State of the Program 12/4/23

Bowling Green Clinches First Winning Record Since 2015!!

(photo via BG Athletics)

    Scot Loeffler said it weeks ago, this team has a chance to do something special. I would say beating a Power 5 team on the road, going 5-3 in the MAC and blowing some teams out qualifies as special. Think back to just a few years ago. Mike Jinks' BG team was going 2-10, players getting arrested, zero culture, zero love for the school and the traditions. Now Coach Loeffler in another seemingly do or die season has showed up, showed out, and needs a contract extension ASAP. Now that I am no longer traveling, let's cover a few recent football topics. 

1. 4 Game Winning Streak

    For the first time since 2015, Bowling Green football won 4 games in a row. Buffalo beat us last year, Akron has had our number recently under Tom Arth, Ball State is still coached by MAC Champions Mike Nue and had 22 seniors, and Kent was 5-0 in their last 5 against us. Coach Loeffler finally toppled the Flashes and it was so fitting that it not only was his first win against Kent, but that it clinched a bowl game. 

2. The Loss to Toledo

    Heartbreaking in every sense of the word. However a quick positive note, Toledo was an expected loss pre-season and ended the year 11-1. Obviously getting embarrassed the entire second half if disheartening but to think that this is some season changing loss would be foolish. Yes this game is more important to the other 11 but the season is not lost because of this blunder. I was thoroughly impressed by Bazelak and think if he was not injured BG would have won. Additionally Terion was still sidelined. 

3. Whooping Western Michigan 34-10

    This team already clinched a bowl game, could not make the MAC Championship, and yet they absolutely blew WMU out of the water. Connor Bazelak looked fantastic, Taron Keith continues to dominate. Jaylon Tillman, a D2 transfer from Grand Valley State caught his first pass as a Falcon for a TD on a beautiful play action pass from Bazelak. This game was a needed rebound to put the Toledo game behind this team and clinch a winning season. 

4. Quick Lane Bowl vs Minnesota

    I was hoping we would get a warm weather bowl, but being close to BG in terms of travel is an advantage. I was also hoping we would not have to play a P5 team but Vegas is giving the Falcons a ton of credit being only 4 point underdogs. Would be amazing to get a second P5 win and even if the Falcons lose, someone like me will tell you that there is a reason they had to pay us 1.5 million dollars to play them in 2021. 

Going Forward

    First, the AD needs to give Coach Loeffler a 3 year extension. Now it is portal season, so while the team needs to prep for a bowl win that would give us some awesome momentum, the staff needs to start drawing in interest from P5 backups of FCS stars to give us even more momentum in terms of roster construction in 2024. This season was freaking awesome and I will dive deeper into some of the numbers in another blog. Ay Ziggy!