2014-15 Football Previews – (MAC) – Falcons
Bowling Green rolled to a ten-win season last year under Dave Clawson. The team surprised Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship Game thanks to 574 yards of total offense. Despite being the underdog in that game, Bowling Green won 47-27.
The Falcons did lose 30-27 in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl to finish out 2013. They also lost Coach Clawson to Wake Forest in the offseason.
Bowling Green
Mid American Conference 2014-2015 College Football Preview- Bowling Green Falcons
Head Coach: Dino Babers
2013 Record: 10-4
Bowling Green Gambling Odds to win the MAC: +130
Season Win Total Gambling Odds: 9.5
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Dino Babers walks into a great situation at Bowling Green. Babers hasn’t coached an FBS team before, but he did a tremendous job with the FCS level Eastern Illinois Panthers the past couple seasons.
Also important to note is the fact that Babers spent significant time at Baylor, and the Falcons will run an offensive scheme similar to Baylor’s this season. Bowling Green returns 12 starters from a team that won the MAC, and they return some of their most important players on both sides of the ball.
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This team isn’t going to sneak up on anyone this year as the clear favorite in the MAC.
Team Strengths:
Matt Johnson was a good quarterback last year, and I believe he is in for a special season at the quarterback spot for Bowling Green in this new system. He completed 64 percent of his passes and threw 25 touchdowns last year compared to just seven picks.
Look for the fast-paced system to work to the advantage of a guy like Johnson, who has a very nice skillset for a quarterback in the MAC.
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Travis Greene is a star at the running back spot. Greene is the top runner in the MAC, and he should benefit from the change to the new system as well. He’ll get even more touches and be able to get out in space more often. Greene averaged 5.7 yards per carry last year.
Fred Coopet and Andre Givens are very solid backups at the running back spot.
The defense is led by a tremendous back seven. Bowling Green has a star linebacker in the form of DJ Lynch. He’ll likely lead the team in tackles for a second straight year. Ryland Ward is a tremendous free safety to have at the back of the defense also. Ward is a hard hitter who changes the game. The secondary is a deep group.
Team Weaknesses:
The offensive line is the single biggest weakness on this team. Bowling Green allowed 41 sacks last year, including seven in their 30-27 bowl loss to Pittsburgh. While I do expect this group to be a little better this season, it is still the biggest concern. The offensive front needs to stay healthy too, because there isn’t any depth here.
The offense has a really high upside potential, but the offensive line might hold them back a bit.
Defensively, Bowling Green lost some big horses in the middle of the defensive line.
These were the guys who were counted on to stuff up the run. The Falcons only allowed 3.4 yards per carry two years ago. They allowed 4.5 yards per carry last year, and I think that number could rise once again.
2014-2015 Bowling Green Falcons Gambling Prediction: 10-3
Bowling Green’s offense should put up bigger numbers than last year, but the defense will also allow more than they did last season. In the end, I see Bowling Green reaching that ten win mark once again. This is a veteran team with lots of very impressive strengths.
2014 Bowling Green Schedule
- 8/29/14 8:00 PM ET @WKU
- 9/6/14 3:30 PM ET VMI
- 9/13/14 12:00 PM ET IND
- 9/20/14 TBD @WIS
- 9/27/14 3:00 PM ET @MASS
- 10/4/14 TBD BUFF
- 10/11/14 2:00 PM ET @OHIO
- 10/18/14 TBD WMU
- 11/4/14 8:00 PM ET @AKR
- 11/12/14 8:00 PM ET KENT
- 11/19/14 8:00 PM ET @TOL
- 11/28/14 TBD BALL
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