Buckeye Reporter

Bowling Green State University will host the Liberty Flames on Saturday at Doyt Perry Stadium for its Homecoming game. The matchup is set to begin at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The event also marks the 75th birthday celebration of Freddie, the original BGSU mascot, and will conclude with postgame fireworks.

The Falcons and Flames are tied 1-1 in their all-time series. Their last scheduled meeting in 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The teams first played each other in Bowling Green on September 13, 2003, when BGSU won 62-3. That season, Bowling Green finished with an 11-3 record and a victory over Northwestern in the Motor City Bowl.

Several players from both teams' 2003 rosters went on to play in the NFL, including seven from Bowling Green: Josh Harris, Omar Jacobs, Kory Lichtensteiger, Scott Mruczkowski, P.J. Pope, Steve Sanders, and Shaun Suisham. Liberty's Samkon Gado also reached the NFL.

Tight end Jyrin Johnson caught seven passes for 80 yards and a touchdown against Cincinnati in Bowling Green's previous game. His performance ties him for No. 17 all-time at BGSU for single-game receptions by a tight end. Johnson currently ranks No. 17 nationally among tight ends with 102 receiving yards this season.

Linebacker Dorian Pringle is ranked No. 10 nationally with four tackles for loss, all recorded during the opener against Lafayette—a figure that ties for most in a single game nationwide this season.

Quarterback Drew Pyne has thrown at least one touchdown pass in five consecutive seasons, which is currently the longest active streak in college football among quarterbacks with at least 30 attempts per year.

Bowling Green leads the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and is ranked No. 28 nationally in third-down defense; opponents have converted only seven third-down opportunities so far this season.

Running back Cameron Pettaway ranks No. 16 nationally and leads the MAC with an average of 149 all-purpose yards per game. He scored a touchdown on his first collegiate touch via a 98-yard kickoff return against Lafayette and had a career-high of 70 rushing yards against Cincinnati.

BGSU’s connections to Virginia include co-offensive coordinator Greg Nosal, who is from Virginia Beach and played at Virginia Tech; secondary coach Richard McNutt, who coached defensive backs at VMI; wide receiver Brennan Ridley from Richmond; and former head coach Gregg Brandon who later worked as offensive coordinator at Virginia.

Omar Jacobs made his collegiate debut against Liberty in 2003 and delivered a strong performance with three passing touchdowns and one rushing score. Jacobs later set an NCAA Division I-A record for best touchdown-to-interception ratio as a sophomore before being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers after his junior year.

There are coaching connections between both programs: Bruce Johnson (BGSU wide receivers coach) previously served on Liberty’s staff; Bill Durkin (Liberty offensive line coach) was part of Bowling Green’s staff during its MAC Championship run; Kyle Krantz (Liberty co-defensive coordinator) worked alongside current BGSU running backs coach Brian White while both were at Florida.

Defensively, Bowling Green has held nearly half its opponents since late 2021 to under 350 total yards—winning most of those games—and has forced turnovers in most contests over recent seasons. In particular, BGSU led the nation with takeaways last year and tops the MAC in interceptions over the past two years.