The Numbers Game: Bowling Green Falcons
Minnesota's Quick Lane Bowl matchup against Bowling Green is just around the corner and as we continue to preview the Bowling Green Falcons we take a look at Bowling Green by the numbers.
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HEAD COACH - SCOTT LOEFFLER
HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE: 5 Years
YEARS AT BOWLING GREEN: 5 Years
RECORD: 20-34 (.370 win percentage)
RECORD AGAINST POWER FIVE PROGRAMS + NOTRE DAME: 1-6 (wins against Minnesota in 2019)
BOWLING GREEN'S ALL-TIME RECORD VS BIG TEN: 9-22
BOWLING GREEN'S ALL-TIME RECORD VS POWER FIVE: 24-60
THE FALCONS' OFFENSE BY THE NUMBERS
POINTS PER GAME: 26.3 (#73)
TOTAL YARDS PER GAME: 327.8 (#104)
TURNOVERS: 19 (T85)
PLAYS OF 20+ YARDS: 45 (#96)
PLAYS OF 40+ YARDS: 10 (#89)
PLAYS OF 50+ YARDS: 4 (#97)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSION RATE: 33.5% (#114)
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSION RATE: 59.09% (#45)
RED ZONE SCORING RATE: 86.36% (#55)
RED ZONE TOUCHDOWN RATE: 63.64% (#54)
MOST POINTS SCORED: 49 against Kent State on November 8
HIGHEST TOTAL OFFENSE OUTPUT: 509 yards against Eastern Illinois on September 9
TOP PASSER: QB Connor Bazelak - 148/242 (61.2%), 1,709 yards, 11 TD, 7 INT, 129.7 QBR
TOP RUSHER: RB Tarion Stewart - 125 attempts, 762 yards, 8 TD
TOP RECEIVER: WR Taron Keith - 44 receptions, 457 yards, 3 TD (66 carries, 390 yards, 4 TD)
TOP OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: OG Jake Burns - 71.8 PFF grade, 1 sack allowed on 125 pass-blocking attempts
Gophers Nation's Take: This is obviously a quality Bowling Green offense but it's not a terrible explosive offense and their issues with turning the ball over are quite notable even taking away their five interceptions in their season opener against Liberty. This is a matchup where the Gophers should have the size and athleticism advantage throughout the defense and one where the big plays are likely going to be held to a minimum.
BOWLING GREEN'S TOP OFFENSIVE PERFORMERS PER PFF
| Pos. | Player | Offense Grade |
|---|---|---|
|
HB |
94.5 |
|
|
TE |
Harold Fannin Jr |
88.1 |
|
HB |
83.5 |
|
|
WR |
74.6 |
|
|
OG |
71.8 |
As we discussed in Friday's preview, Bowling Green is really good at the skill positions though notable Ta'ron Keith is in the transfer portal, and it's unclear if play on Tuesday. Terion Stewart would likely take over as the top offensive weapon in the bowl game. That being said he is questionable for Tuesday's game with a leg injury as is wide receiver Finn Hogan, though the reason is currently undisclosed.
THE FALCONS' DEFENSE BY THE NUMBERS
POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME: 23.5 (#49)
TOTAL YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME: 329.8 (#29)
TURNOVERS FORCED: 27 (#2)
PLAYS OF 20+ YARDS ALLOWED: 42 (#20)
PLAYS OF 40+ YARDS ALLOWED: 8 (#22)
PLAYS OF 50+ YARDS ALLOWED: 5 (#43)
OPPONENT THIRD DOWN CONVERSION RATE: 38.03% (#59)
OPPONENT FOURTH DOWN CONVERSION RATE: 46.67% (#47)
OPPONENT RED ZONE SCORING RATE: 81.82% (#54)
OPPONENT RED ZONE TOUCHDOWN RATE: 63.64% (#90)
MOST POINTS ALLOWED: 38 against Ohio on September 23
LOWEST TOTAL OFFENSE OUTPUT ALLOWED: 238 yards against Buffalo on October 14
TOP TACKLER: LB Darren Anders (83)
MOST TFLs: LB Darren Anders (10.5) / DL Cashius Howell (10.5)
MOST SACKS: Cashius Howell (9.5)
MOST INTERCEPTIONS: DB Jalen Huskey (4) / Jordan Oladokun (4)
MOST PASS DEFLECTIONS: DB Jalen Huskey (6) / DB Jordan Oladokun (6) / Davon Ferguson (6)
Gophers Nation's Take: This is certainly a very good defense that the Gophers are going to go up against on Tuesday afternoon. The Falcons have been an efficient defense all season long as you can see by the numbers above. When considering the Gophers' struggles offensively this season and considering they'll be going to a quarterback who has seen limited action in Cole Kramer, it wouldn't be surprising to see some early struggles. Bowling Green has struggled against the more athletic teams on their schedule, which is good news for the Gophers. Don't expect the Gophers to get shutdown on Tuesday but an offensive explosion doesn't seem likely either considering the circumstances.
BOWLING GREEN'S TOP DEFENSIVE PERFORMERS PER PFF
| Pos. | Player | Defense Grade |
|---|---|---|
|
CB |
87.7 |
|
|
CB |
83.9 |
|
|
S |
82.1 |
|
|
DI |
78.8 |
|
|
ED |
Demetrius Hardamon |
78.5 |
The Bowling Green defense we talked about on Friday is a high-quality one allowing 23 points per game and if you didn't get to read that article, you could get a good idea of the Falcons' strengths. It's an incredibly dangerous secondary and one that the Gophers and Cole Kramer will have to be careful throwing into.
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