Week 1 scouting report: Fordham at BGSU football

BOWLING GREEN — A pair of dynamic offenses capable of lighting up the scoreboard will clash 7 p.m. Thursday at Doyt Perry Stadium when Bowling Green State University hosts Fordham.

The Falcons, though, will be looking to do everything they can to keep the Rams from running wild.

“The way that I look at playing Fordham, it kind of reminds me whenever we were going against Wishbone teams, to be quite honest with you,” sixth-year BGSU coach Scot Loeffler said. “We’ve got to possess the ball on offense, we’ve got to run the ball, we’ve got to control the clock.

“We’ve got to keep this Fordham offense off the field, and we’ve got to protect the ball. … We’ve got to make Fordham earn every single thing that they’re going to get. So we’ll have a good game plan for them.”

The 106th season of BGSU football begins with what could be an interesting clash with the FCS opponent. The Falcons (7-6, 5-3 Mid-American Conference) earned their first winning season since 2015 a year ago, while the Rams (6-5, 2-4 Patriot League), under seventh-year mentor Joe Conlin, posted their fourth consecutive winning season.

The Falcons and Rams will be squaring off for the first time.

When Fordham has the ball

Fordham has a plethora of options in the backfield and out wide, as well as one of the best quarterbacks in the FCS, so the Rams will likely try to be balanced offensively. Junior quarterback C.J. Montes, who transferred from New Mexico prior to last year, threw for 3,000 yards (ninth in FCS), 26 touchdowns (eighth), and just one interception a year ago in leading a top-30 scoring offense in the FCS (30.5 points per game) and the No. 13-ranked total offense (428 yards per game).

Senior running back Julius Loughridge returns as well after finishing 11th in the FCS with 1,146 rushing yards and tied for 20th with 10 rushing touchdowns. Four of the Rams’ top five pass catchers in Garrett Cody (54 catches, 856 yards, seven touchdowns), Mekai Felton (48, 513, eight), Loughridge (25, 210, two), and Cole Thornton (11, 197, one) are also back.

BGSU’s defense finished tied for first in the FBS with 28 turnovers forced. BGSU’s 17 interceptions were tied for fourth and its 11 fumble recoveries tied for seventh.

When BGSU has the ball

BGSU’s offense is at its best when it is balanced, and the Falcons will look to rely on that formula again this season. The Falcons’ 26.2 points per game ranked second in the MAC a year ago, and their 326.3 total yards per game (188.8 passing and 137.5 rushing) ranked near the middle of the pack. With running back Terion Stewart (762 rushing yards, eight touchdowns in nine games), quarterback Connor Bazelak (1,935 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, seven interceptions), and tight end Harold Fannin, Jr., (44 catches, 623 yards, six touchdowns) among the standouts returning offensively, as well as an experienced and enormous offensive line that averages just under 6-foot-6 and 314 pounds per projected starter, the Falcons could have substantial success. Unfortunately, injuries could already be playing a big role; Loeffler said during Thursday’s news conference that a few players could be out for the year after suffering setbacks during fall camp. He declined to name the players or what the injuries were.

Fordham allowed 24.7 points per game and 376.8 yards per game a year ago. The Rams’ 241.1 passing yards allowed per game ranked 99th out of 122 FCS programs.

Special teams

BGSU appears to have made multiple changes regarding special teams. Sophomore Jackson Kleather and junior Zach Long are listed first and second, respectively, on BGSU’s depth chart at place kicker. Alan Anaya, who returns for the Falcons this year, was the Falcons’ primary kicker last season in converting 13 of 18 field goals and all 43 of his PATs. Power conference transfer wide receivers R.J. Garcia II and Malcolm Johnson, Jr., as well as transfer running back Justin Pegues, will handle kickoff and punt return duties.

For the Rams, second-team Patriot League punter Will Haslett returns after averaging a league-best 42.7 yards per kick. Of his 40 punts, 17 landed inside the opponents’ 20 yard line. Fordham, though, will need to replace first-team Patriot League kicker Brandon Peskin, who made 14 of 17 field goals and 33 of 40 PATs.

Fordham will win if…

The game turns into a shootout. The Rams eclipsed 40 points three times, including a 40-37 win at Buffalo, en route to finishing 4-1 outside of conference play last season. Fordham was 6-1 when scoring at least 25 points, but combined to score just 30 points in its final two games, both losses.

BGSU will win if…

Forcing turnovers, one of the most exciting and productive aspects of BGSU’s defense, will be critical against a Fordham team that gave up the ball just eight times a year ago. BGSU has a significant amount of experience at each level of its defense, so forcing Montes into tough decisions and slowing down the run game would greatly benefit the Falcons.