The second half of the 2025 season wasn’t kind to Bowling Green.
In Eddie George’s first year as head coach, the Falcons lost five of their final six games. Three of those came by one score.
Will we see a leap from BGSU in George’s second season?
Bowling Green Season Preview
George was hired in March of 2024, meaning he got a late jump in building his 2025 staff and roster, but it hasn’t taken long for him to establish himself as one of the top recruiters in the conference.
The Falcons had the top recruiting class in the MAC this year, which provides some promise for George moving forward.
Still, there’s plenty of returning talent that should keep BGSU competitive right now.
Dendy Expected To Lead Bowling Green Offense
The next electric running back in the MAC might be sporting the brown and orange this year. Sophomore RB Austyn Dendy didn’t see any action until the final five games of 2025, but his impact was immediately felt when he got on the field. Despite only playing in five games, he still finished the season as the Falcons’ leading rusher.
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound back started four of the final five games of the year where he finished with 493 yards, averaged 98.6 yards per game, and had five touchdowns on 108 carries. I think Dendy will be in for a big season and will be the star of this offense.
It’s unclear who will be in the backfield with Dendy with a quarterback battle seemingly ongoing. Oregon transfer Austin Novosad looks like he might be the favorite to land the job after sitting behind guys like Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore. Division II transfer Jay Kastantin is also in the mix after starting nine games for Assumption University the past three seasons where he totaled 3,658 yards and 28 touchdowns while rushing for 710 yards and nine scores.
Regardless of who earns the starting nod in Week 1, there should be some improvement under center after the Falcons were down to their fourth-string QB by the end of last season.
There will also be some new faces in the wide receiver room with the top four pass catchers from last season gone. Brennan Ridley will return but only caught four passes in 2025. Transfers Isaiah Dawson (Richmond) and Nick Sowell (South Carolina State) could be a couple guys who take on large roles this season. I expect sophomore Winn Sharp will also see an expanded role after seeing limited action last season.
If the offense can improve on last year’s 20.5 points per game, then they’ll need the offensive line to mesh. All of the starters from 2025 have moved on. There are a handful of returners and the familiarity could be beneficial, but there will still be a lot of inexperience. James Thomas Jr. did start two games last season – one at each tackle spot – and should be one of the pillars on the offensive front.
Bowling Green Defense Should See Improvement
In what was expected to be a breakout season for linebacker Dorian Pringle, he only appeared in three games before tearing the ACL in his right knee. The sophomore led the team in tackles prior to that injury and had already registered seven tackles for loss. Now, he’s back and should be one of the top defenders in the conference.
Fellow linebackers AJ Odom and Andrew Hines III will also return for the Falcons and could both earn the other starting LB spots in the 4-3 scheme. Both guys earned starts last season. Purdue transfer Sanders Ellis should also see plenty of action.
Junior safety Kal-El Pascal is another all-conference caliber player that will be back for the BGSU defense. He ranked second on the team with 80 total tackles and added four TFLs, five pass breakups, one interception and two forced fumbles. Preston EstoEsta is likely to be the other starting safety after tallying 29 tackles and two passes defended in four starts last season.
Senior JoJo Johnson should hold down one of the cornerback positions after starting four games and breaking up 13 passes last season, which led the league.
Like the offensive line, we’ll likely see a lot of new faces on the defensive line via the transfer portal, but there will be a few returners. Senior Eriq George is one of them and should be a bigger presence after logging 26 tackles and four sacks last season.
2026 Bowling Green Schedule
| Date | Opponent |
| 9/5 | vs. Tarleton State |
| 9/12 | at Nebraska |
| 9/19 | at Iowa State |
| 9/26 | vs. USF |
| 10/3 | at Miami (Ohio) |
| 10/10 | vs. Sacramento State |
| 10/17 | vs. Ball State |
| 10/24 | at Buffalo |
| 10/31 | at WMU |
| 11/10 | vs. Kent State |
| 11/20 | at Toledo |
| 11/28 | vs. UMass |
Bowling Green’s MAC Championship Betting Odds
Bowling Green has +1600 college football betting odds to win the MAC. Western Michigan is the favorite at +320.
Bowling Green’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
- Bowling Green’s win total Over/Under is at 4.5
- The Over is at -160
- The Under is at +125
Bowling Green Season Prediction
I predict Bowling Green goes over 4.5 wins and reaches a bowl game, but comes short of competing for a MAC championship.
I trust George’s group will be improved from last season and the defense will be one of the best in the league. I also think the Falcons will be able to take advantage of their conference schedule, especially the home contests.
The non-conference slate is difficult, but I expect it will prepare them for the challenging league games, where they’re capable of pulling off one or two upsets.
