The Bowling Green Falcons and the Northern Illinois Huskies are set to square off in a Mid-American matchup at 3:30 p.m. ET Oct. 16 at Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium. Coming off of a loss in a game they were expected to win, the Falcons nows face the more daunting task of proving themselves against unfavorable odds.
Bowling Green might have drawn first blood against the Akron Zips last week, but it was Akron who got the last laugh. The contest between them was not particularly close, with Bowling Green falling 35-20. If the result catches you off guard, it should: they were far and away the favorite. QB Matt McDonald had a memorable game, but not in the way you want to be remembered: despite two touchdowns, he threw three interceptions and fumbled the ball once.
Meanwhile, NIU came out on top in a nail-biter against the Toledo Rockets last week, sneaking past 22-20. The team ran away with 16 points in the first half and mostly just sat on those in the second to pick up the win. NIU's only offensive touchdown came from RB Antario Brown.
Most of the squad's points came courtesy of special teams, which contributed 16. K John Richardson booted in five field goals, the longest a 47-yarder in the fourth quarter, which ultimately accounted for the difference in the game.
The Falcons are now 2-4 while the Huskies sit at a mirror-image 4-2. A pair of defensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Bowling Green is 229th worst in the nation in rushing touchdowns allowed, with 13 on the season. NIU has experienced some rushing struggles of their own as they are stumbling into the matchup with the 245th most rushing touchdowns allowed in the nation, having given up 17 on the season. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.