Ranking The Schedule: #12 - Bowling Green
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After a strange, short season thanks to COVID, a full, 12-game season awaits PJ Fleck and Minnesota.
As we inch closer to the season, The Gopher Report is starting a new series where we rank each opponent from easiest to hardest.
We start off the series with a week four home game.
A seemingly obvious pick for this position is homecoming against Bowling Green
GAME INFORMATION:
Bowling Green at Minnesota
Saturday, September 25th | 11 AM
Huntington Bank Stadium | Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV: ESPN Networks TBD
2020 RESULTS:
@ Toledo - Loss, 38-3
Kent State - Loss, 62-24
Buffalo - Loss, 42-17
@ Ohio - Loss, 52-10
@ Akron - Loss, 31-3
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Terion Stewart - Running Back - Redshirt Freshman
Stewart was one of the few bright spots for the Falcons last year, rushing for 295 yards and four touchdowns in four games of action. He averaged eight yards per carry and went off for 162 yards and two touchdowns against Kent State last season.
Darren Anders - Linebacker - Sophomore
Anders led the team with 55 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss and an abysmal Falcons defense that allowed 475.8 yards and 45 points per game. He's expected to continue that production this season and anchor a young defense.
Drew Gunther - Quarterback - Redshirt Freshman
Bowling Green's passing game was atrocious last season and Gunther comes in from Syracuse to hopefully provide an offensive spark. While he's unproven at the collegiate level, Gunther is expected to be a much-needed improvement at the quarterback position moving forward.
OVERALL OUTLOOK:
Last season was wacky for everybody, no question about it - but that doesn't give you a free pass to go 0-5. Unfortunately that is exactly what the Falcons did, losing every game they played by an average of over four touchdowns.
Not only did the defense allow a ton of points every game, but the Bowling Green offense was not able to score more than three touchdowns at any point in the season. While the Falcons could have certainly made improvements since, this still should be a blowout win for the Gophers.
It will be an important game for Minnesota and their confidence as well, especially if they are able to win at least two of their first three games against Ohio State, Miami (Ohio), and Colorado.
No, the Gophers did not have the season that many anticipated them to have last year, but even if they were to regress even further (we do not predict that to be the case) heading into this contest, I still see it as an easy win for Minnesota.
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