Falcons Fly West to Ball State on Saturday for Final Regular Season Road Game
Saturday, Nov. 23 | 2 p.m. | Scheumann Stadium | Muncie, Ind.
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BOWLING GREEN FALCONS (6-4, 5-1 MAC) |
at | BALL STATE CARDINALS (3-7, 2-4 MAC) |
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Falcons Fly West for Final Road Game
• Bowling Green State University heads to Muncie, Ind., on Saturday to face the Ball State Cardinals in the Falcons' final road contest of the 2024 regular season.
• Saturday's game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ at 2 p.m.
Bowling Green vs. Ball State
• Bowling Green and Ball State are meeting for just the second time since 2015, when the Cardinals last hosted the Falcons in Muncie. Last year, BSU made its first trip to Doyt Perry Stadium since 2014.
• Bowling Green has won eight of its last nine games against BSU dating back to 1999. The lone loss in that span (24-41) occurred during the 2014 meeting in Bowling Green.a
• Saturday marks the 32nd all-time meeting between Bowling Green and Ball State.
Five Top Storylines
• A win on Saturday would extend Bowling Green's winning streak to five games, its longest since a seven-game streak from Sept. 26 to Nov. 11, 2015. The victory would also secure BGSU's sixth MAC win, the most since the Falcons went 7-1 in conference play in 2015.
• TE Harold Fannin Jr. leads all tight ends nationally in receptions (83), receiving yards (1,170), yards after catch (646), first downs (56), broken tackles (25), and receiving touchdowns (8). According to Pro Football Focus, Fannin has the nation's highest overall grade (96.9) and ranks No. 1 in pass routes grade (96.9) among all receivers. He's also ranked No. 3 in receptions, No. 2 in receiving yards, T-No. 1 in broken tackles, No. 2 in first downs, and No. 1 in yards after catch.
• Fannin ranks No. 5 all-time in FBS history for single-season receiving yards recorded by a tight end. He needs 183 receiving yards to break the FBS record held by Texas Tech's Jace Amaro, who set the record in 2013 with 1,352 yards. His 83 receptions are tied for No. 11 all-time in FBS history for single-season receptions by a tight end.
• During BGSU's current four-game winning streak, RB Terion Stewart has rushed for 490 yards and two touchdowns. He is averaging 8.0 broken tackles a game, and 363 of his rushing yards have come after contact. On the season, his 7.5 broken tackles per game rank No. 2 in the nation behind only Boise State's Ashton Jeanty.
• Stewart needs 176 rushing yards to become the 15th Falcon in program history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. If he reaches that plateau, BGSU could become the nation's first team this year with a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver (Fannin). Arizona State, Louisville, and Texas Tech also could reach the milestone in the coming weeks.
Last Trip to Muncie was in 2015
• Due to the unbalanced MAC schedule, you have to go back to 2015 for the last time BGSU played Ball State in Muncie.
• BGSU wrapped up the regular season by defeating Ball State, 48-10, at Scheumann Stadium.
• Matt Johnson – who completed 24-of-31 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns – tied the school and MAC record for touchdown passes in a single season when he found Gehrig Dieter for a one-yard score in the third quarter, pushing BGSU's advantage to 34-0.
• The touchdown pass was Johnson's 41st of the season, tying fellow Falcon Omar Jacobs' mark set in 2004.
• BGSU nearly had three 100-yard rushers in the game. Fred Coppet rushed for 109 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries. Travis Greene – who finished with 97 yards on 17 touches – put the Falcons up 41-10 with 6:16 remaining in regulation. Greene also rushed for a score in the first half. Donovan Domer had just three carries but rushed for 105 yards. His 95-yard touchdown with 39 seconds to play – which concluded the game's scoring – was the second-longest touchdown run in school history.
• Leading all Falcon receivers, Dieter caught 11 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown, while Roger Lewis finished with four catches for 59 yards. Ronnie Moore added three catches for 52 yards. Ryan Burbrink hauled in three catches for 17 yards, while Greene and Scott Miller chipped in with two receptions apiece.
BGSU Owns MAC's Top Rusher and Receiver
• RB Terion Stewart leads the MAC in rushing yards per game (103.0) and TE Harold Fannin Jr. leads the MAC in receiving yards per game (117.). Stewart ranks No. 16 nationally and Fannin ranks No. 2 nationally.
Defense Shines in Win Over Western Michigan
• Bowling Green held Western Michigan to 95 rushing yards and 13 points in the Falcons' 31-13 win. BGSU joined Ohio State as the only teams to hold WMU below 100 rushing yards in 2024.
• WMU entered the game ranked No. 18 in the nation in rushing, averaging 209.2 yards per game. The Broncos also led the MAC and ranked No. 31 nationally, averaging 33.3 points per game.
• BGSU tallied 7.0 tackles for loss (TFLs) and 4.0 sacks against WMU. Entering the game, WMU ranked No. 16 nationally in fewest TFLs allowed (3.78 per game) and No. 38 in fewest sacks allowed (1.44 per game).
Fannin Surpasses 1,000 Receiving Yards on the Season
• Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. became the 12th Falcon all-time, and the 16th FBS tight end, to record 1,000+ receiving yards in a season. He currently has 1,170 yards, which ranks No. 3 on BGSU's single-season list. He trails only WR Freddie Barnes (1,770, 2009) and WR Roger Lewis (1,544, 2015).
• Fannin's 117.0 receiving yards per game ranks second in BGSU history, behind only Freddie Barnes' 2009 mark of 136.2 yards per game when the former wide receiver set the NCAA FBS record for receptions in a season (155).
Stewart is Hard to Bring Down
• RB Terion Stewart is tough to bring down. Despite missing games against Penn State and Akron, Stewart is No. 9 nationally among players with 100 carries in yards after contact per attempt, averaging 4.34.
• Stewart ranks No. 2 in the nation with 7.50 broken tackles per game. He has broken 60 tackles over eight games, which puts him No. 2 nationally. However, all other players with at least 40 broken tackles have played at least nine games.
• Stewart forced 11 missed tackles in the season opener against Fordham, the fourth most nationally after Week 1.
• At Central Michigan, Stewart forced 14 missed tackles and averaged 6.35 yards after contact.
• During BGSU's current four-game winning streak, Stewart is averaging 8.0 broken tackles a game and 4.5 yards per rush after contact. He has ammassed 490 total rushing yards on 6.1 yards per carry over the last four games.
Latest Football News
- Harold Fannin Jr. Selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 2025 NFL DraftBOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green junior tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (Canton, Ohio) was selected by the Cleveland Browns during Friday's third round of the National Football Draft. Fannin was the 67th overall pick and the first tight end from Bowling Green since Greg Meczka was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 15th round of the 1974 NFL Draft.
- Paying It Forward: Teddy Piepkow’s Lifelong Connection to BGSU
- Bowling Green to Host Third Annual Women’s Football Clinic on June 6BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green head football coach Eddie George and the Falcon football program are hosting the third annual Bowling Green Women's Football Clinic on Fri., June 6. The event runs from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Doyt Perry Stadium.
- Program Record Seven Falcons Earn NFF Hampshire Honor Society HonorsBOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green had seven Falcons earn NFF Hampshire Honor Society membership, as announced by the National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame. DL Dontrez Brown, CB Todd Bumphis, DL Chace Davis, TE Levi Gazarek, OLB Demetrius Hardamon, ILB Brock Horne and OT Alex Wollschlaeger all earned the accolades.
- George Announces His Inaugural BGSU Coaching StaffBOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green State University football head coach Eddie George has announced his first BGSU coaching staff, which includes 10 assistant coaches, an analyst, a special teams coordinator and three strength & conditioning coaches.
- Eddie George Named Bowling Green Football Head CoachBOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Eddie George, former All-Pro, Heisman Trophy winner, and the head coach at Tennessee State for the past four years, has been named the new head football coach at Bowling Green State University, Vice President for Athletics Strategy Derek van der Merwe announced today, Sunday, March 9.