Penn State Football Opponent Preview: Bowling Green Falcons

After opening up their 2024 season on the road in Morgantown, West Virginia to face the West Virginia Mountaineers, the Penn State Nittany Lions will return home to Beaver Stadium one week later to take on the Bowling Green Falcons.

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The Falcons are entering the sixth year of the Scot Loeffler era and are coming off a Loeffler era best 7-6 record including 5-3 in MAC play. The Falcons season started off slow with losses in three of their first four matchups to Liberty, Michigan, and Ohio. They would pick up a major win in late September over Georgia Tech 38-27 in Atlanta.

After their upset win, the Falcons would lose just one week later 27-0 to Miami (OH) but would then win four straight and five of their last six to get to bowl eligibility. They would lose in the Quick Lane Bowl to Minnesota 30-24.

Salary: $580,000
Overall Record: 20-35 (0-2 bowl)
Record at Bowling Green: 20-35
Record against Penn State: 0-0

Prior to becoming the head coach at Bowling Green, Loefler was a long time assistant coach serving as an offensive coordinator at each of his last four stops (Temple, Auburn, Virginia Tech, and Boston College). A former Michigan quarterback, the 49-year old Loeffler also spent time at Michigan (1996-1999, 2002-2007), Central Michigan (2000-2001), the Detroit Lions (2008), and Florida (2009-2010).

Offensive Coordinator: Max Warner / Greg Nosal

- Points Per Game: 26.2
- Yards Per Game: 326.3
- Passing Yards Per Game: 188.8
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 179.8

Defensive Coordinator: Steve Morrison/ Sammy Lawanson

- Points Allowed Per Game: 24.0
- Yards Allowed Per Game: 326.1
- Passing Allowed Yards Per Game: 179.8
- Rushing Allowed Yards Per Game: 146.2

This will surprisingly be Penn State's first matchup with Bowling Green since the 1998 season, a 48-3 win for Penn State. The only other matchup between the two programs came in 1987, a 45-19 win for Joe Paterno's program.

Bowling Green is 9-26 all-time against Big Ten programs all-time including a 3-0 record against Purdue and a 2-1 record against Northwestern. Additionally, Penn State is 30-3 against MAC programs all-time with their losses coming to Ohio (2012), Buffalo (1900), and Toledo (2000).

The Falcons said goodbye this offseason to key defenders in LB Cashius Howell who had 10.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks last season. Defensive back Jalen Huskey, who recorded four intereceptions is also gone while fellow defensive back Deshawn Jones Jr has also departed following a 21 tackle, two intereception season in 2023.

Bowling Green signed a top-100 class nationally featuring 21 commitments, it was ranked sixth in the MAC.

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