by Bowling Green
MAC East
Coach: Scott Loeffler 5th year with team
Last year’s record: 6-7
The overcast
The 2022 season was full of mountains and valleys for the Bowling Green Falcons. They ended the season with a 6-7 record and a bowl berth, they return eight offensive players and five defenders. BG highlighted their season with a win over Toledo that got them bowl eligible while losses to Kent State and Buffalo broke their MAC East crown hopes. Connor Bazelak, a transfer from Missouri is the projected starter for the Falcons after the departure of Matt McDonald. Bazelak is new to the offense but will have eight returning starters to gel with Odieu Hiliare, Harold Faninn, and Austin Osborne. Last year, the BG defense gave up 23 points a game with 9 returning starters. For the 2023 season, BG only has five returners and lost their defensive coordinator, this is while their defensive line only has one returning starter back.
Dom’s Overlook
Despite the Falcons going to a bowl game last season, they were a hard team to watch. McDonald had very little time to throw the ball with slim options at the wideout positions, TE was a position that was used heavily. BG hit the transfer portal hard in hopes to fill the holes left on the defensive line. The QB play is up in the air as the incoming transfer QB Connor Bazelak looks to fill the shoes of Matt McDonald. The line play and running game will be well improved this season compared to the past under Loeffler. Terion Stewart is back with an improved offensive line that looks to build on their progression from last season. I have reason to believe that this team will improve offensively thanks to the progression from the returners and through the portal. The defense will rely on the offense to carry the load as they look to answer some questions of their own throughout the season. This could be another good stepping stone year for BG as they have their eyes on the top of the MAC. Falcon fans will have expectations of a bowl game this year, anything below that could make the seat real hot for Loeffler.
2023 prediction
Bowling Green has been the most difficult team for me to predict going into this season, I can see them being bowl eligible and I can see them taking a step back. This season will go just like how last season went, up and down with some great wins and some bad losses. This team didn’t lose enough to take a step back or improve enough to compete for a MAC title. I have them losing three of their four non-conference games, As bad as that is, I don’t see the conference schedule going any better. I have BG finishing below Akron but ahead of Kent State with just four wins this season. The expectations are to win six games and get a bowl bid, after my research it has become to hard to see that coming true.
