Bowling Green Looks to Fly High vs. FCS Fordham

Opening night for the Falcons of Bowling Green is Aug. 29 at Doyt Perry Stadium. Bowling Green will look to fly high passed an FCS opponent in Week 1, the Fordham University Rams. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. EST kickoff.

Bowling Green

Bowling Green is fresh off a 7-6 season in head coach Scot Loefflers’ fifth season. Entering Year 6, Bowling Green is one of 27 FBS schools to return its head coach, both coordinators and starting QB from the 2023 season giving the program stability for the 2024 season. This stability will be key to improving on last year's win total with 32 seniors returning and 13 transfers joining the roster.

Key Players: Falcons

Connor Bazelak, Quarterback

Bazelak returns for his sixth and final season of FBS football. He brings 45 games of experience across the Southeastern Conference, Big Ten Conference and Mid-American Conference. Entering the year he ranks third among active QBs in completions with 882 in his career, just 118 short of becoming the 41st QB in NCAA history to cross the 1,000 mark.

Terion Stewart, Running Back

Fresh off a second team All-MAC season, Stewart enters the year with high expectations as he is on the Maxwell, Doak Walker and Walter Camp Award Watch Lists. Stewart currently owns the Bowling Green record for yards per carry at 6.3. Last season saw Stewart break 78 tackles, good for fourth best in the nation despite missing four of the Falcons games.

Harold Fannin Jr., Tight End

Leading pass catcher Fannin is back at tight end for Bowling Green after a monster season in 2023. Fannin finished last season sixth in the nation in receiving yards and touchdowns by a tight end while also leading the MAC in receptions among TEs. He will look to continue this rocket-ship trajectory in his first draft-eligible season.

The Defense

The entire defense enters the year as a key to success for Bowling Green. Last year the Falcons defense finished as the sixth most-improved defense in the country finishing 25th in yards allowed per game. Led by cornerback Jordan Oladokun, Bowling Green finished No. 1 in the nation in takeaways with 17 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries. Demetrius Hardamon is back and healthy after a season-ending injury last year against Michigan, which only adds to the depth of this defensive line as the Falcons return all starters from 2023. Look for this defense to take another step forward this year starting Week 1 against Fordham

Falcons' Key to Victory

Bowling Green will need its defense to step up in the red zone in this game. Fordham doesn't turn the ball over and Bowling Green allowed opponents to score in 32-of-38 (84.2 percent) red zone trips in 2023. Of those 32 scoring drives, the Falcons allowed 25 touchdowns. If Bowling Green isn't able to create turnovers they will need this defense, starting with the experienced front four, to step up and not break in the red zone against an efficient Fordham offense.

Fordham

Fordham comes into this contest a 16.5-point road underdog. The Rams are no stranger to MAC football as they hung 40 points on Buffalo on the road last season en route to a 6-5 season. Joe Conlin enters his seventh season as head coach of the Rams in the Patriot League. In 2023 the Rams led the Patriot League in passing yards per game while also finishing second in total offense and points per game. Fordham is picked to finish third in the Patriot League by the Coaches/SIDs poll.

Rams' Key Players

CJ Montes, Quarterback

Montes, a junior, is back with the Rams for his fourth season of college football and second with the Rams. He was named by HERO Sports as the fourth-best returning QB in the FCS after finishing as a finalist for the Walter Payton Award in 2023 and being named second team All-Patriot League despite leading the conference in passing touchdowns and passing yards per game, and only throwing 1 interception.

Julius Loughridge, Running Back

Loughridge returns for his senior season. Finishing the 2023 season with 1,146 yards on the ground and 10 touchdowns. Coming into his senior year at Fordham Loughridge was named the 13th-best returning RB in the FCS.

James Conway, Linebacker

Coming into the year Conway sits third on the all-time career tackles list at Fordham. The leader of this defense needs just 24 tackles to break the school record. Conway was named Preseason All-Patriot League this year and to the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 list.

Key to Victory: Fordham

This Rams squad is familiar with road games in the MAC. In 2023 Fordham went into Buffalo and won 40-37. In that game, Fordham had just four penalties and zero turnovers. They will need to play a clean game and control the ball in this one against Bowling Green to have a chance at victory. The Falcons defense lives off of turnovers, if Montes and the Rams offense doesn't give up the ball without a fee they will be right there at the end with a chance to win.