Falcons won.
UT head coach Tod Kowalczyk is 14-6 in the series. He’ll attempt to notch win No. 15 at 2 p.m. Saturday at Savage Arena.
“There’s no question that this game means more,” Kowalczyk said. “It’s a rivalry game. It means more to the community. The preparation is more intense, the days leading up to it, the focus, you name it. It’s clearly a game that both teams circle on their calendar.”
Todd Simon might be new around these parts, but it doesn’t mean he hasn’t studied the history. The first-year BG coach knows about past moments that live in rivalry lore. He has heard stories about houses divided and neighbors that aren’t so neighborly a few days of the year.
On Saturday, Simon will get a taste of the rivalry in a raucous environment.
“It’s certainly a fun rivalry,” he said, “and we’re excited to be a part of it for the first time.”
The stakes are higher than they’ve been in recent seasons. Toledo — the three-time defending MAC champion — has controlled the conference, while BG languished in the latter years of former coach Michael Huger’s tenure, going 38-50 in his final three seasons and finishing a combined 14 games under .500 in the MAC.
The Falcons (14-5, 5-2) have already surpassed last season’s win total of 11 games and their 5-2 conference record puts them within striking distance of first-place Akron. Tiebreakers and tournament seeding are another factor in Saturday’s outcome.
“We have to come out here and make sure we handle our business,” Moss said.
Less than 600 tickets remain. If the game sells out, it would be Toledo’s first since the BG game on Jan. 25, 2020, which attracted a crowd of 7,268. The largest crowd since the Savage renovation was 7,401 against Buffalo on Feb. 15, 2019.
Home-court advantage is a useful tool for the Rockets (12-7, 6-1), who are 48-6 in their past 54 games at Savage, dating to the 2019-20 season.
“In the past, we’ve had some sellouts for this game,” Kowalczyk said. “We’ve had great atmospheres. I’d anticipate this game being sold out, getting our students involved. It’s healthy for the community and for both institutions. This game is important because we’re both in the championship hunt. It’s been a while since that happened.”
The only thing better than beating your rival is preventing your rival from winning or contending for a championship. Toledo and BG each have an opportunity to deliver a damaging blow to the other’s place in the MAC standings.
A win in the Battle of I-75 isn’t the same as beating Ball State or Eastern Michigan. It can thrust the winning team forward and create momentum that doesn’t sprout while beating other MAC schools.
“It boosts our confidence a lot, especially this year,” Moss said. “They’re a really talented team. We’ve got to come out there and play hard for 40 minutes. We have to play Rocket basketball.”
First Published January 26, 2024, 7:31 p.m.
