NIU has wrapped up non-conference play and now looks ahead to Saturday’s matchup against Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. After rushing for 367 yards against the University of Massachusetts, the Huskies head into Week 7 with a top-10 rushing offense, in addition to their top-10 defense
Over in the Buckeye State, the Falcons are 1-0 in MAC play after dispatching the University of Akron 27-20 on Saturday.
As NIU prepares to face Bowling Green on the road for the first time since 2017, the Northern Star interviewed Rhys Patrykus, a football beat writer at Falcon Sports Media Network, Bowling Green’s student media organization, to dig deeper into the Huskies’ avian rivals.
Northern Star: Bowling Green opened Mid-American Conference play this past weekend with a 27-20 win at Akron. What were you able to take away from the team’s first test against a MAC opponent this season?
Rhys Patrykus: The ground game needs someone to step up when (junior running back) Terion (Stewart) can’t go, but the offensive line dearly misses (senior) left tackle Nick Reimer, who has been out since the Texas A&M game. The passing offense is among the best in the conference when (senior quarterback) Connor Bazelak isn’t turning the football over; they can do all things through (junior tight end) Harold Fannin Jr. who strengthens them. As for the defense, they only gave up 13 offensive points to Akron (7 from a muffed punt). They got good pressure on the QB, sacking him 3 times. I think they’re one of the best in the conference.
NS: Bowling Green has shown it can hang with some of the best after battling two Top 25 teams – No. 8 Penn State University and No. 25 Texas A&M – within a score on the road earlier this season. What makes Bowling Green so competitive against high-caliber teams?
RP: I think a lot of it comes down to experience (31 seniors rostered) and the fact that head coach Scot Loeffler preaches to ignore the logo on the side of a team’s helmet. They’re very good at blocking out the noise and catching teams off guard with how they come out in games.
NS: I know tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and running back Terion Stewart have been incredible offensive playmakers for the Falcons. Can you talk about what makes them so difficult to stop?
RP: Terion is an incredibly powerful runner with a low center of gravity; once he gets a full head of steam, he’s very difficult to slow down, let alone stop. He’s near the top of college football in broken tackles since 2021. As for Fannin, he’s a matchup nightmare. He played receiver in high school but is now up to tight end size. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, he’s too big for the average corner to cover and too fast for the average linebacker to cover. He’s also very good at slipping tackles and it feels like he can catch any ball that comes within 3 feet of him.
NS: NIU and Bowling Green entered this season among the short list of teams expected to contend for the MAC championship. How high do you think the stakes for this game are?
RP: This game will probably determine who gets to play Toledo in Detroit. A loss for BG won’t necessarily mean the end of the season, but it will make it a lot tougher down the stretch, especially with Toledo only two weeks away.
NS: How do you see this game playing out, and what’s your score prediction?
RP: I don’t think there will be more than 35 passes thrown combined, even with the conditions expected to be near-perfect. The game probably won’t last more than 2:45. That being said, I’ll take BG 24-23.
