2018
Bowling Green
College Football
Betting Preview
Mike Jinks had a rough first two seasons at Bowling Green, finishing with only two wins last year. The good news is that this year is set to be better with an over/under of 4.5 wins behind sophomore quarterback Jarret Doege and a few other playmakers. The Falcons aren’t expected to win the MAC, but have +4000 odds to do so at 5Dimes Sportsbook.
To reach a bowl Game, Bowling Green has to improve on both sides of the ball. That means seeing improvement from Doege, who appeared in seven Games last year as a freshman, finishing with 14 total touchdowns and three picks. He provides some hope, but the only win he got was against lowly Kent State. There is talent around him that should help things from Andrew Clair at running back, who rushed for 725 yards on 6.8 yards per carry, to senior slot receiver SCott Miller (63 receptions, 722 yards, 4 TDs). The line has to take a step forward with three returning starters, although two underclassmen are expected to be in the other spots and they dealt with injuries in the spring. Running back Matt Domer (102 yards) and wide receivers Quintin Morris (116 yards) and Janarvis Pough (106 yards) step into bigger roles and will need to perform.
The defense has to make an even bigger jump after allowing 38 points per Game and seven starters returning should help. Things will look a lot different as new coordinator Carl Pelini, formerly at Youngstown State and FAU, implemented a 4-2-5 scheme, which focuses on attacking. The front six may need to rely on a couple seniors in end David Konowalski and linebacker Brandon Harris, but the group needs to improve as a whole, whether that means stopping the run or getting to the quarterback. The secondary is the most experienced unit with three returning starters to go with safety Jamari Bozeman, who missed 2017 with injury. It doesn’t help BGSU that they had to replace both punter and kicker, which was one of the better duos in the MAC.
The Schedule also doesn’t help Bowling Green with three non-Conference losses expected and the lone win coming against Eastern Kentucky. Getting more wins in MAC play won’t come easy, either, with a difficult Schedule that features Toledo, WMU and CMU out of the West division. OUtside of the home Game against Kent State and Miami (OH), the Falcons will likely be underdogs in the rest of their Conference Games. Even if they upset a couple teams, that’s still only five wins on the season, making a bowl appearance a year away. Doege is only a sophomore, so there’s still more improvement to be made and with a new defense, that will take time to come together, as well.
2018 Bowling Green Falcons Football Schedule
Sept. 1 at Oregon
Sept. 8 vs. Maryland
Sept. 15 vs. Eastern Kentucky
Sept. 22 vs. Miami (OH)
Sept. 29 at Georgia Tech
Oct. 6 at Toledo
Oct. 13 vs. Western Michigan
Oct. 20 at Ohio
Oct. 30 vs. Kent State
Nov. 10 at Central Michigan
Nov. 17 at Akron
Nov. 23 vs. Buffalo