2018 Bowling Green Falcons football team

2018 Bowling Green Falcons football
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Division	East Division
Record	3–9 (2–6 MAC)
Head coach	Mike Jinks (3rd season; first 7 games) Carl Pelini (interim; remainder of season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Kevin Kilmer (3rd season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Andy Padron (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Carl Pelini (1st season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	Doyt Perry Stadium

2018 Mid-American Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Buffalo x		7	–	1					10	–	4
Miami (OH)		6	–	2					6	–	6
Ohio		6	–	2					9	–	4
Akron		2	–	6					4	–	8
Bowling Green		2	–	6					3	–	9
Kent State		1	–	7					2	–	10
West Division
Northern Illinois x$		6	–	2					8	–	6
Western Michigan		5	–	3					7	–	6
Eastern Michigan		5	–	3					7	–	6
Toledo		5	–	3					7	–	6
Ball State		3	–	5					4	–	8
Central Michigan		0	–	8					1	–	11
Championship: Northern Illinois 30, Buffalo 29
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions

The 2018 Bowling Green Falcons football team represented Bowling Green State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Falcons were led by third-year head coach Mike Jinks for the first seven games until he was fired and replaced by interim head coach Carl Pelini. They played their home games at Doyt Perry Stadium in Bowling Green, Ohio as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 3–9, 2–6 in MAC play to finish in a tie for fourth place in the East Division.

On November 28, 2018, the Falcons hired Boston College offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler as the new head coach.^[1]

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award	Player	Position	Year
Doak Walker Award[2]	Andrew Clair	RB	SO
Fred Biletnikoff Award[3]	Scotty Miller	WR	SR
Paul Hornung Award[4]	Andrew Clair	RB/KR	SO
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award[5]	Jarret Doege	QB	SO

Preseason media poll

The MAC released their preseason media poll on July 24, 2018, with the Falcons predicted to finish in fifth place in the East Division.^[6]

East Division
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Ohio	140 (21)
2	Buffalo	112 (1)
3	Miami	95 (2)
4	Akron	74
5	Bowling Green	58
6	Kent State	25

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	8:00 p.m.	at No. 24 Oregon*	Autzen Stadium Eugene, OR	P12N	L 24–58	50,112
September 8	6:00 p.m.	Maryland*	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH	ESPN+	L 14–45	16,142
September 15	4:00 p.m.	Eastern Kentucky*	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH	ESPN3	W 42–35	17,542
September 22	3:00 p.m.	Miami (OH)	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH	ESPN+	L 23–38	14,380
September 29	12:00 p.m.	at Georgia Tech*	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA	ACCRSN	L 17–63	40,740
October 6	3:30 p.m.	at Toledo	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH (Battle of I-75 Trophy)	ESPN+	L 36–52	24,685
October 13	3:00 p.m.	Western Michigan	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH	ESPN+	L 35–42	18,551
October 20	2:00 p.m.	at Ohio	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	ESPN3	L 14–49	19,492
October 30	8:00 p.m.	Kent State	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH (Anniversary Award)	ESPNU	L 28–35	13,131
November 10	3:00 p.m.	at Central Michigan	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI	ESPN+	W 24–13	8,041
November 17	3:30 p.m.	at Akron	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	ESPN3	W 21–6	17,742
November 23	12:00 p.m.	Buffalo	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH	ESPNU	L 14–44	10,518
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

^[7]

Game summaries

At Oregon

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	10	7	7	0	24
No. 24 Ducks	7	30	14	7	58

See also: 2018 Oregon Ducks football team

Maryland

	1	2	3	4	Total
Terrapins	0	10	7	28	45
Falcons	7	7	0	0	14

See also: 2018 Maryland Terrapins football team

Eastern Kentucky

	1	2	3	4	Total
Colonels	14	7	14	0	35
Falcons	0	28	6	8	42

See also: 2018 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team

Miami (OH)

	1	2	3	4	Total
RedHawks	7	17	7	7	38
Falcons	0	3	0	20	23

See also: 2018 Miami RedHawks football team

At Georgia Tech

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	3	7	7	0	17
Yellow Jackets	14	14	21	14	63

See also: 2018 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team

At Toledo

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	14	7	8	36
Rockets	17	7	7	21	52

See also: 2018 Toledo Rockets football team and Bowling Green–Toledo football rivalry

Western Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	7	21	14	42
Falcons	7	14	7	7	35

See also: 2018 Western Michigan Broncos football team

At Ohio

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	7	0	0	14
Bobcats	14	21	7	7	49

See also: 2018 Ohio Bobcats football team

Kent State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	7	7	7	14	35
Falcons	3	10	0	15	28

See also: 2018 Kent State Golden Flashes football team and Anniversary Award

At Central Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	0	17	7	24
Chippewas	7	6	0	0	13

See also: 2018 Central Michigan Chippewas football team

At Akron

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	7	7	7	21
Zips	3	3	0	0	6

See also: 2018 Akron Zips football team

Buffalo

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	13	21	7	3	44
Falcons	7	0	0	7	14

See also: 2018 Buffalo Bulls football team

Players drafted into the NFL

See also: 2019 NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
6	208	Scotty Miller	WR	Tampa Bay Buccaneers

References

1. "Scot Loeffler named new Bowling Green coach". ESPN.com. November 28, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
2. "2018 Doak Walker Award Candidates". July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
3. "2018 Biletnikoff Award Watch List". July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
4. "43 PLAYERS NAMED TO 2018 PAUL HORNUNG AWARD WATCH LIST". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
5. "2018 Nominations The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award" (PDF). August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
6. "NIU & Ohio Picked as Divisional Winners in 2018 MAC Football Media Preseason Poll".
7. 2018 Bowling Green Falcons football schedule. FBSchedules.com. Retrieved April 7, 2018.