vs. Northern Illinois (10/12)

[mbenecke]

Big one here. BG returns to the Doyt to take on Northern Illinois. Game will be at 3:30pm and is available to watch on ESPN+.

Gotta be much better than we have been the past two weeks. This one is huge for the MAC race.

Go BG!

[jpfalcon09]

Massive game. Chance to make NIU 0-2 in the MAC with the H2H tiebreaker. Has the feel of the OU game last year. BG will need to be at their best to win, which given the past two weeks feels like a tall task. Expect a low scoring game.

[Falconfreak90]

Everytime I think I know this team, I don't. lol. I could have sworn the Jekyll and Hyde act was gone but it seems to be back.

NIU has been strange as well ever since they beat ND. Lost to Buffalo at home, a 7 point loss at NC State and then yesterday trailed UMess at the half, 13-7. They eventually won 34-20 at Huskie Stadium.

Just get the W...all that matters.

[BGSU33]

I have a bad feeling about this game. It's just the kind of game that could propel BG into a contender for getting to Detroit, which is exactly why I feel a loss coming. This staff hasn't had many big MAC home games. BG is usually out of contention for Detroit before things even get rolling. And in the few games where BG has played a true meaningful MAC game, it's been stomped on most of the time.

In 2023 - BG got obliterated in the MAC opener by Ohio (38-7) before being shellacked by Miami (27-0) in the next MAC contest before having its heart ripped out by Toledo by 1 point on a 4th down play at the end (32-31). BG was a favorite in all but one of its other MAC games (UB being the outlier) and won the rest of its conference games. The Falcons had a good season, but were no match in a couple of the big MAC games and couldn't seal the deal in another.

In 2022 - BG got steamrolled by Buffalo 38-7 at home in its MAC opener after having won at Akron to open the conference season. BG did win its next two as a dog before (vs Miami and CMU) before beating WMU to climb back in the mix, only to get destroyed by Kent State (40-6). BG did beat Toledo in a helluva game to give the Falcons one last crack at the MAC, only to be crushed by an Ohio team with its backup QB one week later (38-14). Again, another good season, but BG was no match for the MAC heavyweights except the Toledo game.

In 2021 - BG started 0-4 in the MAC and never had a chance.

In 2020 - BG went winless and was miserable.

In 2019 - BG got crushed by Kent State in its MAC opener (62-20) before upsetting Toledo, only to lose 5 of its last 6 games to end the season.

This program obviously has had a tough go of it since SL took over. While it certainly has made progress since 2019 and is in much better shape now than it was then, it still struggles mightily in big MAC games despite there not being not too many of them. The two Toledo wins were certainly big wins, no question about it. But aside from those two Toledo wins, what was another true "meaningful" MAC wins this program has won in the past 5 years??? And before anyone chimes in that all the MAC games are meaningful - yes - I agree that they are. But you know the point I'm trying to make. I'm talking about beating true MAC contenders in a given year. I guess I'd have to say maybe....maybe...... the win over Miami in 2022 might qualify as one. But even that, Miami ended up going .500 in the MAC that year and played BG with a backup QB in that loss. It really only boils down to a pair of wins over Toledo. BG really doesn't have another one, they've all resulted in losses, some of them being brutal losses.

Like many of you, after the Penn State and Texas A&M games, I was fired up! Even though I was extremely disappointed they lost two close games against high-profile teams, I saw a team out there playing their a$$es off! I was majorly impressed with what they did. I thought after those two games that if this team plays like that the rest of the way, it won't be beat. Well, one game later I saw a much different looking team vs ODU. Not to discredit ODU because I do agree with SL, they were a team very similar to BG. But the Falcons couldn't get the job done. The following week against Akron, BG looked even less impressive than they did vs ODU. Akron really had BG on the ropes and BG was lucky to escape with a win. But man, even after that win over Akron, I was feeling less confident about this team than I did after the loss to ODU. I was relieved they found a way to get the win, but damn man, where was the team that played at Penn State and Texas A&M???

This game vs NIU is a MASSIVE game. I agree with SL about that. That's not just coach speak. This game is a MUST-WIN if BG wants to try and get to Detroit. I can promise you that whether BG does or doesn't get to the Detroit - it will be based on the result of this game. We still have Toledo on the schedule and I don't give a crap what Miami's record is right now, we still have them too. BG could be looking at a loss vs one or both of them. Which is why BG must win vs NIU. If BG beats NIU, they're going to be a MAC contender. If BG loses, they're going to be a MAC pretender. This a exactly the kind of game this program has repeatedly loss and it's exactly the kind of game it needs to win to right the ship. BG could hang its hat after a win like this. This game is equally as big as the Toledo ones. It's going to be a defining game for this season. It's time BG rises up and finally wins one of these. I hope I'm wrong in feeling that more heartache and disappointment is coming. But seeing is believing, and I'm ready to witness it. It's been too long and this program worked hard to get to this point. I really hope they're rewarded with a win. But we're going to need to see the BG team and effort that showed up again Penn State and Texas A&M, and not the one that we saw last week vs Akron to do it.

[jpfalcon09]

Curious to see if Antario Brown can go in this one for NIU. He left the UMess game in the 2nd quarter with an apparent ankle injury. Hammock didn't give away any information yesterday at his press conference, just that he wants to play and is going to work hard this week to make that happen. He's certainly their best player and even in a limited role would benefit BG in some capacity.

[Falconwriter]

I very, very, very much want to be wrong...
But I see another big/heartbreaking loss in this game.

With this team, I won't be shocked if they win -- and I won't be shocked if they lose by 30 points.

[jpfalcon09]

FWIW, BG is a 2.5-pt favorite. One score victory on either side seems pretty likely. NIU will run the ball and chew clock. This game comes down to the BG defense stopping the run and not allowing NIU to extend drives, plain and simple.

[UofToledoFans]

Rooting for a BG win for an over capacity sell out in 3 weekends in the Glass Bowl, and also a dead crowd in Dekalb next weekend... but if I'm being honest I think Ohio and WMU have more favorable schedules anyways to get to Detroit. Losing to either NIU or BG in Detroit would be the worst possible outcome for Toledo so anyway that both get eliminated a Rockets fan is fine with. Now beating either one in Detroit would be incredible...

Just don't want either team to lose their playmakers. Not playing Brown for NIU, or Fannin and Stewart is no way to beat a rival. Stay healthy Falcons and Huskies.

[Beaker]

I had this one circled on the schedule at the beginning of the year as a huge game, knowing how slow we start in MAC play and that NIU will be a contender. I'll be making the trip up but I'm hardly overflowing with confidence that we win. I'm not sure why we are favored, I guess probably just because we are at home, but maybe the oddsmakers forget that we rarely seem to have a home field advantage, particularly in big games.

NIU has a big, strong O line with lots of experience working together as a group coming into this season. I see this as our biggest challenge. Our front 7 has been less than stout against the run lately and also haven't gotten much pressure on the QB the last couple weeks and the line they will be facing in this one is far better than the last 2 they've gone up against. It's going to be a gut check game for this defense to see if they can muster the effort it's going to take to stop their ground game. Even if Brown can't go or if he's out there but not 100%, I'm still worried. This line gives them the ability to control the ball for long drives. Those extended periods of time on the sidelines between possessions makes it tougher for our offense to get in a rhythm. Not a great matchup for us with their strength playing against our vulnerability.

[Flipper]

Contender for the best day of sports ever!!!

Tigers/Indians (always will be the Indians..I'm old) at 1:30. Skubal!!!

This game after that

RedWings/Predators and OSU vs Oregon after that

[Falcon Commander]

don’t wanna jinks this but…Buffalo leading turds 14-0, in the 3rd period!!

[Flipper]

21-0 UB....late in the 3rd

[jpfalcon09]

Garcia and Stewart appear to be playing. Been raining most of the day, had a little bit of small hail earlier. Might be a slow track with the water.

[jpfalcon09]

Lightning delay until 334.

[Hammer]

Love the officiating so far, good lord.