Last of the MAC unbeatens - BG vs WMU

[BGSU33]

Huge game! After this game only one of these two will be left standing with an unblemished conference record. One could argue this is the MAC Game of the Year up to this point in the season. This could also be a preview of the MACC as with only 3 games left both teams are leading their divisions. I'm curious to see what Vegas sets the opening line as for this one. I'm kinda expecting to see a Pick to open up. We haven't beaten WMU since the days of Omar Jacobs which has been way too long. WMU walked into the Doyt and took one from us last year. Sure would love to see us return the favor this year but it's not gonna be easy. We also haven't beaten a MAC West team since 2013 (went 0-4 vs them last year). This is the toughest team from the MAC we've faced this year and we could be saying they were the best team we played in the conference this season when it's all said and done.

[Falconfreak90]

BG opened at a 3 1/2 pt fave and I've seen as high as 4 1/2.

[slashba33]

Super excited and worried about this game. When you win 6 in a row, I guess you just wait for us to fall back to earth. But there is something about this team that seems special. Much like the 2003-04 teams. With our defense playing the way it has been, I truly feel we are the best team in the MAC right now.

[MarkL]

I am definitely looking forward to this game and it will be a good check for both teams. Both WMU and BG have beaten up on mediocre conference teams, and WMU had a shootout win over CMU along the way. So while both teams look great, we don't really know exactly how good either is.

The WMU preview goes up tonight when I get a chance to finish it out. The more I read into WMU the more impressed I am, but I also have a nagging skepticism. Neither they nor we have played the perceived elite conference teams (BG, WMU, NIU, UT). Preseason darkhorses in Akron, Ohio, and BSU ended up being duds that both teams destroyed. This game will confirm either accolades or suspicions.

[Schadenfreude]

This game and the next one will determine whether or not this is a good season for Falcon football or a great season.

In August, I guessed that Bowling Green would struggle in this game but find a way to beat Toledo. I guess I'm going to stick with that prediction. This will be a battle, and I think it could come down to the wire, just like the Memphis game.

Ball State isn't a bad team, and the Broncos just crushed them. Western Michigan has a good football team. Will we face the team that crushed Ball State or the team that lost to Georgia Southern?

[AZZZZ]

I remember last year, standing in the Falcon Club tent as they man-handled us. I want this one but it will be a test and imo will be won at the line of scrimmage.

[kdog27]

Ball State isn't a bad team, and the Broncos just crushed them. Western Michigan has a good football team. Will we face the team that crushed Ball State or the team that lost to Georgia Southern?

Promise I'm not picking on your posts today but Ball State is pretty bad. 3-7 with an FCS win. They have wins over VMI, EMU and Umass. They have packed it in. Georgia Southern on the other hand is at least a half way decent team.

[BGFalconfromCincy]

Ball State isn't a bad team, and the Broncos just crushed them. Western Michigan has a good football team. Will we face the team that crushed Ball State or the team that lost to Georgia Southern?

Promise I'm not picking on your posts today but Ball State is pretty bad. 3-7 with an FCS win. They have wins over VMI, EMU and Umass. They have packed it in. Georgia Southern on the other hand is at least a half way decent team.

And one of those 7 loses for Ball State came at home to a program that is as equally bad or maybe evenb worse then EMU or UMass in Georgia State

[Siborg]

Ball State isn't a bad team, and the Broncos just crushed them. Western Michigan has a good football team. Will we face the team that crushed Ball State or the team that lost to Georgia Southern?

Promise I'm not picking on your posts today but Ball State is pretty bad. 3-7 with an FCS win. They have wins over VMI, EMU and Umass. They have packed it in. Georgia Southern on the other hand is at least a half way decent team.

And one of those 7 loses for Ball State came at home to a program that is as equally bad or maybe evenb worse then EMU or UMass in Georgia State

Just like we have an offense that is unusual and we exploit it to our advantage, so does Ga Southern and Navy have unique offenses they exploit to their advantage. Some teams can handle it but many cannot. I wasn't surprised WMU lost to Ga Southern but I was surprised WMU's offense struggled against them. Maybe BG can learn something from that game film. I didn't see that game but I did see the Memphis v Navy game. Memphis had too many TOs and Lynch had one of his worse games of the year. Add in Navy's offense and it was too much to overcome.

[Flipper]

Georgia Southern is a decent football team. Georgia Southern...like ball State... isn't.


s**t...even I'm confused and I looked it up. Georgia State and Ball State suck

[BGSU33]

I've seen Ball State twice this year. In one game they looked pretty damn good (at Northwestern) and in the other they looked overwhelmed (at WMU). But as for whether they've mailed it in or not, I'm big buying it, because last year I witnessed firsthand a 3-win Ball State team come to BG in the season finale, fall behind 21-7 after one quarter, and came back to thump us over the next three quarters 34-3. That was a team still fighting with nothing on the line but pride. Yes I know we had the East locked up but that loss had us in stuck in a losing streak heading into the MACC and we had a big time hangover.

[Flipper]

I watched them roll into this season and suck.....

[kdog27]

I've seen Ball State twice this year. In one game they looked pretty damn good (at Northwestern) and in the other they looked overwhelmed (at WMU). But as for whether they've mailed it in or not, I'm big buying it, because last year I witnessed firsthand a 3-win Ball State team come to BG in the season finale, fall behind 21-7 after one quarter, and came back to thump us over the next three quarters 34-3. That was a team still fighting with nothing on the line but pride. Yes I know we had the East locked up but that loss had us in stuck in a losing streak heading into the MACC and we had a big time hangover.

Yeah maybe they haven't packed it in. They still aren't good.

Last year is in no way relevant. BG wasn't a good team last year, and was actually a bad team the last month of the season.

[jpfalcon09]

I've seen Ball State twice this year. In one game they looked pretty damn good (at Northwestern) and in the other they looked overwhelmed (at WMU). But as for whether they've mailed it in or not, I'm big buying it, because last year I witnessed firsthand a 3-win Ball State team come to BG in the season finale, fall behind 21-7 after one quarter, and came back to thump us over the next three quarters 34-3. That was a team still fighting with nothing on the line but pride. Yes I know we had the East locked up but that loss had us in stuck in a losing streak heading into the MACC and we had a big time hangover.

Yeah maybe they haven't packed it in. They still aren't good.

Last year is in no way relevant. BG wasn't a good team last year, and was actually a bad team the last month of the season.

I wouldn't say BG was a bad team last year, but they certainly hit a wall late in the season and struggled mightily down the stretch. Not sure how much that had to do with Knapke's limitations with the offense or the fact the defense was so poorly coached they couldn't make any adjustments.

[kdog27]

I've seen Ball State twice this year. In one game they looked pretty damn good (at Northwestern) and in the other they looked overwhelmed (at WMU). But as for whether they've mailed it in or not, I'm big buying it, because last year I witnessed firsthand a 3-win Ball State team come to BG in the season finale, fall behind 21-7 after one quarter, and came back to thump us over the next three quarters 34-3. That was a team still fighting with nothing on the line but pride. Yes I know we had the East locked up but that loss had us in stuck in a losing streak heading into the MACC and we had a big time hangover.

Yeah maybe they haven't packed it in. They still aren't good.

Last year is in no way relevant. BG wasn't a good team last year, and was actually a bad team the last month of the season.

I wouldn't say BG was a bad team last year, but they certainly hit a wall late in the season and struggled mightily down the stretch. Not sure how much that had to do with Knapke's limitations with the offense or the fact the defense was so poorly coached they couldn't make any adjustments.

Ha well 0-4 with some beat downs is nothing other than bad as far I'm concerned. I think Knapke was playing hurt and like you said the coaching was pitiful. The only thing that saved face was winning a bowl game for the first time in ten years.